Healthcare and Health Insurance While Working Abroad

There’s enough uncertainty when you plan to live and teach English in a foreign country you’ve never set foot in. As fun as any adventure feels, you must acknowledge and be prepared for certain risks before you travel abroad. Forgetting your favorite dress isn’t a big deal, but not having proper health insurance coverage abroad can have terrifying consequences.

Luckily, there are many comprehensive healthcare packages out there, flexible to serve your personal needs. Depending on your school and teaching destination, your health insurance may already be covered by your employer. And the good news is that international health insurance most likely costs less than your domestic healthcare plan in the United States!

Do I Need to Purchase International Health & Travel Insurance?

Medical Emergencies

This is probably the most critical reason to purchase health insurance, especially in a country like the U.S.A., where healthcare is extremely expensive without coverage of health insurance. It can cost you well over $10,000 per day in case of emergency transport and medical treatment. Other includes the areas of cover for emergency evacuation, limits on medical expenses, emergency dental work, etc.

Trip Cancellation

This covers you for costs if you suddenly find you can’t go on your trip for some unforeseen reasons such as illness, severe weather, an accident, or the death of a close one. Some might allow you to buy travel insurance during the ticket booking process. Not all travel insurance plans cover cancellation or only a very limited scope of incidences with various types of conditions, including non-refundable, pre-booked costs if your trip is interrupted after you’ve left home, etc.

Baggage & Personal Belongings

While the loss of your personal belongings is often another reason people buy travel insurance, it is arguably the least important: your things can be replaced, but your health often can’t. Insurance companies expect you to take reasonable care of your belongings which means a claim may be denied if you leave your camera in a shared room in a hostel or in your car overnight (unsupervised in a public place) and it’s stolen.

If you are taking your laptop, camera, and other valuables with you, some of our travel insurance plans allow you to specify these items to cover their higher value. Check your policy benefits and description of coverage (policy wording) carefully for the limits on this cover and exclusions, particularly for cash, high-value items, and sporting equipment.

Personal Liability

International insurance and travel insurance are different from insurance for liability while you are driving a car. If you are involved in an accident or accidentally cause damage and are held accountable for it, insurance can cover your liability and legal expenses. Once again, not all insurers offer this type of coverage for travel insurance.

Trip Duration & Ending Trip Early

Travel insurance usually ends the minute you arrive home, so if you have bought a policy for 12 months and come home after 4, you aren’t entitled to a refund on the unused portion. For some of our policies, you can resume your trip on the same policy; you just won’t be covered for the time you’re at home.

Health Insurance of Various Countries & Regions

Teaching ESL. in Asia

It depends on where you’re going and which school you’ll be teaching at. In most Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand, your health insurance will be covered by your employers. In some cases, you may be required to contribute $20 to $50 of your monthly paycheck towards paying for your health insurance. In smaller schools and less developed areas, you may be responsible for your own healthcare.

Teaching ESL. in Europe

Many European nations such as Spain or Italy are notorious for being strict about giving work permits or work visas. Thus, many foreign E.S.L. teachers who work for cash (off the record) will have to buy their own health insurance. If you do have a work permit to legally teach E.S.L. in Europe, your healthcare should be covered with a co-pay deduction from your paychecks. On the other hand, the well-known government-operated teaching assistantship programs in France and Spain will pay for your health insurance.

Latin America

Similarly, in Latin America, if you teach English off-the-record (meaning, without a work contract or work permit), you are responsible for your own healthcare. Large schools in Chile or Mexico may be more likely to cover your health insurance, given that you have a legal work visa and contract.

Middle East

Lastly, if you teach E.S.L. in the Middle East, your healthcare is usually covered in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the U.A.E., or Kuwait. However, in less developed nations like Egypt and Morocco, you’re likely to buy your own health insurance.

Overall, ask questions to your employing schools or job placement agencies about your health insurance while teaching E.S.L. abroad. If it’s not covered, you’ll be required to buy your own and show proof of health insurance during your intended length of stay in that country in order to be granted a visa and admitted. Your coverage should also meet certain requirements set forth by your destination country if any. So it’s time to research your options!

International Health Insurance vs. Travel Insurance

What is Travel Insurance?

