Comparison of the best international health insurances

Today we are going to address the topic about which we surprisingly receive the most questions: travel insurance and international health insurance.

The article aims to provide some general guidance on the important aspects to consider when choosing your health insurance.

We are going to look at the differences between travel insurance (for trips abroad of up to one year) and international health insurance (for long-term or permanent stays abroad).

At the end of this article, you will find a list of what we consider to be the best 3 options for both travel and international health insurance, for which we have included all the relevant information such as: contact details, insurance conditions, prices, and special discounts for Tax Free Today’s readers.

As with many of the topics that we often speak about at Tax Free Today (investment, lifestyle…), the information given here is not a strict recommendation to be taken at face value. The issue of health coverage is very complex, and everyone has their own needs (medical, economic, security…) and preferences (resources are limited and must be prioritised).

Due to the fact that we have travelled and seen a lot (both to leading countries, and those which are less developed) and that we are both fathers (no parent wants to take unnecessary risks with their children), despite we have a certain degree of scepticism when it comes to some insurance companies, we consider health insurance to be very important, if not essential. You don’t need to be 100% covered, but we do think it’s essential to have at least a certain degree of cover.

This is because, even if you are young and hardly need any medical care (generally speaking, the machinery of the human body is designed to hold up quite well until it’s 60 years old, with hardly any check-ups or repairs), there are some medical costs which could ruin you if you don’t have insurance to cover them. To give you an idea, a heart transplant can cost more than $1.6min the US.

Having said this, this type of procedure is not very common and shouldn’t alarm you. Just to give you an idea, the following graph shows the average total health expenditure in Spain (there are many similar studies in other countries), that is, the sum of the average expenditure on primary care (outpatients and home care) and the average expenditure on hospitals and major surgery.

This graph is from a study carried out by the BBVA Foundation, using data from 1999 (the study isn’t particularly current, but it still allows us to draw important conclusions). As you can see, the average expenditure per inhabitant is relatively low until you reach 50-60 years old, where it begins to increase significantly.

In the following graph, we can see how most of the total health expenditure is on hospital and major surgery costs (which is obvious, given the high costs of these operations and hospital stays):

Last of all, in this graph you can see the average expenditure in pharmacies (these are not included in the total health expenditure):

To conclude, if you’re healthy, with healthy habits, you haven’t had serious illnesses, and are relatively young (up to 45-50 years old), basic health insurance for the most expensive medical treatments or procedures is more than enough to cover you for possible medical eventualities. Any other medical costs can be paid for with personal savings.

As the graphs show, children (except for births, newborns, etc.) do not usually require much health care (at least not expensive).

Of course, if you don’t want to take any risks, you can always take out an insurance policy with complete coverage which includes almost everything, but you have to be aware that you will usually be paying too much (after all, part of the insurance business is convincing you that you need to increase your insurance).

Finally, depending on where you are going to travel or live, it’s a good idea to get a complete medical check up and any necessary vaccines before you go, especially if this can be done for free in your home country.

Differences between travel health insurance and international health insurance

The main difference, and significant advantage, of international health insurance compared to travel insurance, is that the contractual period of the former is unlimited.

Travel insurance is limited to a set time period, 1 year is usually the maximum, but it is generally for less than 90 days. Conversely, the duration of international health insurance is indefinite. This means that a health insurance company can’t give you an exceptional contract if you suffer from a serious illness which they will have to pay for, or you have to continue with some type of treatment. This is the problem with travel insurance, as once the contractual period is over, the insurance company won’t give you an extension if you have a serious illness, and you will probably have to pay for it yourself.

There are other differences to consider, such as the fact that you can normally only take out travel insurance from your own country (although some offer this possibility with limitations), while international health insurance can be taken out before you travel, or while you are abroad.

Another important advantage of international health insurance is that you have the option to receive free medical and hospital treatment worldwide.

Apart from your home country and certain parts of the world (there are normally additional fees in the USA), you are free to choose where in the world you want to be treated. On the other hand, in most cases travel insurance only ensures that you will be able to receive emergency treatment in the country in which you have the accident or need healthcare, and that once you are fit to travel, you will be taken back to your home country in order to receive treatment there.

