Engage Health Group

Tag: International medical insurance

  • Reveal the Impact of COVID on Expat Mental Health (New William Russell Data)

    Reveal the Impact of COVID on Expat Mental Health (New William Russell Data)

    The William Russell study on expats mental health and support

    The pandemic has arrived at the doorstep of many of us on every continent and brought fear, worry and stress to our daily lives. With the upward trend in mental health awareness, more and more employers are working hard to assist employees in managing mental health conditions. But what about people who live and work abroad (expats mental health)?  Is it easier or harder for expat employees to deal with the uncertainty of the pandemic? William Russell (a leading medical international insurance provider) has just released some interesting data on how COVID-19 has affected the mental health of expats. Unfortunately, 38% of them feel that their mental health has deteriorated during the covid-19 pandemic.
    In this blog we look at:

     

    Has the pandemic affected expat mental health in 2021?

    38% of the 1,184 expatriates surveyed in five countries (Australia, Hong Kong, UAE, UK, USA) by William Russell confirmed that they had noticed a decline in their mental health in the last 18 months. On the contrary, 23% of the respondents felt that their mental health had improved during the pandemic.
    One explanation for the mixed response is that expats who are already settled in the new environment were less affected by the uncertainty and social restrictions brought up by the pandemic, and may have enjoyed the flexibility of home working. Sadly, many of the international workers were badly hit by the changes.

    What can cause mental illness in expats?

    There are many reasons, but the most common factors are:

    1. Being homesick – Living abroad could be exciting, but after a certain amount of time, they will miss their family and friends. They will feel isolated and they can even worry that they will be forgotten.
    2. Adopting to the new climate, culture, religion and language – This could cause stress on a daily basis for employees living abroad.
    3. Isolation from support bubble – In case of a crisis, such as the covid pandemic, they are isolated from their support networks such as family and friends – there is nobody to offload their anxiety, fear or stress face to face.

    When the expats were asked whether they would prefer to be at home during covid-19 pandemic, over 44% agreed and 15% strongly agreed, so more than half of the people living & working abroad would have preferred to be in their home country during the hard times of the pandemic. Only 33% of them disagreed with this.
    Having said that, 53% of the expatriates said that living and working abroad actually had a positive effect on their mental health in general, which is excellent news. But what about the rest? One in five said that their international working experience had a negative impact on their mental health, and 4% felt to say that it was “significantly negative”.

    Worldwide mental health support for expat employees

    If you are in your home country, you have easy access to call your GP or a specialised helpline, or talk to your immediate support bubble about your emotional and physical wellbeing. However, when you are abroad, it is a totally different ball game because of the language and cultural barrier and the potential cost for reaching out for professional help. No surprise then, that in the William Russell study 22% of the surveyed expats said they were “sceptical”, 46% “uncertain” and 11% “unsatisfied” about the quality of the professional health support available for them. This is an alarming rate and something employers need to take on board with regards to their benefits strategy for international employment.

    Covid impact on expats relationships with families and friends

    In the study, 24% of the expats confirmed that during the pandemic their relationship with their loved ones started to show difficulties and tensions. No doubt these situations are magnified in the mental health of an individual who already feels lonely and isolated abroad. Having said that, 18% said that their relationship with people in their home countries had improved in the last 18 months following the start of pandemic. Occasionally crises bring family and friends closer to each other. The good news is that only 9% of the expats said that their relationships with other people became broken, the majority managed to make friends with locals and sustain friendships.
    This data shows that the COVID crisis did bring some friends and families together, but many expatriates did suffer a particularly rough time.

    What is the mental health cover for international expats?

    Employers can offer support to their employees with their mental health via an International Employee Assistance Programme (link to our website). Global EAP providers often have an international footprint themselves as well as having a global network of counselling services to be able to offer face to face support to employees anywhere in the world. The friendly, professional call centres they operate are also able to handle calls in multiple languages and have a deep understanding of cultural differences that are an important consideration in addressing personal and work issues. Promotional materials and documentation are also available for these expats to use.

