Engage Health Group

Tag: international health insurance

  • Price drop? Bupa makes major changes to Ultimate Health plan

    Price drop? Bupa makes major changes to Ultimate Health plan

    Bupa Global’s Ultimate Health Plan has sat at the top of the International Medical Insurance market for a number of years. It’s designed for ‘Ultra High-Net-Worth Individuals’ – people with a net worth of $30m plus.

    The product goes above and beyond what would normally be found in an International Health Insurance product. The features included in Bupa’s Ultimate Health Plan has made it an attractive proposition for those who qualify. In fact, you can argue it’s as much a lifestyle product as an insurance product.

    The Ultimate Health Plan includes:

    • Post-treatment recuperation in a health resort
    • Access to the very best suites in private hospitals. For example, the private suites at the Bupa Cromwell, where accommodation alone starts at between £5,000 and £10,000 per night.
    • Evacuation for medical and non-medical emergencies (such as natural disasters)
    • An incredibly exhaustive range of diagnostics, including genetic cancer screening
    • The widest range of treatments possible, everything you would usually expect plus prosthetic treatments and transplants

    The product is overseen by a ring-fenced private client service team of experienced, multi-language service specialists based in Copenhagen. Members on the Bupa Ultimate Health plan will have a dedicated contact in the team to manage all of the dealings on their plan as well as assistance in finding the best facility and booking treatment.

    While Bupa’s Ultimate Health Plan is a product unlike anything else in the International Private Medical Insurance market, it came with a price tag to suit, with prices generally starting at $20,000 per person per year. Which really did limit this to the Ultra High-Net-Worth market.

    Considering investing in Bupa Global’s Ultimate Health Plan? Get impartial advice from the independent brokers at Engage Health Group. Call +44 (0)1273 974419 or use the chatbox to the right. 

    What’s new for Bupa’s Ultimate Health Plan?

    Bupa Global have announced a range of product updates and what they are describing as an ‘overall significant price reduction (subject to underwriting)’. Product enhancements include:

    • Removed waiting period for health screenings
    • Added additional tests/therapies that can be claimed for under health screening such as:
      • Cryotherapy
      • Vitamin therapy
      • EMG test
      • COVID-19 antibody test
      • Stress-related therapies
      • Sports massages
      • Colonic irrigation
      • Therapy for sleep disorders
    • Dietetic guidance now available for a medical reason rather than limited to diabetes patients only
    • Footcare now available for a medical reason rather than limited to diabetes patients only

    These updates help the Bupa Ultimate Health Plan retain its place at the top of the tree, amongst stronger competition from Cigna Global and Allianz Worldwide Care, who are also keen to focus on this exclusive part of the market for UK International Medical Insurance.

    Have Bupa’s prices come down?

    The cost of the premium will vary according to a variety of factors, but now starts at around £10,200 per person, reaching as high as £33,000. Keep in mind, this is with medical history disregarded, global coverage (US included) and all the features mentioned above – and more.

    If you’d like FREE quotes and advice regarding Bupa’s Ultimate Health Plan and other international insurance products, please get in touch. Simply fill in our contact form or email enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk. 

  • Bupa Global Launches New Executive Wellbeing Index

    Bupa Global Launches New Executive Wellbeing Index

    The pandemic has been a nightmare for us all in one way or another, but it has also made us take a step back and reassess how we’ve been living our lives up to now – a lot of us don’t want to go back to exactly how it was before. Perhaps the small silver lining in this crisis is that it has forced us to re-examine our values and goals; What’s really important? And how would we prefer to muddle through this life in the future?

    As we realise that COVID-19, or at least, the effects of it, are here to stay for a good while longer, we’re adapting to a new set of needs and wants. And so, too, are the world’s boardroom executives. These business leaders will be helping to shape businesses, employment, and economies in the Post-COVID world – so how have they felt the impact? How will they respond?