However, if you prefer to be treated in your home country, international health insurance usually also offers medical evacuation and treatment in your home country, for an additional fee.

To sum up, here are the most important advantages of international medical insurance:

• Contractual period is potentially unlimited (no termination of contract in case of illness).
• It’s possible to take out this insurance while you are abroad.
• Choose from (almost) free medical and hospital treatment worldwide.
• Generally, they are much cheaper than private insurance options which offer similar advantages (worldwide healthcare) that you can take out in your home country.

Therefore, if you are planning to permanently leave your home country, you should seriously consider taking out international health insurance.

If, on the other hand, you are leaving your home country for a set period of time, it may make more sense for you to combine travel insurance abroad with either private health insurance, or with the country’s national health service in which you will live (we will look at this in more detail later).

The table below, which is from the insurance company CIGNA, clearly sums up the differences between travel insurance and international health insurance:

Travel insurance

International health insurance

Travel insurance is designed for holidaymakers to cover cancellations, personal belongings, and emergency medical treatment, whereas international health insurance is designed to cover inpatient treatment check-ups and continuing treatment of chronic conditions abroad.   1.   Lost luggage 2.   Delayed departure 3.   Trip cancelled 4.   Personal belongings 5.   Personal liability 6.   Travel documents 7.   Emergency medical cover

International health insurance is meant for expatriates who are living and/or working abroad for a prolonged period of time. International health insurance will usually allow you to choose where you have treatment, while travel insurance will usually return you back home to continue treatment once you are fit enough to make the journey back.   1.   Emergency medical cover 2.   Regular medical check-ups 3.   Rehabilitation 4.   Compassionate visit 5.   Maternity cover 6.   Newborn cover 7.   Cancer treatment

A third option, which is an alternative to international health insurance, is to take out private health insurance on the national health service, or registering on the public health service of the country in which you are going to reside. This option is worth considering if you are going to live in a country permanently, or at least spend prolonged periods of time there. Of course, both options are also complementary.

When it comes to deciding if you are going to pursue the public health service option, it’s fundamental that you fully understand how the system functions, and the state that it’s in: aspects such as the services and coverage it provides, the number of doctors, hospital beds or ICU beds per 1,000 inhabitants, the state of the hospitals and health centres, waiting lists, prevention systems, what technology they have, etc., as well as, of course, the social security contributions required in order to form part of this public system (although it’s also possible that paying these is mandatory).

Finally, it’s not only important to consider the current state of the public health system, but also to consider its future prospects. The future is always uncertain, but you can still get a rough idea of whether the system is sustainable, and whether its current conditions can be expected to stay pretty much the same, by looking into public health policies and support, the current level of public debt, and the economic prospects of the country in question, etc. A State which is in a lot of debt and which doesn’t have very good economic prospects will have to make considerable cuts to public expenditure, a large part of which goes towards health expenditure, as well as education and pensions. If this is the case, then although the current health system may be very good, it may not stay this way by the time you need it (20-30 years from now if you are in your thirties).

Europe is generally regarded as having good public healthcare systems, although their method of stopping expenses skyrocketing (as occurs in the USA) is basically through having long waiting lists, something which isn’t given much media coverage. The added problem with Europe is that many of its member States are in a lot of debt (especially in the South), meaning that cuts may soon end up reducing the quality of service.

Either way, below we have included the Swedish Health Consumer Powerhouse ranking, which classifies the health systems of 35 European countries, based on 48 criteria:

Source: Euro Health Consumer Index 2018

It’s worth mentioning that there are many other world rankings on this matter, carried out by, for example, the OECD, WHO, etc. The important thing is to pay attention to the indicators or criteria which have been used, and decide if they are what matters most to you. The USA, for example, is the country which spends the most on health in relation to its GDP (16.9%), but this isn’t to say that it has the best healthcare system (it doesn’t), nor does it mean that its public system is good.

In our case, it’s more important to look at other factors such as coverage or waiting lists in order to know whether the public healthcare system could be a good alternative to international health insurance or not.

What to consider when it comes to choosing your international health insurance?

There are a number of factors to consider when it comes to deciding which health insurance best fits your personal situation. There are a lot of them, but we think that you should mainly consider your health (past, present, and foreseeable future), the country you’re going to, what you will be doing there, the income you are likely to receive, and your family status, among others.

