International health insurance coverage: standard and comprehensive plan

Ever wondered about the kind of coverage you’ll receive from an expat medical insurance? Generally, there are 2 categories of international health insurance coverage: Standard and comprehensive. The premium for comprehensive cover is higher compared to standard cover.

Let’s take a look at what’s covered under each type of plan.

Standard plan

Under the standard plan, most insurers will provide coverage for the following:

• In-patient: an insured person who is admitted to a hospital bed for one or more nights solely to receive treatment
• Day-patient: an insured person who is admitted to a hospital bed but does not need to stay overnight
• Emergency treatments including accidental damage to teeth
• Medical evacuation: evacuation of an insured person to the nearest medical facility for treatment in the case of emergency and when it is not readily available at the place of the accident. The cover is extended to the insured person’s escort.
• Home nursing by a qualified nurse immediately after discharge from hospital and on recommendation by a medical specialist
• Cancer: Oncology, which is a treatment for cancer, including diagnosis, therapy (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, etc.)
• Reconstructive surgery administered immediately after an accident or disease, e.g. breast reconstruction after mastectomy and sometimes lumpectomy which may take place simultaneously during cancer-removing surgery, or months-to-years later

Comprehensive plan

The comprehensive plan covers additional out-patient (an insured person who receives treatment at a recognized medical facility, but is not admitted to a hospital bed as an in-patient or day-patient) treatment.

Many insurers provide different modules which you can add on, such as medical evacuation and repatriation, dental, optical and maternity coverage. The premium increases with more add-ons.

The graph below shows how premium increases with age between standard and comprehensive plans.

Note:
Now Heath 2019 rate (US$), Essential vs Advance, Nil excess, Area 4 (China, Singapore)

At Expatmedicare, we help you choose your international health insurance coverage – standard or comprehensive – depending on your requirements. If you have any questions regarding the same, please contact us or visit our website.