Expat health insurance covers new medical conditions that start after your cover begins, including outpatient and inpatient treatment with a registered doctor. It gives limited cover for dental pain relief, physical therapy, and a few other extras, and it covers medically necessary repatriation and up to 90 days of travel per trip in selected European countries. It does not cover pre-existing conditions, routine check-ups, vaccinations, or preventative and alternative treatments.
What does expat health insurance cover?
Expat health insurance is designed for people who've recently arrived in a new country and need to set up health cover quickly, with minimal eligibility criteria. Unlike public health insurance, it's built to cover basic healthcare needs for a limited time rather than provide long-term, comprehensive coverage.
It covers new medical conditions that start after your cover begins (and after your waiting period, if one applies), including both outpatient appointments (such as a visit to a general practitioner) and inpatient hospital treatment. This applies specifically to treatment provided by a registered medical doctor.
Here's a breakdown of what's included per insurance year:
Outpatient medical treatment
Inpatient medical treatment in a public or private hospital
Surgeries / Operations
Ambulance transport that leads to inpatient hospital admission
Medications and surgical dressings
Radiation therapy, light therapy, and other physical treatments
Pregnancy treatment for complications
Repatriation, if medically necessary
Dental treatment for pain relief: up to €500 per year
Physical therapy / physiotherapy: up to €300 per year
Massages, compresses, and inhalations: up to €300 per year
Therapeutic aids prescribed after an accident: up to €500 per year
Repatriation of remains to your country of origin, or funeral costs in your new country: up to €10,000
Tele-medical consultation: 1 free consultation per year, with no copay
Covid-19 rapid tests: up to 3 per year (up to €15)
A few of these have more detail worth knowing:
Dental treatment: up to €500 per year for pain-relieving restorative dentistry, including simple fillings and repairs to existing dentures, as long as a dentist performs or prescribes the treatment. This covers new dental issues that arise after your cover starts ; not pre-existing issues or routine check-ups.
Physical therapy / physiotherapy: up to €300 per year, as long as it relates to a new medical issue and you have a doctor's referral to include with your claim.
Ambulance transport: covered only when it leads to hospital admission and inpatient treatment for a new condition.
Tele-medical consultations: 1 free video consultation per year with MD Medicus.
Covid-19 testing: PCR tests are covered when ordered by a general practitioner.
What travel cover is included with expat health insurance?
Your expat policy covers medical treatment (as described above) throughout the European Union and the Schengen Area (which excludes the United Kingdom), as well as Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. This applies to trips of up to 90 days each, with no limit on the number of trips per year.
After 12 months on the policy, you also get the same level of cover for up to 6 weeks of travel per year to your country of origin (the country you were living in immediately before this policy started), as declared when you signed up.
Are sports accidents covered under expat health insurance?
Yes. Accidents that happen while practicing a sport as a hobby (including mountain and winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding) are covered under the same terms as any other accident. This means outpatient and inpatient treatment resulting from a sports accident is covered, and ambulance transport or air lifting following the accident is covered under the same condition that applies to all ambulance transport: it must lead to hospital admission and an inpatient stay.
This cover doesn't extend to professional athletes. If you practice a sport professionally rather than as a hobby, accidents from it aren't covered, and professional athletes can't be covered under expat health insurance.
What isn't covered under expat health insurance?
The following are excluded:
Pre-existing conditions: any condition known before your cover starts
Routine check-ups, plus any conditions discovered as a result of one, including:
Cancer and skin cancer screenings
Gynecological screenings
Dental check-ups, including preventative dental work such as cleanings
Medical aids, including general medical aids, repairs to existing medical aids, and visual aids
Private or single hospital rooms: inpatient treatment is covered in a shared room, so if you choose a private room, the difference in cost is yours to pay
Treatment by a hospital's head physician: care from the hospital's regular medical staff is covered, but treatment you elect to receive from the head physician is not
Preventative and prophylactic treatments
Psychoanalytical and psychotherapeutic treatment
Vaccinations of any kind, including routine, travel, and Covid-19 vaccinations
Pregnancy examinations and deliveries
Fertility or sterility treatments
Vitamins and nutritional supplements, even if prescribed
Ambulance transport that doesn't result in an inpation hospital admission
Ambulance transport related to a pre-existing condition
Allied health services other than medically prescribed physical therapy / physiotherapy: this includes chiropractic, osteopathy, psychoanalysis, occupational therapy, podiatry, dietetics, and speech therapy
Holistic or alternative therapies, including acupuncture and Chinese medicine
Fitness applications
Treatment related to an addictive disorder
Self-inflicted injuries
Medical certificates that aren't medically necessary, such as sick notes, visa medical checks, or sports medical clearance
Accidents from practicing a sport professionally (professional athletes can't be covered under expat health insurance)