In practice, these factors entail a multitude of possible combinations, and therefore disparate recommendations.

We will now analyse these different factors, placing particular emphasis on the issue of excess or deductible.

The excess is the figure from which expenses covered by the policy will be reimbursed. This can be absolute (the insurance company pays the difference between the total amount minus the excess) or relative (the insurance company pays the whole amount if it is above the excess). The excess reduces the amount of an insurance premium.

• Health status

If your medical conditions (both physical and mental) and your genetics are good, and you don’t have an extensive medical history, you may not even need to take out health insurance for the next few years and, if you do, a basic package with a high excess will probably be enough to cover you for expensive hospital treatments.

However, if your current medical conditions are good but you have a long medical history (you have been ill a lot in the past), it may be better to choose a policy without an excess which will also cover outpatient treatment.

And, of course, as we have seen, as you get older the risk of contracting an illness and health expenditure generally increase considerably (from 60 years old, especially for men). A basic tariff may be enough to reduce costs. If you can afford it, in these cases it’s probably better to choose policies which include outpatient, dental, and eye care, among other things.

• Residency

Depending on where you are going to travel or live, the insurance premium will vary significantly. In some countries treatments, especially the longest and most complicated ones, are a lot more expensive than in others.

Furthermore, if you are going to travel and live in different countries (you aren’t going to stay in one place permanently), the potential risks may increase considerably. For example, if you travel to a tropical country, or one that isn’t very developed, you will have to be careful of potential local diseases, such as Malaria, Dengue fever, etc. Not having the right insurance in these places comes with potentially fatal risks.

You should also keep in mind that in remote parts of less developed countries, the health care services may be rather poor and there may be language barriers.

Finally, keep in mind that some health insurance companies may require vaccinations in certain areas.

• What will you be doing

This is an important matter to keep in mind. Remember that most of the usual insurance companies won’t cover certain risky activities (such as diving, caving, etc.), so you should either take out a specific insurance which will cover them, or include them in your health insurance if it’s possible to do so.

• Family

Of course, travelling alone is not the same as travelling with your family. When choosing the right insurance, you must of course take into account anyone who will be travelling or living with you. Family insurance usually has significant discounts, and it’s important to look at which conditions are included for children. Children don’t usually get seriously ill, but they do get a lot of colds, viruses such as chicken pox, measles or rubella, as well as minor illnesses which can lead to complications.

Furthermore, dental care for children is something else to consider. Sometimes it can make sense to take out insurance which includes certain dental treatments.

Finally, if you plan to have children and give birth while abroad, you may want to choose a package which includes maternity coverage and postpartum services.

Summarizing, you will have to analyse all of the other factors mentioned here for each individual family member.

• Income

Ultimately, your income will determine what insurance coverage you can afford in your international health insurance. It’s important to find the right balance between level of coverage, the risks you are taking, and what you can afford. This is often the hardest part of choosing the right international health insurance.

As we’ve said, it’s generally advisable to take out insurance with some form of excess. This would be especially ideal for healthy people who do not go to the doctor for any reason.

As well as excess, some insurance companies will agree to pay a percentage contribution to the costs (copayment), which is often set at a maximum amount. This further reduces insurance premiums.

In view of the factors we’ve discussed, we will now move on to look at the best options for both travel insurance, and international health insurance.

The 3 best travel insurance options

This section will only be of interest to sporadic travellers or those who are planning to travel for a limited amount of time. Potential perpetual travellers or those who are looking to change their country of residence can move straight onto the next section.

There are countless insurance companies which offer travel insurance (there are far less for international health insurance) but to stop you being completely overwhelmed, we have selected 3 which we feel are good value for money, and which have a good reputation within the travel community. We won’t deny that there are more and probably even better options, but these 3 are good, affordable, and reliable.

Before looking at them, we want to talk briefly about health insurance offered by credit card companies.

It’s true that many of them offer travel insurance when you buy a flight or other ticket with them, and often they even include companions if you pay for all the tickets on the same card, but they don’t always cover as many things as people think. They usually offer quite basic insurance, so it’s important to look at what’s included, and especially what is NOT included, in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises. You can usually call your bank or credit card provider and ask them this information, but it’s important to also have it in writing, either by consulting their website, or asking them to send you the information via email, if it isn’t published online.