    Expat mental health covered by International Private Medical Insurance?

    Medical Insurance for companies with global employees, generally offers a strong level of cover for both in and outpatient mental health treatment. With some International Health Insurance providers, it is built into the core product as standard, while others offer an optional or variable level of cover. We would always recommend these benefits are included, if budget allows, as not only is it a valuable benefit to employees in crisis, but mental health issues are one of the biggest reasons for expatriate assignment failure. Most Global Medical Insurance providers now also include an International EAP built into their offering as standard, avoiding the need for purchasing a separate, stand alone service.

    Why prevention key to expat mental health?

    Mental health is a growing area of particular focus for both expats and employers with expat populations alike. There are several studies that show that mental health is one of the greatest causes of sickness and it also affects the productivity of employees. Early intervention is key to reducing absence, therefore many Global Employee Assistance Providers will aim to be very visible with employee and intervene within the first week, prompting early discussion and support, and facilitating a quicker return to work.
    There is plenty of evidence suggesting that factors that delay or prevent mental illness treatment include low levels of knowledge regarding mental illness and prejudice and discrimination against people with mental illness. However, given the right focus by employers, with the right support, benefits package, training and focus, this can be avoided.

    Contact Engage Health Group to discuss the best International Medical Insurance and International EAP options for your employees working abroad. We are happy to give you free, no-obligation advice.

  • William Russell release data showing overseas healthcare bills can hit over $390,000

    William Russell release data showing overseas healthcare bills can hit over $390,000

    Overseas International Health Insurance Claims 2019-2020

    We have been given an insight into the stark reality of global healthcare costs as William Russell, a leading International Medical Insurance provider, shares their analysis of overseas international health insurance claims, made between 2019 and 2020.

    The William Russell data reveals that the highest value healthcare claims paid during this period, generally relate to cancer treatment, with 25 claims hitting over $100,000 with five surpassing $300,000. The highest single claim landed in at over $390,000.

    However, the data it also sheds a light on the high cost of treatments in different parts of the world which are equally as eyewatering. Several maternity claims topped $40,000, with Hong Kong coming out as the most expensive country to have a baby. The most expensive medical evacuation during this period was $31,125 – although in extreme cases, complex medical evacuations costs can reach into the hundreds of thousands.

    Even routine treatments in some parts of the world can land you with a medical (healthcare) bill that could keep you awake at night. The highest claim for diabetes came in at $6,806 (Thailand) with the highest dental claim at $8,336. It isn’t just the older age ranges driving the higher costs of treatment either. In several cases expats and families living abroad were charged over $800 for childhood vaccinations.

    This new data is based on claims now up to two years old. With the cost of healthcare globally rising year on year due to new, cutting edge drugs and treatments being available as well as standard inflationary pressures, it’s likely that these figures have already been surpassed in 2020-2021.

    This is another timely reminder of the importance of having the right international health insurance in place for expatriate employees and a considered approach to international employee benefits for overseas staff.

    Commenting on the analysis, Inez Cooper, Managing Director and Co-founder of William Russell, stated:

    “The data shows the huge financial risk for families living and working abroad who seek medical care without cover from international health insurance.

    “While we at William Russell were more than happy to cover these costs on behalf of our global health insurance clients, we dread to think of any expatriate families who may need to pay these fees out of their own pockets.

    “Some of the sums revealed in our data could cause serious, long-term financial difficulty for families, which would add to the stress of illness.”

    Financial Wellbeing

    In addition to the practical considerations of protecting your family or employees at a time when they are ill. We know that Financial wellbeing is increasingly being recognised as a core pillar of mental health, as has been recently documented in the Mental Health Index released by leading Global Employee Assistance Programme provider, Lifeworks / Morneau Shepell, which you can read more about here.