    The New Executive Wellbeing Index

    In light of this, the leading International Health Insurance provider, Bupa Global, has commissioned research across seven key global regions (China, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, UAE, UK and USA), interviewing almost 2,000 high net-worth individuals and senior executives. The result is their recently released: Executive Wellbeing Index – a fascinating insight into how each area reacted to the spread of the virus, both in terms of public health and the economy. The report also comments on how business will be changing in response to the experience of 2020 and indicates how the focus areas within an International Employee Benefits offering may shift. We have outlined some of the key findings below;

    • Seven in 10 experienced poor mental health in this time, rising to eight in 10 for business leaders. For many, this was a new experience and didn’t know how to best handle the situation, with 40% of board-level executives reporting that they delayed seeking help.
    • This experience has led to one in four executives committing to provide better mental health and wellbeing support for colleagues. This is something that Engage Health Group can testify too, with a surge over the last few months, of interest in International Employee Assistance Programmes (iEAP) which deliver low cost, but very high impact mental health support.
    • One in three board-level executive plan to continue working mostly from home on a permanent basis, with over half stating they plan not to return to the same fast pace of life.
    • Other key findings include; a planned cut down of travel, plans to manage down their hours (24%), take more regular exercise (38%), maintain a better diet (32%), make more time for meditation and mindfulness (30%), and an increasing number of executives are looking to opt for early retirement.

    The Wellbeing Index Highlights Mental Health Problems

    It is sad, but perhaps, unsurprising, that mental health and wellbeing was one of the biggest issues identified, with such a large percentage of the interviewees claiming to have experienced mental health issues. The silver lining to this cloud may be a genuine acceleration in embracing the importance of workplace mental and physical wellbeing, and a rebalancing of work/life priorities. These business cultures can often stem from the top down and with such a significant and lasting impact on board level exec’s focus, and crucially budget, being allocated to support the many employees becoming increasingly isolated. A well designed International Employee Benefits strategy is critical in providing employees with a consistent and effective support system, and with a broad range of products and services now available to international businesses, a meaningful International Employee Benefits offering can be provided across a range of budgets and employee host countries.

    Bupa Global’s research also uncovered that 70% of executives now plan to purchase Private Medical Insurance, or International Medical Insurance, with an emphasis on preventative care and mental health, in the next 12 months.

    In anticipation of this demand, Bupa Global has been investing in its mental health services to support employees, individuals and their families by removing annual and monetary limits across their International Medical Insurance plans for in-patient and day-patient mental health treatments. They are now also including cover for various conditions relating to mental health that had previously been excluded from their policies.

    Bupa Global, and the majority of other International Health Insurance providers, now also provides an International EAP incorporated into their company International Private Medical Insurance plans, as standard, to reflect the demand in this space.

    Bupa Global’s full Executive Wellness report can be downloaded here and the accompanying infographic can be downloaded here

  • Cigna Global to Launch Enhancements to their Individual Plans in October 2020

    Cigna Global to Launch Enhancements to their Individual Plans in October 2020

    Cigna Global Improves their Product Offering

    Leading International Health Insurance provider, Cigna Global, recently announced a raft of enhancements to their Cigna Global Health Options products. The range is specifically for individuals and families and the changes will take effect for plans starting or renewing from the 22nd October 2020.

    Cigna’s Global Health Options have been in the Worldwide Health Insurance market for seven years, and have proven to be very popular due to their flexible modules, rich benefits levels and solid wellness offering. Markets evolve however, particularly in the competitive International Health Insurance space, and so following some extensive research, Cigna are launching the following enhancements to new and existing members;

    • The core International Medical Insurance module is to include a new benefit for Accident and Emergency Room treatment for outpatient treatment when a member doesn’t go on to occupy a bed (Cover in full as standard), and also an expansion of their Mental and Behavioural health care coverage under a new benefit name.
    • The International Outpatient module is to include Genetic Cancer testing and Sleep Apnoea as new benefits. There will also be extended coverage in the Life Management Assistance programme to include access to online a self-help Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) programme.
    • In the International Health & Wellbeing module, there will be an increase in coverage for many of the available screenings.
    • The previous International Medical Evacuation module is being renamed to International Evacuation and Crisis Assistance PlusTM, as it will now include a worldwide comprehensive Crisis Assistance PlusTM programme, bringing significant value to globally mobile individuals. The service offers time-sensitive advice and coordinated in-country crisis assistance for risks that may occur when travelling.

