Expatriates sometimes lose their ties with their home country. In such cases, is repatriation insurance that offers a return to the country of origin appropriate? This is a recurring question for people – often referred to as expatriates – who have been living abroad for many years.
Their focus is abroad, and these expatriates sometimes have very few links with their home country. They have built their lives abroad , often in areas of economic development. Some French people have been living in Asia, such as China, Singapore or other South-East Asian countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, etc., for years. Others have gone to the Americas: to the United States, which is still a dream destination, or to Latin America. Still others have chosen more exotic destinations where economic development is accelerating, as in certain African countries.
Some have gone on to highly-skilled jobs and successful careers, while others are still proving themselves. Among them, some have met their soulmate, either a fellow expatriate or someone from their adopted country. Some have been raising families for many years.
International health insurance for long-term expatriates
In all these cases, expatriates or people living outside their home country can benefit from international health insurance, which offers real advantages and often lower rates than local insurance. This is particularly true in countries where medical costs are high, such as the USA or the UK, or in particularly expensive Asian countries such as Singapore or Hong Kong.
Repatriation insurance covers unforeseeable situations
Since these expatriates have been living abroad for a long time, they often wonder about thebenefits of repatriation insurance when choosing international medical insurance.
The reasoning is often: “My family and my life are in my new country, so I don’t need repatriation insurance. I don’t want to be repatriated to my country of origin. This is my home and there’s no going back to my country of birth”.
Repatriation cover can be used to repatriate you to your country of origin, but this “use” is particularly true of travel insurance. If you take out an international health insurance policy covering expatriates, repatriation is also possible to your adopted country. Imagine you live in Thailand and decide to go on vacation to Australia. You have a car accident. You have to be hospitalized, and unfortunately you won’t be mobile for another 3 weeks of rehabilitation.
If you have international health insurance, you may be covered outside the country in which you live , so in our example in Australia for this car accident.
If you have not taken the additional option of repatriation insurance, you will either remain in Australia or return to your country of residence – Thailand – at your own expense.
If you are not mobile, you will have to pay for your own repatriation, for example with a medical aircraft costing up to €50,000, or you will have to pay for accommodation and living expenses in Australia until you can return home. With repatriation insurance, the decision to repatriate you is a medical one, and will be based on your state of health, your country of residence at the time of the operation and your choice of insurance. Having repatriation insurance while you’re expatriated can therefore be particularly advantageous.
Common examples of the benefits of repatriation insurance
Another common example is returning to your home country to visit a family member, often a parent, who is hospitalized or dying, and whom you wish to accompany through this ordeal, which may be your last.Repatriation insurance will pay for your travel to your home country, and certainly part of your accommodation costs.
Another example: if you live in a country with a poor medical infrastructure, it may be necessary to send you to another country to access quality medical care, and repatriation insurance will be very useful in this case.
How much does repatriation insurance cost?
In response to the various examples given above, we recommend that you take out repatriation insurance in conjunction with travel insurance – which is usually included as standard – as well as expatriate medical insurance. When you combine a repatriation option with international health insurance, the cost is low compared with the amount of expenses involved, and therefore the savings you’ll make with repatriation assistance cover. The monthly rate will be around €20 per person. Don’t hesitate to ask us for advice and more information on the different international insurance solutions available.
