International Health Insurance for Overseas Treatment

There are a few insurers that offer health insurance for overseas medical care. These include Care, Cigna TTK, Max Bupa, Apollo Munich Health Insurance, etc. These are very helpful as medical expenses outside India are extremely high.

When suffering from serious illnesses, many high-income individuals choose to receive treatment abroad in order to benefit from the advancements in medical technology there. Furthermore, in case of life-threatening diseases, individuals might consider taking treatment overseas. However, the cost is a significant barrier in both situations. In the United States, the average cost to treat a heart attack is $760,000 (over Rs.5 crore), compared with Rs.3.5 lakh in India. The expensive nature of healthcare abroad and the unfavourable exchange rate make it challenging for Indians to travel abroad.

International medical care is typically not covered by Indian health insurance companies. Therefore, high-income individuals often buy insurance from insurance providers in their preferred country. Many Indian insurance companies have recently launched health insurance plans that have been tailored for treatment outside of India.

List of Top Banks Providing International Health Insurance

The table below highlights the top health insurance plans that include overseas treatment: 

Health Insurance Provider 

Name of Plan 

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance 

Global Personal Guard Plan 

Niva Bupa Health Insurance 

Heartbeat Plan 

Aditya Birla Health Insurance 

Activ Assure Diamond Health Insurance Plan 

ManipalCigna Health Insurance 

ProHealth Protect Plan 

Liberty General Insurance 

Health Connect Supra 

National Insurance  

Overseas Mediclaim Business and Holiday Plan 

Oriental Insurance 

Overseas Mediclaim Policy 

Royal Sundaram Health Insurance 

Lifeline Elite Plan 

New India Assurance 

New India Mediclaim Policy 

Star Health Insurance 

Star Corporate Travel Protect Insurance Policy  

Bajaj Allianz Global Personal Guard

  1. The Global Personal Guard plan offers comprehensive protection against death, total or partial permanent disability, as well as any other accidents-related injuries globally.  
  2. You have the option of choosing this policy for one, two, or three years. 
  1. Depending on your income, select a sum insured option from Rs.50,000 to Rs.25 crore. 
  1. Receive a cumulative bonus of 10% of the insured amount for each year without a claim. 
  2. You, your spouse, your parents, and your children are all covered by this policy. 

Niva Bupa Health Insurance Heartbeat Plan

  1. The entry age for adults under the Heartbeat Plan is from 18 to 65 years. 
  2. It covers specific illnesses as well as emergency hospitalisation and medical evacuation abroad.  
  1. Insured members can avail cashless coverage for hospitalisation expenses at any network hospital.  
  2. After the first policy year, you can get a health checkup for diagnostic tests for any insured individual, which includes children. 
  3. If your base sum insured is exhausted, you will be refunded 100% of your base sum insured for both different as well as the same illness. 

Aditya Birla Activ Assure Diamond Health Insurance Plan

  1. The Aditya Birla Activ Assure Diamond Health Insurance Plan is a low-cost health insurance plan that provides comprehensive hospitalisation coverage, 586 daycare procedures, and easy cashless claims at 10051+ network hospitals. 
  1. In the event of a medical emergency in any country around the world, you will be safely sent to reputable healthcare facilities. 
  2. The free comprehensive health check-up enables you to track health and lifestyle for you and your family every policy year. 
  3. Receive up to 30% of your premium back as health returns. It can be used to pay for renewal premiums, medications, and diagnostic tests. 
  4. Receive a bonus of 10% added to your insured amount for each year without a claim, up to a maximum of 50% of the sum insured. 

ManipalCigna Health Insurance ProHealth Protect Plan

  1. The ProHealth Protect Plan offers complete coverage to protect your present and future.  
  2. Avail coverage anywhere in the world in the event of an emergency, up to the sum insured. 
  3. Options for the sum insured range from Rs.2.5 lakh and Rs.50 lakh. 
  4. Up to 20% of the premium in Healthy Reward points may be redeemed as a Health Maintenance Benefit (HMB) or applied to the cost of a renewal premium. 
  5. Under the Individual policy option, you can avail 25% discount when two or more family members are covered by the same policy.  

Liberty Health Insurance Health Connect Supra Plan

  1. The Health Connect Supra Plan is offered in two variants: Top-up and Super Top-up plan. 
  2. For proposals, there is no need for a pre-policy health examination if you don't have a history of illness. 
  3. It covers medical expenses incurred abroad. 
  4. Avail discounts on multi-tenure policies with a two- or three-year term. 
  1. Get coverage for pre-existing conditions starting with the first policy renewal with a 3-year term. 
  2. For each year without a claim during the policy's term, the No Claim Benefit can rise by up to 10% for the Sum Insured. 

National Health Insurance Overseas Mediclaim Business and Holiday Plan

  1. The Overseas Mediclaim Business and Holiday Plan covers medical emergencies that occur while a person is travelling overseas. 
  2. All claims must be covered by the traveller for the first $100. 
  1. Any Indian, Nepalese, or Bhutanese citizen travelling abroad on business or for vacation may purchase this plan. 
  2. This plan is also available for any foreign national employed in India for an international company and receiving payment in Indian rupees. 

Oriental Health Insurance Overseas Mediclaim Policy

  1. The Oriental Insurance Overseas Mediclaim Policy provides complete coverage for you and your family when you are travelling abroad. 
  2. This plan covers medical costs incurred while travelling abroad for both inpatient and outpatient care. 
  1. You can choose the sum insured from Rs.50,000 to Rs.50 lakh.  
  2. The Overseas Services Provider offers a cashless settlement. 

