International FAQs

If you are considering purchasing an international medical insurance plan, you will find a number of questions frequently asked regarding International policies and cover.

• Information about the policy
• Making a Claim
• Premiums and Age on entry pricing

Information about the policy

Question.
How do I make a change to my policy?

Answer
Please see the Changing your Cover section.

Question.
What process should I follow if a person on my policy dies?

Answer
What process should I follow if a person on my policy dies? In this instance, we would ask you to contact Customer Support on 00 44 1392 35 35 00 to notify us of the bereavement. We will immediately put a note on the policy and ask you to send us an original or certified copy of the death certificate. Upon receipt of this, we will either cancel or amend the record, leaving the cover in place for the other people on the policy. If a refund is applicable, this will be issued on receipt of the certificate.

Question.
Can I join under Moratorium terms?

Answer
Regrettably this method of underwriting is not available on any of our international plans, only full medical underwriting.

Question.
What does 7.1a mean on the Policy Certificate?

Answer
These rules refer to the Underwriting chosen on your policy i.e. Full Medical Declaration. Please see your Policy Document for a fuller explanation.

Question.
Where can I view the rules of my policy?

Answer
The Policy Document for your plan, along with your policy certificate, forms a contract with the Society. The Policy Document contains all the rules of the plan and will be sent out to you when you apply to join and on renewal. We recommend you read this document thoroughly to ensure you are happy with your level of cover and understand how the plan works. You can view and print a copy of each of our Policy Documents in our Literature section. If you have any queries about your plan or level of cover, please contact Customer Support on +44 1392 353500 and we will be happy to discuss this with you.

Question.
How does an excess work on my policy?

Answer
There are various excesses available on a policy, please see our Excesses page for more information on your choices and how they work.

Making a Claim

Question.
What happens in the case of an emergency?

Answer
International plans offer cover in the case of emergency but we recommend you (or a close relative) contact the Society to advise us of the situation as soon as possible. This means we can confirm benefits are available on your policy (and arrange to send you a claim form or one can be downloaded from the website ) before you start incurring charges for treatment.
See the International Claims page for further details.

Question.
If I am admitted directly into hospital in my country of residence, will you pay my medical bills directly with the hospital concerned?

Answer
Every attempt is made to arrange direct settlement with the medical providers when we are informed prior to an admission. In some instances, the provider will require payment before you commence your treatment. Please contact the Society to obtain approval to proceed and submit the invoices to us, indicating payment has been made, and we will refund the costs of the eligible and agreed treatment.

Question.
How much can I claim and How do I make a claim?

Answer
There may be certain limits as to the amount you can claim on your policy. These may be the number of days you can receive treatment or a monetary amount. We place these limits on the policy to ensure that cover is available to all members at an affordable premium. Please see the centre pages of your Policy Document for the limits on your plan. This with your policy certificate forms a contract with the Society and clarifies what we will and will not pay benefits for. It is easy to make a claim with the Society - see our How to Claim pages. International Claims page.

Question.
How much will an operation cost?

Answer
Visit our Treatment Costs page for an indication of the costs of a range of operations. This information is based on UK costs so it is best to obtain advice from a medical representative where you are residing for a more accurate idea of local charges.

Premiums and Age on entry pricing

Question.
Why do you not offer a No claims discount?

Answer
Every year, we will write to you at least 3 weeks before your renewal date with details for the new policy year. This will include your revised premium and any changes that have been made on the plan.

If you are on an age at entry plan, you will notice that the premium increases may be lower than you have experienced with other insurers. This is because of the way the Society rewards the loyalty of existing customers through our Age at Entry pricing - please see our Age at Entry pricing page.

You will also note that, unlike many other insurers, we do not adjust your premium to take account of any claims that you have made in the past year. We believe this feature (and not No claim discounts) is more in-keeping with our status as a friendly society.

Question.
I no longer have a UK Sterling bank account, can I pay by bank transfer or bankers draft?

Answer
Yes you can on an annual basis, contact the Society for instructions. Please note the 5% annual payment discount only applies to Sterling and Euro Direct Debits.

Question.
What is your Age at Entry pricing and why is this good for us?

Answer
Please see a full explanation in our Age at Entry pricing page and also in your Policy Document.

Question.
How much do the premiums increase?

Answer
Our UK and International premiums are reviewed on a quarterly basis but once you become a member your premium will only be reviewed on your annual renewal date (unless local tax rates change).

If a premium is increased it will include adjustments for the cost of claims across that plan and arising from medical inflation - an increasing cost all medical insurers must cover for new treatments such as drugs or surgical developments to ensure you have access to the latest healthcare available.

Because of these factors premiums tend to rise at a far greater rate than retail price inflation. For example Exeter Care Preferred, Low Cost and Interplans have increased by 7-9% per annum on average over the past 6 years. See our Age at Entry pricing page for more information.

At renewal, the premium will not be increased on the following plans because of your age or you becoming a year older - see our Age at Entry pricing page for more information.

Our understanding is that this compares favourably to other insurers in the marketplace due to our Age at Entry pricing and other factors.

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