The N26 You card from the German bank of the same name offers complete travel insurance for a maximum of 90 days through the insurance company Allianz Global Assistance, as well as allowing you to withdraw cash for free from any ATM worldwide. The only downside is that it costs 9.90€ per month (118.8 per year) and has a one-year binding contract.

SafetyWing

This is an interesting and affordable option. It offers you coverage anywhere in the world for 37 USD for every 4 weeks (68 USD if you wish to include the journey to the USA). If you are interested in hiring this service, you can do so here.

Features:

• You can take out this insurance even if you’ve already started your trip.
• You can automatically extend the service until you wish to cancel it or until 364 days have passed, at which time you will have to manually make a renewal request.
• For every 90 days that go by, you have 30 days of medical coverage in your home country, which you can use should anything happen while you are there.
• The insurance includes 1 child per adult (2 per family) between the ages of 14 days to 10 years at no extra cost.

What it covers:

• Worldwide coverage
• 24 hour international medical assistance
• Medical and health expenses: up to $250,000
• Ambulance service
• Emergency visit: $50 co-payment (not subject to deductible)
• Physical treatment and chiropractic care: up to $50 per day
• Dental treatments: up to $1,000 (not subject to deductible)
• Trip interruption: up to $5,000 (without deductible)
• Reimbursement for lost or stolen luggage: up to $3,000, $500 per item and $100 per travel document (without deductible)
• Travel delays: up to $100 per day after 12 hour delays which lead to an unplanned overnight stay. Maximum of 2 days (without deductible)
• Emergency medical or political evacuations: up to $100,000 and $10,000 respectively (not subject to deductible)
• Personal liability: up to $25,000
• Accidental death and dismemberment: up to $50,000

What it doesn’t cover:

• High-risk activities/sports
• Treatment for pre-existing illnesses or injuries
• Cancer treatment
• Loss or theft of electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, or cameras

Here you can find all the information on their coverage.

IATI

This option is especially popular for travellers. There are various packages to choose from: IATI Basic, IATI Standard, IATI Star/Premium, IATI Backpacker, IATI Family, IATI Bloggers, and Frequent Travellers, which are taken out by month (1 year maximum).

The biggest difference between the first three is the expense coverage, especially in terms of medical expenses which for the first option are €50,000, for the second €200,000 and the third €350,000 / Premium €500,000.

The IATI Backpacker option is a type of insurance adapted to those who want to go on an adventure, with €250,000 medical coverage. IATI Family is insurance for families who are travelling, with €200,000 medical coverage. IATI Bloggers and Frequent Travellers is long-term/multi-trip insurance with €200,000 medical coverage.

Some include full coverage for more than 60 adventure sports such as diving (up to 20 metres), kitesurfing, rafting, or trekking up to an altitude of 5,000m, to name a few.

None of them require you to pay an excess.

The basic package for 1 month costs €65, and with the standard package you are covered for up to 12 months for €675. If you are interested in hiring this service, you can do so here.

What it covers:

• Worldwide coverage
• 24 hour international medical assistance
• Medical and health costs abroad: ranging between €50,000-€500,000 depending on the package you’ve chosen
• Dental expenses: ranging between €100-€500
• Personal injuries in motor vehicle accidents
• Displacement of a family member: ranging between €420-€1,000
• Convalescence at the hotel: ranging between €420-€1,000
• Repatriation (no limit) and in some cases accompaniment
• Accident disability guarantee: ranging between €6,000-€18,000
• Reimbursement for lost or stolen luggage: ranging between €500-€2,500
• Travel delays: ranging between €180-€300 (not included in basic package)
• Delayed arrival of checked-in luggage: ranging from €90-€300
• Personal liability: ranging between €30,000-€60.000

What it doesn’t cover:

• High risk activities/sports, unless you have taken out insurance for this
• Treatment for chronic, preexisting or congenital illnesses/diseases (unless it’s an emergency)
• Cancer treatment

WorldNomads

This is one of the preferred options for backpackers worldwide, and is recommended by Lonely Planet, among others. They offer 2 packages: Standard, and Explorer, which are taken out by month (maximum 1 year), although currently this is not possible due to Covid-19.