    These enhancements bring, what was already a compelling offering, more up to date, particularly following recent market improvements to improve mental health coverage, and employers increasing levels of concern around keeping global mobile employees safe, wherever they are around the world. The International Private Medical Insurance market continues to evolve at pace, driven by a competitive insurer landscape and the changing needs of individuals and employers adapting to the challenges of working and living in different territories around the world.  

    Read our latest case study: Managing Expat Risk with a Medical Evacuation Plan

  • Now Health International Launch Telemedicine Service to UK Based Members

    Now Health International Launch Telemedicine Service to UK Based Members

    International Health Insurance provider, Now Health International, have announced this week that during the Covid-19 pandemic, they are launching a virtual doctor service to their members based in the UK, however the detail is important as the standard plan terms and conditions apply.

    With many people still uncomfortable with going to see their GP at their surgery, telemedicine services have seen usage swell by up to 400% over the last few months. Now Health International has now responded to this demand and is offering pay and claim coverage for telemedicine.

    In addition, Now Health has also agreed a preferred partnership with telemedicine service provider, Medicspot. Upon launch they introduced Medicspot as using “cutting edge innovation in medical technology to help improve the quality of healthcare for all. Their vision is to change lives with transformative care, one community at a time. Medicspot uses innovative technology to perform a full clinical examination of patients. This technology allows Medicspot to treat 70% more conditions than smartphone-based GP services.”

    It’s useful for members to note that, while Medicspot are Now Health’s preferred partner, International Private Medical Insurance members can use any recognised telemedicine service provider in the UK on a pay and claim basis during the pandemic. It is however important to note that reasonable and customary charges do apply, so if the claim is outside of standard charging practises there may be a shortfall that needs to be covered by the member. If you aren’t sure, we would recommend using Medicspot to ensure your claim is reimbursed in full.

    It is also worth pointing out that consultation fees and medication are covered in accordance with your plans benefits. This means that you can only use this service if you already have outpatient doctors consultations and/or prescription drugs benefits on your International Health Insurance plan. If you have an outpatient deductible, per visit excess or co-insurance, then these will also apply as they would do for a normal doctors visit.

    A growing number of International Health Insurance providers have started incorporating virtual doctor services into their products over the last 12 – 24 months. The insurers who have rolled this out as a core part of their offering are doing so for members internationally, rather than just the UK. During the pandemic many have also made it available to all their members, whether it was originally included on their International Medical Insurance plan or not.

  • Bupa Global announces removal of their general pandemic exclusion during their first digital event

    Bupa Global took the opportunity to make this a global event, attended by key intermediaries from all over the world from the comfort of their own home / office. I’m getting quite used to sitting down with a cup of coffee for these, rather than jumping on a train for half a day, although I do miss the chance to catch up with a few old faces and in this case, some of my previous colleagues.

    Bupa Global speakers;

    • Paddy Watt, Commercial Director at Bupa Global
    • Dr Paula Franklin, Chief Medical Officer at Bupa Group
    • Sheldon Kenton, CEO at Bupa Global / GeoBlue
    • Rebecca Kett-Young, Head of Operations at Bupa Global 

    This event was the start of a new series called ‘Perspectives’, aimed to increase communication with the International Health Insurance market, and will be held regularly with the next session in September.

     

    Session 1: Exploring our new reality

    COVID-19 has, and will continue, to lead to disruption in the International Health Insurance industry and Bupa Global discussed three topic areas, showcasing how they have felt this impact and how they have dealt with it.

     