Travel insurance is designed for short-term vacationers or travelers who plan to visit a foreign country for a short period of time only. Travel insurance usually protects you against travel-related issues like cancellations, lost/stolen/damaged luggage, or emergency medical expenses. Your travel insurance will not cover long-term medical treatment and is limited to only certain cases of illnesses that should be carefully read in the fine print when you purchase.

What is International Health Insurance?

This is the one you need while living and teaching E.S.L. abroad! It’s designed for expats living overseas for a long period of time. It covers everything related to healthcare: both emergency and routine checkups/treatments.

Things to Know About Travel Insurance

1. Trusted reliable underwriters
2. The insurance company needs to be backed by a suite of strong, secure, specialist travel insurers who provide you with great cover, 24-hour emergency assistance, and the highest levels of support and claims management when you need it most.
3. Coverage & value of money
4. If you’re traveling among different countries, you would want to look into the providers that cover most countries. The range of adventure activities also matters. WorldNomads.com covers a range of adventure activities, giving you peace of mind to get the most from your travels.
5. Flexibility
6. Had a change of plans? You can buy more cover or claim online while you are traveling. You can even purchase a policy if you’re already traveling.

International Health Insurance Providers

You should first check with your current health insurance provider to see if they have coverage overseas as well as what’s covered while you’re abroad. Yet, it may be more expensive than other providers who specialize in international healthcare. Sometimes, you may need to use a combination of both, depending on your health conditions and needs.

It may be tempting to get local insurance when you’re already abroad. However, the downside is that local health insurance won’t cover when you’re visiting home for the holidays or traveling outside of that country. Additionally, the local language may be a difficult barrier when you try to research and buy local health insurance.

Some well-known international health insurance providers include:

• HTH Worldwide (aka GeoBlue): Their Xplorer plan is perfect for expats in the U.S.A. as well as U.S. expats living abroad. It’s an independent Blue Cross / Blue Shield licensee, thus granting you access to the extensive BCBS network of doctors and hospitals in the U.S. as well as globally. It even comes with healthcare coverage in the U.S.A. while you live abroad.
• Cigna Global Health Insurance: This provider allows you to pick certain benefit packages, thus comes with flexibility and lets you exclude certain benefits you don’t need. The service is excellent, and claims are usually processed quickly.
• Aetna International Health Plan for Expats: Aetna is a Fortune 100 company with an amazing network of hospitals all over the world. However, it should be noted that their plan is not available in all countries worldwide.
• International Medical Group (I.M.G.): This provider offers both short-term travel insurance and long-term international health insurance. Their plans are affordable and have wide coverage all over the world.
• Premier Health: It’s an international healthcare provider with the strongest coverage in South and Central America.

There are even group medical plans for schools and universities for your consideration. Once you choose and buy suitable international health insurance, make sure that you print out your policy and bring the physical insurance card with you at all times. Print a claim form and have it ready with you, just in case. Ensure the contact information and available hotline number are highlighted and saved on your phone.

If you’re going for a short-term gig, you may want to consider some of these health insurance providers for travelers:

• World Nomads Travel Insurance: This covers not only trip cancellation, and your belongings but also 24/7 emergency assistance (with a multi-lingual team who can support you) as well as many adventure activities. The plans and prices vary depending on your travel destination and duration.
• Start The Adventure (S.T.A.) Travel: It offers single-trip and annual multi-trip health plans that cover up to 24 months.

How Much Will You Pay for International Health Insurance Plan?

It all depends on where you’re from, where you’re teaching E.S.L., your age, your medical history, your needs, the amount of deductible, and add-ons. Your international health insurance plan payment ranges from as little as $40 to $1,500+ a month for a more comprehensive plan. However, when it comes to healthcare, don’t select the cheapest option. Consider all possible scenarios, and your current health situation, and choose a plan that fits.

Having reliable health insurance while living and teaching E.S.L. abroad will bring you peace of mind and allow you to fully enjoy your adventure.

Even if you’re young and healthy, things happen when you travel, especially when you’re in a new environment, breathing foreign air, and may be susceptible to viruses you never encounter at home. Even with simple illnesses like the common cold or diarrhea, you may not be able to find the medicines you usually take at home. Don’t add stress to your experience living and working abroad, and take good care of your health no matter where you are!

Were you looking for E.S.L. teaching jobs abroad? Get started here or join our Teach English Abroad Facebook group to see daily job postings and connect with fellow E.S.L. teachers overseas.