    William Russell are a leading provider of International Health Insurance, which provides comprehensive cover for healthcare treatment anywhere in the world. These products are commonly used by expatriates to protect themselves and their families, and by businesses who want to protect their expatriate employees, or to provide a consistent and harmonised level of health insurance benefit, across multiple international locations.

    Further reading:

  • The AXA Global Healthcare 2021: The latest trends & cutting-edge solutions

    The AXA Global Healthcare 2021: The latest trends & cutting-edge solutions

    Healthcare insight and trends by AXA Global

    AXA launched its interactive Global Healthcare Virtual Conference this March. It incorporated discussions and insights from AXA’s leaders and representatives across the world on the recent trends they’ve noticed and their thoughts on how best to navigate the future terrain.

    Essentially, it was a debrief on the extraordinary last 12 months the industry has had to adapt to.

    As well as taking the opportunity to showcase their upcoming International Health Insurance plans, the conference mostly centred around: “The World of Work” – their latest annual report to have been commissioned. Its aim: to discover what international working looks like today and how this information can help HR decision makers better meet the needs of their assignees and prevent overseas assignments from failing.

    Over the course of a couple of days AXA explored a range of subjects surrounding the challenges the future may bring and how they expect the role of healthcare providers to change.

    They also raised questions like:

    “What complexities has the pandemic created?”

    “Are placements still viable for global businesses?”

    “Do employees still want to go on placement?”

    Engage Health Group is an employee benefits broker with particular expertise in helping international businesses. We deliver FREE quotes and impartial advice designed to achieve maximum value and lighten the burden on HR. Fill out the form on the right or tel:+44(0)1273 974419.

    Covid-19 impact on businesses

    The head of AXA’s Global reinsurance partnerships in Singapore; Laurent Pochat‑Cottilloux, shared his insights on the impact Covid-19 has had on the business which were particularly interesting.

    Impact #1:

    From his viewpoint, policy retention remained stable throughout the outbreak although new business took a hit as assignments were cancelled or brought to an end earlier than planned.

    Impact #2:

    All in all, people have been much less inclined to look at new policies or think about switching providers. To back up this point he added that sadly, one in five ex-pats left Singapore in 2020. He thinks it unlikely those numbers will return, predicting at least five years before they see similar numbers in Singapore again. 

    Impact #3:

    Of course, with social distancing a new must, the way we sell has changed. Face-to-face selling has not been an option and consequently, an up-tick in telesales has been noted.  

    Impact #4:

    In terms of claims costs, he described a significant drop, in comparison to those seen in 2019, as people have been avoiding medical centres, either by choice or government order.

    Elective, non-emergency and wellbeing claims have dramatically reduced and though the cost of severe Covid-19 cases can be high, these costs are usually funded by local healthcare systems. Furthermore, in the worst hit areas, private beds were requisitioned by governments for public use, so they have not seen the costs of hospital treatment filter through in claims as much as one might have expected.

    You can see further research from competing International Medical Insurance provider Cigna Global on the impact of Covid-19.

    So, what does this mean for 2021 according to AXA?

    AXA do expect to see a marked increase in claim submissions as we move toward the end of 2021 and medical services become safer to access and more widely available. Healthcare providers may need to hike their premiums up this year to cover the losses incurred from 2020.

    Yet, despite the impact this will have on claim costs, insurers are increasingly being asked to freeze their premiums. Therefore, to manage growing claims costs against static premiums, underwriters may increasingly have to ask for Covid-19 to be declared at enrolment. After all, we are still at the beginning of our Covid journey in many ways – only time will tell what the long-term effects of Covid-19 will really be on society.

    How will technology start to play a larger role in healthcare? 

    Accelerating trends

    We know very well that the technology we use to communicate with now was exactly the same technology we had available to us a year ago, we’ve just been forced us to become more adept and accustomed to using it.