    How Bupa Global are supporting customers through the crisis

    Sheldon Kenton – CEO, Bupa Global and GeoBlue

    • The business stood up well to the immediate challenges created. It is a diverse organisation with many different operations and it saw the initial impact earlier than most other European headquartered businesses via its operations in in China and Hong Kong. This allowed Bupa to road test what would go on to become their global response and provided some advantages in maintaining their customer capability, allowing all 3,000 employees to work remotely while maintaining their turnaround times.
    • Despite the challenges faced, the NPS (Net Promoter Score) results, by which Bupa measure customer satisfaction, have continued to rise throughout this period.
    • With customers all over the world facing different access to, and capabilities of, care, Bupa worked hard to help steer members through this by creating a digital COVID-19 Hub. This is proactively supporting International Health Insurance customers with regular updates and is supported right across the Bupa Group.
    • Another response was to give every customer access to Global Virtual Care and they extended mental health benefits across all customers.
    • Between January and May Bupa Global’s Virtual Doctor service saw a 49% month on month registration increase
    • While International Medical Insurance claims have been suppressed during these month, core claims still continued, Bupa babies were still being born and cancer is still being covered as usual
    • A dedicated case manager has been assigned to every case of COVID-19, or which is suspected to be COVID-19 to help ensure the best support and clinical advice, as well as helping to manage some high cost International Health Insurance claims.
    • Bupa Global has also announced today that they are permanently removing the general pandemic exclusion from their International Health Insurance products moving forward.
    • Although they quickly announced that they would cover this pandemic in full, they wanted to reassure customers that this would continue, and that they would also now cover any future pandemic. This is good news for both their members and the market in general by removing uncertainty and bringing Bupa Global into line with the other major International Health Insurance providers.
    • There was an acknowledgement to the market feedback early on that Bupa Global didn’t come out to the market with their initial stance on COVID-19 as quickly as they might have done, however as a large organisation working through a lot of change, it was difficult to come out with an overview of their position, however they feel that now is the right time to make sure that they are providing more regular updates moving forward.
    • What can customers do if they are experiencing financial difficulties? Bupa Global already have processes and protocols in place for this scenario within their service team. They are sensitive to the issues and have had low levels of enquiries about ability to pay already. It will effective different customers in different ways and so a blanket statement isn’t possible, however Bupa are willing to try and support customers through this period where possible.

     

    The Global Picture

    Dr Paula Franklin – Chief Medical Officer, Bupa Group

    • Dr Franklin provided a recap on the symptoms of the virus and how it has emerged over the initial months, acknowledging that information and details of the disease are still evolving daily.
    • Reiterated that those at greatest risk are those
      • With an immune deficiency,
      • over 70,
      • under 70 with chronic heart, lung and kidney issues
      • with a BMI over 40.
    • Ethnicity and lower income populations are also reported to have had a worse experience with the virus, seemingly having experienced a higher risk of catching it, catching it more severely. Dr Franklin explained that this experience is driven by socio-economic factors, rather than clinical ones, with a range of reasons still being researched, but including;
      • Limited access healthcare
      • Densely populated living conditions
      • Cross generational housing
      • Populations with a higher level of chronic illnesses
    • Numerous government restrictions to reduce the spread of the virus have taken place around the world, mainly focused on restrictions on movement and increasing levels of testing.
    • The UAE and Saudi Arabia were two countries called out by Dr Franklin which had led the way, with establishing high levels of testing very early on.
    • By the 25th of January the UAE had already tested over 1 million people.  With two locations within the Emirate conducting door to door testing helping to identify, localise and contain the virus.
    • High levels of testing, used alongside contact tracing appears to be the most effective way to combat the spread of the virus.
    • The development of a vaccine, or vaccines, is being conducted at a pace truly unprecedented in medical history. A vaccine can usually take a decade, or longer to develop in normal times, even fast tracking is usually around 5 years. The aim of 12 – 18 months is extraordinarily fast and has been driven by high level of collaboration, not seen before, between both pharmaceutical companies and countries.
    • There are currently 150 vaccines in development and 19 already in clinical trials across the world.
    • Once, and if, a vaccine has been found, it then needs to be produced on scale, funded and distributed, so there is still a long way to go. How this further steps will be achieved remains to be seen
    • There will be ongoing consequences from the pandemic, not only economic, but broader health implications also. The delay in screening services, preventative treatment and potential chronic implications for some patients after having COVID-19 will all have an impact.
    • There is also a particular impact on mental health which is already starting to come through in research. The impact of being isolated and limitations on activities which people usually use to ‘decompress’ have had an impact and there is already clear evidence there will be a mental health burden due to the pandemic.  This will be have both a short term impact with stress and anxiety, but also longer term impacts where families and friends that have passed away and they are dealing with bereavement. People in the provision of care in general, not just hands delivery of care, are also expected to be impacted significantly. Experiencing trauma like this can often see a delay in mental health issues arising, sometimes an anniversary is a trigger, meaning we are likely to be dealing with this issues for a long while to come.
    • What happens to a vaccine if the virus mutates? This is common, the seasonal flu vaccine is annual for this reason and COVID-19 is being monitored and has already mutated, however these have not affected the behaviours of the virus so won’t impact the current vaccine work. If it does mutate significantly then yes, the vaccine would need to change and or adjust to respond to this.