It’s possible to include full coverage for more than 200 activities and adventure sports such as diving (up to 50 metres), skydiving, kitesurfing, rafting, climbing, or trekking up to an altitude of 6,000m, to name a few. Professional activities are also included.

If you are interested in hiring this service, you can do so here. What it covers:

• Worldwide coverage
• 24 hour international medical assistance
• Medical and health expenses abroad: up to €3,500,000, and potentially unlimited, depending on the package you choose
• Medical evacuations: up to €350,000
• Pre-travel protection (if your travel partner is injured, cancellations…): between €3,500-€7,000
• Reimburse stolen or lost luggage: ranging from €1,700-€2,500
• Dental costs
• Personal injuries in motor vehicle accidents
• Repatriations
• Accident disability guarantee
• Travel delays
• Car rental
• Delayed arrival of checked-in luggage
• Personal liability

What it doesn’t cover

• High risk activities/sports, unless you have taken out insurance for this
• Treatment for chronic, preexisting, or congenital illnesses/diseases (unless it’s an emergency)
• Search and rescue operations at any moment
• Cancer treatment
• Medical expenses once you’ve returned to your country of residence

The 3 best international health insurance options

We will now reveal our favourite international health insurance companies for expatriates and perpetual travellers and discuss them in greater detail below.

We currently have 3 favourites: the American CIGNA, the Luxembourger Foyer, and the German Globality Health, are three large insurance companies which stand out from the rest.

CIGNA is our favourite of the 3, but that’s not to say that we think it’s always the best option because, as we’ve said, it all depends on your personal situation and preferences. We particularly like this insurance company because it allows you to choose between a large number of possible combinations which can be perfectly adapted to each individual case. Thanks to its extensive global network, you can quickly find the experts best suited to you in any country worldwide. Prices vary based on age, level of excess, and/or copayments and coverage. They offer a 10% discount if you pay on an annual basis.

For healthy young people who are travelling alone, CIGNA’s basic ”Silver” package covers the most important aspects: up to €800,000 per year will cover all types of hospital treatment, all medical expenses in case of cancer, dental emergencies, psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation, and much more. The price of this insurance with an excess/deductible of €275 would be, in my case (39 year old male), around €127 per month.

Foyer Global Health is another very interesting option. They offer 3 packages and possible discounts if you take out insurance with an excess, but they do not offer copayments. It is generally more expensive, but depending on each individual case, can sometimes work out cheaper.

Last of all, Globality Health is part of one of the largest reinsurance groups in the world, that being the German Munich Re Group (who also owns Ergo and DKV, among others). They offer very similar conditions to Foyer Global health, but the basic package is a lot more affordable (although it does of course have less coverage). In my case, the ”Essential” package would cost around €74 per month (without excess).

