Expatriate status or traveller, Which insurance to choose?

It is important to know how international health insurer will consider you when you are abroad. The consequences can be serious.

You are a traveller if you go to a foreign country for a few weeks or a few months and then go back to your home country. You are then eligible for a health insurance for travellers. You are an expatriate if you live in a foreign country. Most people who leave to live abroad have well-defined situations in relation to their status. Examples: an expatriate employment contract, a full-time employment contract in a company in the foreign country, the declaration of residence at the embassy, or for French people the subscription to the CFE (social security for French expatriates). These people automatically subscribe to health insurance for expatriates.

But some situations are ambiguous. This is the case when a person lives in a foreign country most of the year but retains important links in his country of origin and goes there regularly. Examples: a home, income, school children, one-off work assignments, etc. In these circumstances, some people do not consider themselves expatriates. They continue to benefit from their health coverage in their country of nationality, and during their stays abroad they are satisfied with a travel health insurance. But an expensive hospitalization in the foreign country occurs. The insured asks for coverage from the insurer. The latter may decide to consider that the person is resident in the foreign country, therefore not eligible for the subscribed travel insurance, and cancels the insurance.

This situation must be avoided because even if finally the insured manages to demonstrate and convince the insurer that his residence is still in his country of nationality he will have had to advance all medical expenses and manage his repatriation himself ...

To avoid this situation we simply recommend choosing health insurance for expatriates when the person lives most of the time in a foreign country. Thus the possibilities of litigation are discarded and in case of serious medical problems the insured is better protected.

Do not hesitate to contact us to take stock of your situation before subscribing to international health insurance.