The 6 Best Health Insurance Companies for Expats

Moving abroad can be a wonderful but stressful experience, involving a series of glorious and terrifying surprises. Healthcare doesn’t need to be one of them.

By taking out a health insurance policy with one of the best companies in the world, you’ll be able to rest safe in the knowledge that you and your loved ones can call on the best medical help around – without facing financial struggles.

With your health insurance sorted, you can relax and enjoy your new home

What’s on this page?

01 | Cigna: best for experience
02 | William Russell: best for cost
03 | Allianz Care: best for quick claim payments
04 | Bupa Global: best for 24/7 access
05 | IMG: best for customer service
06 | GeoBlue: best for a big medical network
07 | Methodology
08 | Summary

Cigna: best for experience

16 years after the US became its own country, a collection of wealthy individuals met in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall to create Cigna’s forerunner: the Insurance Company of North America (INA).

In the 230 years since that fateful moment in 1792, through a civil war, world wars, multiple depressions, the creation of air travel, and every single US president from George Washington to Joe Biden, this company has provided insurance to people like you.

Either side of the 19th century turning into the 20th century, INA paid out on insurance policies of citizens who’d had their lives destroyed by catastrophic disasters.

In 1982, Cigna was born out of the merger with Connecticut General Corporation (CG), but that simply added to its overall bank of knowledge and know-how.

When it comes to experience, this storied healthcare insurance provider is unbeatable.

You can start building a customised plan with a free quote from Cigna.

William Russell: best for cost

William Russell reported that in 2020, it cost £2,600 for the average individual to get a year of its coverage. That’s an extremely reasonable price, and it can fall further depending on where you’re going.

The report also highlighted the welcome transparency that this company brings to the private healthcare industry.

And what’s more, William Russell won’t base your renewal premium on how many times you’ve made claims. 

This allows its customers to access the medical care they need, without having to worry about it affecting their premium.

You can start building a customised plan with a free quote from William Russell.

Allianz Care: best for quick claim payments

When you’re living in a country where everything is a little (or a lot) less familiar, and you urgently need healthcare, the last thing you want is added financial stress.

When Allianz Care was established in the year 2000, one of its promises was that completed claim forms would be processed within two days.

That promise still stands, in all 210 countries and territories covered by the company.

Allianz Care doesn’t have a network of hospitals and doctors outside the US. Instead, you’ll simply be reimbursed for any treatments covered by your plan, as long as they’re performed by a medical professional – which is nice and simple.

Allianz Care also provides Medi 24, a service which allows customers to receive medical advice in English, French, German, or Italian at any hour of the day.

Bupa Global: best for 24/7 access

If you get a policy with Bupa Global, you’ll be given 24/7 access to what the company itself calls “our highly-qualified, multilingual in-house team of emergency care coordinators, nurses and doctors.”

There’s every reason to rely on Bupa’s excellence in this area.

With 1.2 million hospitals and medical professionals across the world covered and claims paid within 10 working days, Bupa Global is one of the best around.

International Medical Group: best for customer service

With a Trustpilot rating of 4.6 out of 5, IMG is far and away the best-rated health insurance company, according to the very people it serves.

The fact that more than 5,200 people have contributed to give IMG this superb rating makes it even more impressive – particularly as the company has a long waiting period for claim fulfillment.

This 30-year-old company is now in more than 200 countries, and in each one it provides outstanding coverage, including providing you with more than 30 health professionals who can remotely advise your location’s medical team from start to finish.

And like Allianz Care, IMG doesn’t have a network of hospitals and doctors outside the US – you can just use any qualified healthcare professional.

GeoBlue: best for a big medical network

GeoBlue has an enormous medical network, with 1.7 million hospitals and medical professionals available to its customers across the globe.

The company is part of US provider Blue Cross Blue Shield, which covers one-third of all Americans.

If you choose GeoBlue, you’ll also gain access to Global TeleMD, an app which provides 24/7 access to doctors around the world via a voice or video call.

It should be noted however that GeoBlue’s medical network only beats Cigna’s by 0.05 million, or 3% – and it typically takes GeoBlue longer to pay out on claims.

Methodology

We’ve collected all the top global health insurance companies’ most relevant statistics to decide which of them are the best, and which area they’re better than the rest in.

These areas include the companies’ years of experience, Trustpilot ratings, the number of hospitals and medical professionals they have across the world, whether they provide 24/7 access to medical help and how good it is, and how quickly you’ll get a claim processed.

It’s important to remember that this last category is based on how long each company claims to take. They aren’t obliged to meet these targets – but the numbers do represent an estimation of the company’s abilities, which is important to know.

For instance, if a company tells you it’ll take months and months to fulfil your claim, you should heed that warning.

Summary

Thankfully, we live in a world with multiple world class health insurance providers, all of which will provide you with excellent service should you need them abroad.

You’re now in the perfect position to become a fully fledged expat, with the peace of mind that comes with ensuring you and your loved ones are insured against calamities.

And if you want the best, turn to Cigna. Helping more than 95 million customers all over the world, Cigna has the know-how to get you just the right cover.

Start building a customised plan with a free quote to protect your most important assets – you and your family.

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