Moving abroad can be stressful, you don’t want choosing your expat health insurance to be yet another burden on your never-ending to-do list.
I have moved to no fewer than six different countries in the last 13 years and usually look to fellow expats when I arrive to a new country to figure out what the health coverage system looks like there.
In Australia, I was able to get regular private health insurance which gave me access to both the public and private healthcare system there.
It got more complicated in Mexico and Lithuania where, as a foreigner, I was not able to access the public healthcare system like a local.
Thankfully, I have found one company along the way that I have used for travel insurance, digital nomad insurance, and now, expat insurance to cover me whether I’m staying in one place or country hopping around the world.
What to Think About When Buying Health Insurance for Expats
When you are researching what expat health insurance to choose, you want to make sure you know what your needs will be while living abroad.
Is this a short-term move that will only last a few months? Are you moving to a new country indefinitely?
Do you plan to travel regularly to different countries nearby? If so, you will want insurance that covers you in the entire region, not just in the single country that you are living in (this is quite easy to find in the EU, but harder elsewhere).
Do you have pre-existing medical conditions that require you to have prescription medications or regular doctor’s visits to certain specialists? You want to make sure that you find a plan that will cover you under those circumstances.
Of course, you want to look at what the best coverage is for the amount of money that you want to spend.
If you are coming from the US, you will be happy to know that health insurance in different countries around the world is significantly less expensive than back home in the states.
You may even be able to use the public healthcare system in the country you have moved to depending on your visa status. So make sure that you check that out before spending additional money on unneeded health insurance.
Travel medical insurance not only covers you in case of emergency, but it can also cover some of your stuff which is always important to me when traveling with all of my camera work gear.
Expat Insurance Vs Travel Insurance
When I first moved abroad, I used travel insurance because I didn’t really know the difference (and I didn’t know how long I would actually be living abroad).
Travel Insurance is great if you are traveling to different countries than your own and you want to protect yourself and your stuff from emergencies.
I have been using SafetyWing’s travel medical insurance for both short and long-term trips for many years now, which is how I eventually learned about their fantastic digital nomad and expat health insurance plans.
Travel Insurance covers you for accidents that may happen while you’re away from home.
Expat health insurance covers you the same way that your coverage at home works. It covers you for regular doctor’s visits, maternity care, and if selected, dental and vision care.
If you are planning to move to a new country and want to have health insurance, you will want to get expat health insurance, not just emergency travel medical insurance.
Nomad Health with SafetyWing
Nomad Health is a global health insurance for expats and digital nomads. It is a single monthly payment that gives you valid health insurance in over 175 countries.
As a serial expat, this is absolutely fantastic. It means that whether I’m living in Lithuania, Mexico, Australia, or I’m on the road traveling, I have full insurance coverage with me at all times.
There are a few things that really make Nomad Health stand out for me:
- Choose any doctor at a hospital or clinic, be it public or private, and it is covered.
- Emergency dental coverage.
- 100% coverage for cancer screenings and treatments.
- Basic immunizations and vaccines are covered up to $350
- 100% of doctor and specialist visits are covered (coverage I could only dream of having in the USA!).
In addition to great coverage, the insurance also allows you to easily make claims through the SafetyWing portal as well as speak directly to a human being if you have any problems or questions when using your insurance.
Choose which of the Expat health insurance options makes the most sense for you and your family.
Dental and Vision Insurance
There are two options for Nomad Health, the standard option which starts at $133 USD per month and then there is the premium option which starts at $208 USD per month.
With the premium option you receive up to $1,500 USD in annual dental coverage and up to $500 USD in annual vision coverage.
If I was living in Mexico I would probably not opt for the premium option since dental and vision care are so incredibly affordable.
However, in many countries in Europe or in Australia or New Zealand, these costs can get out of control if you have eyeglasses and need regulay checkups or you have any dental issues outside of your regular yearly cleanings.
Coverage in the United States
As an American living abroad, it can often be hard to return home to visit family and find travel insurance that covers you for emergencies.
And in a country where healthcare can leave you in debt for the rest of your life, it’s always been important to me that I have some emergency coverage when I return home to visit family and friends.
When you have Nomad Health you are covered for up to 30 days when traveling to the United States (as long as it is not your current country of residence).
This means you don’t have to think about paying for additional travel insurance, which is always more costly for visiting the US. It is simply part of your Nomad Health coverage as long as you are within your plan limitations.
Everything that is covered with the Expat Health Insurance.
Nomad Health
You can read more about both the standard and premium expat health insurance plans on SafetyWing’s website.
The price per month depends on your age and starts at $133 USD for people between the ages of 18-39. If you have children under 17, they are only $82 USD per month for the standard plan.
If you are in your 40s, the standard plan starts at $199 USD, and in your 50s the plan starts at $309 USD.
Read all of the benefits included in each plan and get your expat health insurance sorted by checking out the website here.