    The pandemic has massively accelerated our use of technology in healthcare as people have increasingly felt inclined to make use of virtual GP apps and International Employee Assistance Programs. Mental health issues have been widely talked about since the pandemic began and it’s estimated that one in five employees experience mental health problems during international work placements, so it’s no surprise that intermediaries have reported seeing their clients more willing to actively seek out virtual mental health support such as therapy and counselling.

    New normals

    Communicating with medical professionals virtually, appears to have become another one of our “new normals” and along with it, has come a greater realisation of the benefits of accessing our healthcare this way. In fact, AXA are reporting that 69% of people globally now say they would consider or even prefer virtual consultations – this really opens up the potential for these types of mental health provisions to start expanding rapidly across the world.

    It’s no surprise then, that AXA think technology will become an essential part of international assignments in the future. They responded to this same demand themselves by launching their MIND health service mid-pandemic and including a virtual doctor and second medical opinion service across all their individual and SME plans – you can read more about this here.

    Tech to the rescue?

    We know that we will never have enough healthcare professionals to meet the demands in our communities – we have a growing and ageing population, more chronic disease is to be expected. Additionally, we are seeing an increasing frequency of pandemics and environmental challenges. Therefore, we will need technology to bridge the gap if we are ever going to manage our health needs successfully as a society. Face-to-face medical treatment can never be fully replaced by technology, but it can certainly be used to enhance and streamline our medical services, and we will have to figure out the perfect balance between digital tools and human intervention in terms of accessing and delivering healthcare as time goes on.

    For a long time now, people have been using apps to monitor their health and lifestyle, and more commonly we are seeing virtual technologies such as virtual assistants (or chat robots) in customer support settings with varying degrees of uptake and success, but naturally we expect this type of technology to progress.

    One theory shared toward the end of conference was that perhaps one day we will reach a point where we are able to integrate the information from all the different platforms we use, both public and private, into one single, medical database – where the information gathered by symptom checkers, unit calculators and lifestyle apps can be shared safely with doctors working in traditional healthcare settings to actually assist them in their diagnoses of patients, or even to spot trends and predict potential health crises (like pandemics) in the wider community.

    So, what does the future hold?

    In light of everything discussed over the course of the conference, the general consensus seemed to be that short-term assignments will probably become more common and in terms of health insurance premiums, affordability is likely to become a major customer pain point – medical inflation in the last five years has far surpassed GDP, therefore, efficiency and quality will have to improve. Online healthcare services will become more popular as people become more accustomed to using them, and Virtual GP apps will consequently become more respected.

    Overall, the closing message from the conference was positive: although there have been many challenges this last year, with change comes opportunity and most of the intermediaries participating remarked that they feel positive about the future. In Laurent’s words: “At least the world will be readier for the next pandemic. Hopefully”.

    You can read the findings of the 2020 World of Work report here.

    Axa Global Healthcare is a leading provider of health insurance for international employees and expat health insurance.

    Read our verdict on AXA Global Healthcare’s insurance products.

    Contact the Engage Team for expert advice on International Employee Benefits and Health Insurance

  • Cigna Global to end use of physical membership cards

    Cigna Global to end use of physical membership cards

    Cigna Global Health Insurance Provider replacing physical cards with digital ones

    Leading International Health Insurance provider, Cigna Global, has today announced that they have made the decision to no longer issue physical cards to members purchasing their International Medical Insurance products. Instead, Cigna Global will be providing their digital ID card as standard, which can be accessed via a members secure online Customer Area.

    For the last six months Cigna Global have been unable to issues customers with physical cards due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as their teams continue to work from home. They state that this change has been well received by existing customers on their Worldwide Health Insurance plans and has led them to review whether this should be made a permanent change.

    Cigna Global state the benefits of this move include; better serving the evolving needs of their clients as they pivot to a digital preference, the reduction in environmental impact, and the benefit of no longer having to worry about losing their card.

    This means that moving forward new sales and renewals where a customer has made relevant changes to their policy, Cigna ID cards will only be issued digitally as standard across all of their International Health Insurance plans. Customers can continue using their physical cards unless they advise that the content included on the card has been updated and is no longer valid. The only exception to this will be Cigna Global Health Indonesia customer who will continue to use physical cards in al instances.

