HEALTH INSURANCE
TRAVEL OR PRIVATE MEDICAL INSURANCE?
DISCOVER WHATS BEST FOR YOUR INTERNATIONAL EMPLOYEES
Marianne Curphey explores how employers can support their staff in health terms while they are outside the UK? For an employer, the first decision will be whether the cover should be a travel insurance policy which includes a health benefit, or a private medical insurance plan tailored to the employee’s needs.
H
ow can employers support their staff in health terms while they are outside the UK? For an employer,
the first decision will be whether the cover should be a travel insurance policy which includes a health benefit, or a private medical insurance plan tailored to the employee’s needs. Rod Jones, Head of Partnerships at
ActiveQuote, says international private medical insurance policies are designed to provide comprehensive treatment and care should something happen when you are abroad. “They will be more expensive than a standard travel insurance policy, but depending on your length of stay, may be the better option,” he says. “For individuals working abroad, it’s essential to have both travel insurance and private medical insurance in place. This means that, in the event of something happening while you’re working away, you have some form of protection in place. “In terms of cover available, this will depend on the amount of time that’s spent abroad and where you are working – for example, some medical insurers
won’t offer cover if you are working in the US. “There will usually be a limit on how long you can be abroad with a travel insurance policy. Therefore if you are working away for a long period of time it maybe that you are no longer covered by your travel policy.”
Finding the right cover Juan Peña Núñez, Business Development Director at Healix, a global leader in international medical, security and travel assistance services, says finding the right cover depends on the location and the length of the assignment. “We provide international security, assistance and risk mitigation to insurance companies, working directly with governments and multi-national companies, FTSE 100 companies, Fortune 500 companies, and any company that has an international footprint,” he says. “All of these employees have reason to be overseas, but they will have a different footprint. David Attenborough on location filming a nature programme is going to have different profile from someone who is in Ecuador on business travel.”
Corporate travel policies When a member of staff is posted abroad, up to one year, on a work placement, employers have the responsibility for ensuring that the cover is suitable for each posting. The organisation needs to be clear about who is responsible for employee welfare – it could be HR, the risk manager or security manager, or someone who is in charge of employee benefits. “The product will be based on geographical footprint, the budget available, and the coverage that is required,” says Juan Peña Núñez. Healix provides 24/7 medical and security assistance and pre-trip medical and security advice, in-patient and out- patient cover, dental cover, repatriation or evacuation. “The latter might be necessary if the medical care in the local area is limited, or it is an emergency condition which needs specialist treatment. In this case we would transfer the person to a centre of excellence where they can be stabilised or continue treatment.” Under corporate travel policy the vast majority of calls – around 98% – are medically related and include falls, accidents, acute conditions or infectious
24 | Relocate | January 2019
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