     

    Impact to services and operational highlights

    Rebecca Kett-Young – Head of Operations, Bupa Global

    • Bupa Global experienced a sudden drop in International Health Insurance claims from February onwards, particularly in outpatient claims as private facilities shut around the world.
    • They saw a steady month on month decline, particularly in April which was 53% lower than March and 65% lower than January which was the last month with a normal claims trend.
    • Claims for May experienced a 35% increase compared to April, however were still 50% less than January.
    • Customers did still make claims and access cover, however, maternity and cancer claims were largely unaffected while some countries did continue almost as normal with no national lockdown.
    • To date, just under 250 Bupa Global members have been admitted into hospital with COVID-19, globally. All of which have been case managed and supported clinically.
    • All regions saw an increase in International Medical Insurance claims in May.
    • Most regions claims are still 50 – 60% down, other than China which is now back up to 95% of where it is expected to be.
    • During the pandemic 3,000 customers downloaded and accessed Bupa Global’s Virtual Doctor app and has proved a very popular tool from the feedback received.
    • Additional claims costs are expected moving forward as hospitals increase the use of PPE and cleaning regimes.
    • Uncertainty remains over what future claims will look like after they experienced a spike in claims in Beijing after the lockdown was eased there.
    • Bupa does expect a claims bounce back with many member accessing treatment which was delayed. They expect this could happen later this year or at the start of 2021 and are planning to ensure they have the employees in place to be able to maintain services levels at this time.
    • Bupa Global recorded a record score of +60 in their NPS claims feedback in June which has been consistently high, scoring +53 in March and April and +57 in May.
    • While some of the inpatient COVID-19 treatment has been expensive, this high claims impact is likely to be balanced out by a fall in claims elsewhere.
    • Bupa processes over £1Billion of International Health Insurance claims each year and this large scale helps in these scenarios and means the pandemic is unlikely to have a large impact on pricing moving forward.
    • The Bupa UK domestic business has offered members a financial rebate, however Bupa Global is unable to make the same commit at this time as their products and scope of coverage is very different. However they stated a clear priority to customers and will be fair and transparent with what they do commercially and are not looking to make any financial gains form the pandemic.

     

    Engage International is the specialist International division at Engage Health Group, supporting expatriates and high net worth clients with International Health Insurance UK, as well as offering a full range of broking and consultancy for businesses with an international footprint. 

    If you have any International Health Insurance needs, wish to discuss this article, or would like to discuss the broader International Employee benefits market in further detail, please get in touch.

  • COVID-19 Claims Trends: International Health Insurance (Aetna)

    COVID-19 Claims Trends: International Health Insurance (Aetna)

    Aetna International, one of the leading International Health Insurance providers, hosted their first virtual conference last week to their key partners.

    As well as being a great day and a chance to connect with the Aetna International team, we were provided updates on claims trends being seen during COVID-19 as well as details on how Aetna are working to simplify and improve member resources for their International Health Insurance members.