CIGNA: insurance plans, insurance conditions

Foyer Global Health: insurance plans, insurance conditions

Globality Health: insurance plans, insurance conditions

Insurance company	CIGNA	Foyer Global Health	Globality Health
Contact details	Cigna Global Health Options, Customer Service, 1 Knowe Road, Greenock, Scotland PA15 4RJ 44+0(1475)788 182 cignaglobal_customer.care@cigna.com	Foyer Global Health 12 rue León Laval L-3372 Leudelange Luxembourg Tel. +352 437 43 42 44	Globality S.A 1A, Rue Gabriel Lippmann L-5365 Munsbach Tel: +352 270 444 1000 contact@globality-health.com
Packages and monthly fees (base price)	Silver: €137.90 Gold: €177.03 Platinum: €232.94	Essential: €141 Special: €247 Exclusive: €304	Essential: €74 Classic: €160 Plus: €276 Top: €344
Discounts	Quarterly payment: – 3% Annual payment: – 10% Discounts for excess/deductibles and copayments	Discounts for excess/deductibles	Discounts for excess/deductibles
Excess or deductible per coverage period	Base price given here is WITHOUT EXCESS. Excess of €275: additional discount of between 7 and 8%. Excess of €550: additional discount of between 14 and 15% Excess of up to €7,400: discounts of up to 60%	Base price given here WITHOUT EXCESS. Excess of €250: additional discount of between 8 and 14%. Excess of €500: additional discount of between 14 and 23% Excess of €1,000: discount of up to 35%	Base price given here WITHOUT EXCESS. Excess of €250: additional discount of ≈11% Excess of €500: discount of ≈19% Excess of €1,000: discount of ≈27% Excess of €2,500: discount of ≈54%
COPAYMENT (% to be paid in the event of a claim and maximum to be paid by the insured party)	Base price given here is WITHOUT COPAYMENT. 10% copayment with a maximum of €1,480: additional discount of between 10 and 11% Possible copayments of up to 30%, with discounts of up to 18%.	NO COPAYMENT.	NO COPAYMENT.
Maximum annual coverage	Silver: €800,000 Gold: €1,600,000 Platinum: Unlimited	Unlimited	Essential: €2,000,000 Classic: €3,000,000 Plus: €5,000,000 Top: €7,500,000
Outpatient  and hospital treatment	Silver: double room. Gold and Platinum: private room. Total coverage for: operating room; prescription drugs, medication and dressing for the treatment of hospital patients and outpatients; intensive care; coronary care; high dependency unit. Surgeon and anaesthetist fees and specialist consultations. Organ, bone marrow and stem cell transplants. Kidney dialysis. Pathology, radiology, diagnostic tests (excluding advanced medical imaging tests). Advanced medical imaging tests (with certain limits).	Double or single room. Total coverage for: operating room, prescribed drugs, medication and dressing for the treatment of hospital patients and outpatients; intensive care; coronary care; high dependency unit. Surgeon and anaesthetist fees and specialist consultations. Organ, bone marrow, and stem cell transplants. Kidney dialysis. Pathology, radiology, and diagnostic tests (excluding advanced medical imaging tests). Advanced medical imaging tests (with certain limits). Congenital diseases: Essential: up to €100,000; Special: up to €150,000; Exclusive: up to €200,000.	Double or single room. Diagnostic consultations and services. Hospital fees, including operating rooms, anesthesia, intensive care units and labs. Operations and anesthetics. Bone marrow and organ transplants (€100,000-unlimited). Outpatient care for serious illnesses following hospitalization. Hospital support facilities and equipment. Dialysis (apart from Essential): up to €2,000,000. Congenital diseases: up to €150,000. Outpatient care (apart from Essential, Classic, and Plus with certain limits).
Physiotherapy treatments and complementary therapy. Home care. Rehabilitation. Palliative care.	Silver: €1,850 Gold: €3,700 Platinum: no limit Includes acupuncture, homeopathy and traditional Chinese medicine.	Physiotherapy (includes 15, 20, or unlimited massages per year). Includes acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy, and the chiropractor: (Essential: up to €1,000, Special: €2,500 and Exclusive: €5,000)	Physiotherapy (includes 15, 20, or unlimited massages per year). Includes acupuncture, homeopathy, osteopathy, and the chiropractor: (Essential: up to €1,000, Special: €2,500 and Exclusive: €5,000)
Cancer treatment	Total coverage for: chemotherapy, radiotherapy, oncology, diagnostic tests and medication, whether the beneficiary stays in hospital overnight, or receives treatment as an outpatient or inpatient.	Total coverage for: chemotherapy, radiotherapy, oncology, diagnostic tests and medication, whether the beneficiary stays in hospital overnight, or receives treatment as an outpatient or inpatient.	Total coverage for: chemotherapy, radiotherapy, oncology, diagnostic tests and medication, whether the beneficiary stays in hospital overnight, or receives treatment as an outpatient or inpatient.