Royal Sundaram Health Insurance Lifeline Elite Plan

  1. The Lifeline Elite Plan is for those who travel frequently in India as well as abroad. 
  2. It is available as a Family Floater plan for you, your spouse, and your children as well as an Individual plan. 
  1. The Sum Insured options available are Rs.25 lakh, Rs.30 lakh, Rs.50 lakh, Rs.1 crore, and Rs.1.5 crore. 
  2. All daycare procedures up to the sum insured are covered under this plan.  
  3. It covers treatment for 11 specific critical illnesses abroad which includes round-trip airfare up to Rs.3 lakh. 
  4. It covers worldwide emergency hospitalisation up to a maximum of Rs.20 lakh (or 50% of the insured amount). 

New India Assurance New India Global Mediclaim Policy

  1. Anyone who has a health insurance policy with a minimum Sum Insured of Rs.8 lakh is eligible to purchase the New India Global Mediclaim Policy. 
  2. This plan also covers medical second opinion insurance. 
  3. The Sum Insured option for a global treatment plan is $1 million (Lifetime $2 million). 

Star Health Insurance Star Corporate Travel Protect Insurance Policy

  1. The Star Corporate Travel Protect Insurance Policy offers coverage for costs incurred because of any medical emergencies and inconveniences encountered while travelling to or staying abroad. 
  1. Corporate employees who often travel for work can purchase this policy. 
  2. It offers coverage for travel to all countries, including the USA and Canada. 
  3. This policy comes with three Sum Insured options: $100,000, $250,000, and $500,000. 
  4. On the recommendation of the treating doctor, this policy covers the insured individual's emergency medical evacuation. 
  5. It includes costs for related transportation and medical care. 

Documents Required for Overseas Treatment:  

If you have a global health insurance policy and are seeking treatment overseas, you will require the documents listed below: 

Documents Required for International Health Insurance:

  1. Your visa and passport  
  1. Attendant’s visa and passport  
  1. Health insurance policy  
  1. Proof indicating your relationship with the attendant  
  1. Address proof  
  1. All documents and medical reports pertaining to your health issue  
  1. Address of the recommended hospital abroad  
  1. A medical visa if necessary  
  1. A folder or file containing copies of all of your documents

Things to Remember When Purchasing Global Health Insurance Plan

The following considerations must be made when choosing a global health insurance policy: 

  1. Waiting period: Carefully review the policy documents to understand all of the terms and conditions. For example, several health insurance policies have a 30-day waiting period during which only accidents are covered. Some insurance plans have a two-year waiting period before covering surgeries. 
  1. Policy’s inclusions and exclusions: Check the policy's inclusions and exclusions and select the one that has more inclusions. This will provide better coverage in India and abroad. 
  1. Premium: Check the various health insurance premium options offered under a policy and select a viable option. Check the frequency of premium payments as well; these can occur monthly, half-yearly, and yearly. 
  1. Process of claim settlement: Understand the insurance company's claim process and check their claim settlement ratio. Select an insurer that has a high claim settlement ratio. 
  1. Network hospitals: Choose an insurance company that has a large network of network hospitals. In the event of a medical emergency, you can seek treatment at a network hospital to avoid the tedious process of filing a reimbursement claim

How Does Global Health Insurance Work?  

A global health insurance policy covers both planned and unforeseen medical treatments received anywhere in the world. Under a global health insurance policy, your insurance provider will cover the incurred medical costs whether you get sick, have an accident, or travel abroad for pre-planned medical treatment. 

FAQs on International Health Insurance

  • What is a global health insurance plan?

      A global health insurance plan provides coverage for planned as well as unplanned medical treatments received globally. 

  • Are global health insurance plans costly?

    Global health insurance plans are more expensive than domestic health insurance plans because they have a larger coverage area. 

  • Does global health insurance cover pre-existing diseases?

    Yes, pre-existing conditions are covered by all international health insurance plans, but only after a three- to four-year waiting period.

  • Do global health insurance policies cover medical bills incurred in India?

    Yes, both domestic and international medical costs are covered by global health insurance policies. 

  • Are some countries' costs for global health insurance higher than others?

    Yes, the price of healthcare in nations like the USA and Canada makes purchasing a global health insurance plan that covers those countries costly. This is because a health plan's premium is influenced by the geographic coverage area. 

  • Can I purchase a global health insurance policy abroad?

    The cost of purchasing a health insurance policy outside of India can be exorbitant because you might not be able to find the plans offered in India. The premium will have to be paid in a foreign currency. Therefore, getting health insurance with global coverage before travelling abroad is a good idea.

  • Can my pre-existing medical conditions affect my eligibility for global health insurance?

    The cost of global medical insurance is undoubtedly impacted by pre-existing conditions. Therefore, make sure you give the insurance company the correct details when purchasing the plan. As a result, in the event of an emergency, the insurance plan will provide you with coverage in accordance with the policy's terms and conditions.

  • Does a global health insurance policy provide cashless hospitalisation?

    Yes, there are many health insurance providers that offer cashless hospitalisation benefits for international health insurance plans.

  • How many post-hospitalisation days are covered by a global health insurance policy?

    It is recommended to compare post-hospitalisation costs for different insurers because they will vary from one global health insurer to another.

  • Do children get coverage under a global health insurance policy?

    Yes, a lot of insurers cover children under global health insurance plans while travelling abroad.

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