    Key updates

    • Donal O’Leary, Vice President International Actuarial & Underwriting, talked us through Aetna’s commercial experience to date and their view of the situation moving forward.
    • COVID-19 presents a complex and moving picture when it comes to assisting the commercial impact on the International Health Insurance market.
    • Firstly, in a pandemic situation there is ultimately a finite exposure as there is only a certain number of private beds and treatments available. There are a few factors that vary the impact seen as the pandemic rolls through over time and in difference regions;
      • Chronic conditions – it is still unclear which chronic conditions will develop and linger on after the initial illness and we are unlikely to fully understand this impact for a year
      • How long the pandemic lasts for – clearly the longer the situation goes on for, the higher the commercial exposure
      • Government support – This varies greatly by region and can also fluctuate, however good levels of government support allows firms to maintain benefits and staffing levels, holding up the revenue line.
    • The claims experience has varied significantly between countries with some markets experiencing significantly depressed claims for the first half of 2020, but others less so. Elective treatments have had the largest drop in March and April and are now returning to normal levels in markets initially heavily impacted.
    • Asia and the EMEA (Europe Middle East & Africa) regions have experienced the largest impact in H1 and this has driven some key learning;
      • Between March and May Aetna were seeing the stockpiling of medicines, what would usually be a 30 day prescription was coming in as a 90 day prescription,
      • The claims mix changes with less small claims, however more serious, high cost claims were less suppressed, particularly for cancer, heart conditions, strokes etc.
      • There has been some evidence of providers looking to recoup some of their losses via overcharging, an example given was a Russian hospital looking to charge for a CT scan for routine dental work. Their teams are now particularly vigilant to ensure they pick up this type of behaviour.
      • Evacuation benefit is included in all of Aetna’s International Health Insurance plans and these costs have been the main unplanned increase. Usually evacuations would be a mix of commercial flights and specialised medical transport which is much more expensive. Due to the lockdown of main countries, medical transport has been one of the only ways to move patients driving a significant increase in the use of private jets and a spoke in claims cost.
    • Aetna hasn’t experienced any bad debt yet, however if there is a second wave them government support will play a large pat in if that continues to be the case.
    • While claims have been lower, they aren’t as low as they had expected due to the reasons outlined above.
    • In the 2nd half of the year there is an increasing financial risk as delayed treatments catch up, although this may be a fairly smooth increase as people will still be anxious about going to some hospitals.
    • Supporting the increase in claims in H2 will be the adjustments that private hospitals have made in the last few months are initially being caught cold by the virus. They have now successfully introduced social distancing and introduced safe practises to be able to reopen within the current rules and well as significantly increase virtual client support.
    • Aetna expect there will be a significant increase in testing this winter as symptoms of common cold and flu are confused with COVID-19.
    • Aetna’s V health Virtual Doctor solution has, as you would expect seen an increase of almost 800% since global lockdown’s were put in place. This is partly fuelled by their decision to offer this to all of their members, whether it was originally included in their International Health Insurance plan.
    • Aetna expect this to drop off as lockdown’s ease, however they expect this to stay much higher than it was previously as the NPS score and feedback from the service has been so positive, so they foresee a behaviour change moving forward.
    • In EMEA Aetna have been providing premium credits to community rated SME clients to reflect the reduction in claims between April and June. They are committed to dealing with this as fairly as possible and pass back any profits they were not planned to make.
    • Aetna is focused on long term pricing sustainability and supporting their client relationships at this time.
    • For larger experienced rated groups they will be deducting April – June form the experience for that year and looking tin introduce profit shares to pass back unplanned profit.

     

    To round off…

    The experience has varied by country and Aetna haven’t experienced the drop in claims that they would have expected to, given the lockdowns in place, this has been driven by the broadly stable serious health claims and a spike in evacuation cost. Aetna are committed to not making any financial gains from the pandemic and will pass back any additional profits they make.

    Engage International is the specialist International team at Engage Health Group, supporting expatriates and high net worth clients with International Health Insurance, as well as offering a full range of broking and consultancy for businesses with an international footprint. 

    If you have any International health Insurance needs or which to discuss this article, or the broader International Employee Benefits market in further detail please get in touch.

  • Engage Health Group Appoints Former Head of UK Intermediary Distribution at Bupa Global

    Engage Health Group, the Brighton based health insurance and employee benefits consultancy, has appointed Ian Abbott who joins the business as a Director.

    Abbott will lead the organisation’s global health insurance broking arm, Engage International, with focus around managing Engage Health Group’s existing international client base and driving growth through strategic partnership and acquisition.

    Prior to his new role, Abbott has spent 11 years in the healthcare market, seven of which with leading IPMI insurer, Bupa Global in a senior sales roles across the Corporate, SME and Individual business channels. Most recently Abbott’s role of Head of UK Intermediary Distribution, assumed responsibility for a range of duties including strategic broker management, proposition development and establishing Bupa Global’s preferred provider (PPA) proposition.

    Nick Hale, Engage Health Group’s founding Director, commented: “Strengthening our global presence has been a key ambition for the group as the world becomes a smaller place and international businesses take the opportunity to harmonise their global benefit provision where possible.  Ian brings a wealth of experience and is highly respected within the industry.”