    Cigna Global Digital ID Cards

    Cigna Global state that their digital Cigna ID cards work in the same way. Members with a digital card can;

    • Allow a hospital to set up direct payment with Cigna Global so they can pay for the medical bill
    • Use their personal reference number to access all of their online information and services
    • Get in touch with Cigna Global. The digital cards features all the contract details required to reach the Cigna Global teams, anytime, anywhere.

    The additional advantages of their digital card include;

    • It is available from day one of the international Health Insurance uk plan
    • Provides a secure way to source plan information
    • Information is always accurate and up to date
    • Less plastic production and carbon production in delivery is better for the environment

    Digital cards are available on Cigna Global’s secure online Customer Area. To access this customers can visit www.cignaglobal.com then:

    • Click on the ‘Customer Login’ button at the top right of the page
    • Enter the email address provided on application with and then their password

    IMPORTANT NOTE: The policyholder, if applicable, must login to their secure online Customer Area and access beneficiaries cards on their behalf.

    While this is now Cigna Global’s standard stance across their range of International Medical Insurance uk plans. If members have a strong preference to keep receiving a physical card, this can be accommodated, once the Cigna Global teams return to the office. Members just need to inform their intermediary who can arrange this on their behalf.

    For more information on this announcement, or to discuss Cigna Global’s range of International Health Insurance products, please get in touch.

  • 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 enhances mental health coverage

    Bupa Global enhances mental health coverage

    Leading international health insurance provider, Bupa Global, has launched a range of improvements to the mental health coverage offered across its international health plans. 

    The improvements announced include:

    • Removal of mental health waiting period
    • Removal of mental health lifetime limits
    • Enhanced out-patient benefits to bring them in line with those of physical conditions
    • Remove of general exclusions for addiction, ADHD and self-inflected injury

     

    These enhancements have already been introduced to a large number of Bupa Global’s International Medical Insurance plans and they aim to have them applied to every plan by April 2021. 

    Bupa leads the way in mental health support

    The move represents a response to the growing demand for mental health support – and provides further value to its global health plans. It’s important to note, there are a range of international plans available for individuals and businesses – and so depth of coverage varies. However, mental health support is being increased across all these products.

    Bupa Global already had one of the more generous coverage levels for mental health conditions on their International Private Medical Insurance plans before these changes. Implementing these improvements now mean that when we compare International Health Insurance products, Bupa Global now lead the market on their approach to, and coverage for, mental health conditions.

    Will competitors follow suit?

    With mental health conditions effecting 1 in 4 people in their lifetime a large number of Bupa Global’s present and future customers should benefit directly from these improvements. This move may trigger an improvement from other insurers in a large and competitive International Health Insurance marketplace, which will now fall short of Bupa Global’s benchmark. Employers are increasingly interested in providing comprehensive mental health support to their teams, particularly for expatriate employees which can be under particular strain.

    ADHD is finally being addressed

    It’s also refreshing to see issues around neurodiversity being addressed too. For example, getting a diagnosis for a condition like ADHD is an important first step for many – and Bupa provides coverage for that. But they are also making available treatment related to some of the mental health issues which may stem from ADHD such as depression or anxiety.  

    Dr Luke James, Medical Director for Bupa Global and Bupa UK Insurance commented:

    “Mental health issues can affect everyone. Early diagnosis and treatment improves outcomes. Our new extended cover, which includes ongoing support for all mental health conditions, will ensure that more people than ever before can access the right help.”

     

    At Engage Health Group, we work across the health and wellbeing marketplace to ensure you find the right policies at the right price, and ensure your whole benefits package provides prices from across the market.

    Contact our expert team at enquiries@engagehealthgroup.co.uk or call 01273 974419 for FREE no-obligation advice and support.

  • 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.