International Health Insurance

Throughout the world, the demand for first class International Health Insurance has never been greater. As social health insurance services that could once be relied upon are no longer able to keep pace with the ever increasing cost of medical treatment, so the need to make alternative arrangements has become of crucial importance, particularly to the expatriate. For those expats living and working abroad, accessing the right kind of health insurance cover can turn out to be a nightmare, with the cost of medical treatment often costly and tricky to arrange particularly in an emergency.

How important is international health insurance?

Individual countries have broad variations as to how much of their national resource they are willing to invest in healthcare. Healthcare is a huge industry, requiring vast sums of money to span preventive, primary and specialist care. Most developed nations spend at least 10% of their gross domestic product on healthcare, and this is rising every year. In the US the figure is now reckoned to be closer to 20%. And with a few exceptions, the more money there is, the better the healthcare system.

A study published in The Lancet last year highlights this. The researchers compared cancer survival rates across five continents. They found that people in high-income countries that spend more on healthcare live longer. And it’s well known that life expectancy in developing nations is frequently (but not always) lower than that of richer nations.

In summary, you get what you pay for. When it comes to buying a car, most of us are happy to accept that cost equates to quality. When it comes to our health, the reality can be harder to swallow. This is especially true in richer nations, where people think that they’re entitled to good healthcare.