Maternity and postpartum (you need to take out the insurance at least 10, 12, or 24 months before the mother and baby are discharged for postpartum coverage)	Maternity: Silver: not included Gold: up to €5,500 Platinum: up to €11,000 Postpartum: Silver: up to €18,500 Gold: up to €55,500 Platinum: up to €122,000	Maternity: Essential: not included Special: up to €5,000 Exclusive: up to €20,000 Postpartum: Essential: not included Special and Exclusive: unlimited but both parents must be insured (and the baby before 2 months)	Maternity: Essential and Classic: not included Plus: up to €5,000 Top: up to €20,000 Postpartum: Essential and Classic: not included Plus and Top: unlimited
Medication and dressing (outpatient care)	Silver: €370 Gold: €1,480 Platinum: unlimited	With prescription: unlimited	Essential: not included Classic: up to €7,500 outpatient limit; Plus: up to €15,000 outpatient limit Top: unlimited
Vaccines (flu, tetanus every 10 years, hepatitis A and B, cholera, yellow fever, polio, japanese encephalitis, typhoid, and malaria)	Silver: €185 Gold and Platinum: unlimited	Essential: not included Special: €250 Exclusive: unlimited	Essential and Classic: not included Plus: €250 Top: unlimited
Medical and surgical devices/internal and external prosthetic devices	Internal: unlimited External: €2,400 per prosthetic device	Internal: unlimited External: not stated	Internal: unlimited External for Plus package: up to €2,000; for Top package: unlimited
Regular medical checkups	Silver: €165 Gold: €330 Platinum: €440	Essential: not included Special: up to €250 Exclusive: up to €500	Essential and Classic: not included Plus: up to €250 Top: up to €500
Dental treatment (three months after taking out the policy)	Silver: €930 Gold: €1,850 Platinum: €4,300 Free for everyone: 2 dental check ups per coverage period, X-rays, scaling and polishing (two per coverage period). 80, 90, or 100% refund on the following treatments: root canal, extractions, surgical procedures, occasional treatment, anesthesia, and periodontal treatment.	Special and Exclusive: two dental check ups per coverage period, X-rays, scaling and polishing (two per coverage period), dental and gum mucosa treatment, simple fillings, extractions, endodontics, dental prosthesis, implants (max. 4) and orthodontics. Major treatments: Special: up to €2,000 Exclusive: up to €5,000	Only Plus and Top: two dental check ups per coverage period, dental cleaning, X-rays, surgery, dental and gum mucosa treatment, simple fillings, extractions, endodontics, dental prosthesis, implants (max. 4) and orthodontics. Major treatments: Plus: up to €2,000 and Top up to €5,000
Additional services	Unlimited: Air and local ambulance services. Repatriation and medical evacuation. Emergency dentist treatment. Substitute cash benefit for hospitalisation (€75 or €150 per day). Psychiatric care: Silver: €3,700; Gold: €7,400 and Platinum: unlimited. Advance of funds in case documents, credit cards, travel tickets or business documents are stolen when abroad.	Emergency services and repatriation for an added €5 per month. Air and local ambulance services. Unlimited psychiatric care 10 months after the date on which insurance policy is taken out. Infertility treatment (after 24 months of policy): Special: 50% up to €7,500′; Exclusive: 50% up to €15,000 Only for medical reasons: return to home country, visits to family members, delays in return journey, purchase and shipment of essential medication, child care, transportation of mortal remains, organisational support in case of death.	Air and local ambulance services. Repatriation and medical evacuation. Psychiatric care up to 20 (Plus) or 40 (Top) days, 10 months after the policy has been taken out. Substitute cash benefit for hospitalization (€50-€200 per day). Infertility treatment (after 24 months of policy): Plus: 50% up to €2,000 and Top: 50% up to €10,000 Only for medical reasons (only Plus and Top): return to home country, visits to family members, delays on return journey, purchase and shipment of essential medication, child care, transportation of mortal remains, and organisational support in case of death.
Limitations in certain countries	Coverage practically everywhere worldwide (up to 200 countries), but there’s an extra charge in the U.S.	Coverage practically everywhere worldwide (up to 200 countries) but there’s an extra charge in the U.S. (more than 3 times as much). Does not include permanent US residents.	Coverage practically everywhere worldwide (up to 200 countries) but there’s an extra charge in the U.S. (almost 3 times as much).
Coverage in home country	Yes, for a maximum of 90 days a year.	Yes	Yes

As far as we can, we have provided you with all the relevant information concerning international health insurance and travel insurance. We hope that this article has been of interest to you, and helps you to make the right decision regarding your health insurance.

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Tax Free Today is not authorised to handle your insurance. The reader should verify all the information contained in the documents provided to ensure its integrity and accuracy. It’s advisable to seek expert advice before signing an insurance contract. This article should only be used as preliminary guidance.

Remember, your life is your own, and, of course, the responsibility for the decisions you make is also 🙂