International Health Insurance

Show Plans

International Health Insurance provides long-term coverage to people living or working outside of their home country, typically for one year or longer. These plans are ideal for expats and their families, individuals with dual residences, multinational employers, and more. Being a global citizen can be an exciting experience, yet one that can pose many potential risks. Your health care abroad should not be one of those concerns. IMG offers revolutionary programs that provide the flexible worldwide coverage you need, backed by the world-class services you expect.

IMG's flagship international medical insurance plan, Global Medical Insurance, allows you to custom build a plan that is specifically tailored to you. The program provides benefits suitable for individuals and families, provides fully portable 24 hour coverage, and gives you the global piece of mind you are seeking. Additionally, the plan was designed to provide long-term, worldwide medical cover that allows you to receive and continue treatment wherever you choose.

Popular Plans
Ideal for Expats & Global Citizens

Recommended
Global Medical Insurance

Global Medical Insurance

Annually renewable worldwide medical insurance program for individuals and families

Highlights

  • Long-term (1+ year) worldwide medical insurance for individuals and families
  • Annually renewable medical coverage
  • Deductible options from $100 to $25,000
  • Maximum limit options from $1,000,000 to $8,000,000
Plan Details View Brochure
Get Quote
Trip Protection
Medical Benefits

Group International Health Insurance Programs

The Global Employer's Option - GEO Group

The Global Employer's Option - GEO Group

Employer-sponsored group health insurance for internationally assigned employees.

International Marine Medical Insurance

International Marine Medical Insurance

Long-term (1+ year) medical coverage for professional marine crew.

MP+ International

MP+ International

Worldwide employer-sponsored group health insurance for mission groups.

 

Give us a call

Have any questions?
We’re here to help you!

866-263-0669

Recent Blog Articles

Cleaning Travel Hacks – Tips to Stay Healthy While Traveling

May 26, 2020, 16:21 PM by Derek Miller

Gone are the days of only the “germophobes” wiping down their airplane seat before getting settled on their flight. The coronavirus pandemic brought to light the importance of personal sanitization in a way that many have never seen before. Now that people are more aware of the risks they may face in public environments, the want and need to sanitize their surroundings for their own health and safety will be higher than ever. Keeping a clean home and work environment is one thing, but how do you ensure that your next vacation spot will be up to your cleaning standards? Here are some cleaning hacks and tips on how to stay healthy when it’s time for your next trip.

Pack Your Own Disinfecting Supplies

Packing your own disinfecting supplies guarantees that you have access to exactly what you need throughout your trip. In your carry-on, consider packing disinfecting wipes, travel size disinfectant spray, tissues, and hand sanitizer. Typically, airlines restrict the hand sanitizer size to 3.4 ounces. As of May 2020, some are allowing up to 12 ounces. Be sure to check with your airline to confirm the liquid allowances of items that you will use to clean the non-porous areas on your flight. You will also want to use the disinfecting wipes to wipe down hard surfaces in your hotel room. Finally, hand sanitizer is useful for those moments when you don’t have access to soap and water.

If you want to take your cleaning efforts to the next level, you can also include:

  • Slippers or flip flops for the room
  • Pillowcase
  • On-the-go clothing detergent
  • Ziploc bags (to avoid touching remote controls or other small items)
  • Bag for dirty laundry
  • UV light wand

How To Clean an Airplane Seat

Before you even board your flight, hit the bathroom in the terminal. Not only can you avoid having to use the cabin bathroom, but it is also a great opportunity to wash your hands. According to the CDC, hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent getting sick.

Once you’ve boarded, you should wipe down everything by your seat that you may end up touching. Use your disinfecting wipes to wipe down the seat, seat belt buckle, window shade, air vent, arm rests, screen, and most importantly, the tray table. Tray tables are notoriously dirty and prone to germs. Don’t forget to wipe down your cell phone as well.

After you’ve settled in, grab a squirt of that hand sanitizer. For the remaining time of the flight, try not to touch your face, eyes, or mouth.

The most common mistake people make when getting their area prepared is that they turn off their air vent. Many airlines have HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) ventilation systems which capture 99.9% of germ particles. By letting the air circulate, it is cleaning the particles rather than letting germs grow in stagnant air.

Hotel Germ Hot Spots

Hotels and other accommodation areas have their own common areas for germs. Remove your shoes when you first enter the room to avoid bringing the outdoors inside with you. If you packed those slippers or flip flops, now is the time to bring them out. Be sure to place your suitcase on the suitcase holder, or any other surface besides the bed. Again, you don’t want to bring those traveling germs with you into your bed. Inspect the room to see if you come across anything that looks suspicious. Check the sheets, the toilet, and the drawers. If you do come across anything less than excellent, call down to the front desk. They may arrange for you to switch rooms or provide another round of cleaning.

Use your disinfectant wipes and spray to wipe down high traffic areas in the room. The toilet, sink, and countertops are often overlooked. Rinse out the coffee mugs, cup, and coffee maker with hot water. Wipe the headboard, alarm clock, phone, and remote. If you brought a Ziploc bag, place the remote into the bag as an extra precaution. Forgot the bag? No worries – usually hotels seal their disposable coffee cups in plastic bags. You can borrow them from the cups to protect your hands from the remote. The remote tends to be the dirtiest item in the room, so be sure to use some type of sanitation method. If you are allergic to Lysol or disinfectant wipes, consider investing in a UV light.

Hotel room sheets get changed after every guest, but there is not a guarantee that the big plush comforter gets washed as often. Take it off the bed and use just the sheets at night. If you packed an extra pillowcase, you can switch it out as well. Just don’t forget to pack it before you leave!

If you are planning on lounging anywhere other than the bed, you might want to call down to house keeping and request an extra flat sheet or two. You can use these to cover any chairs or sofas in the room.

Regarding clothes, many people have designated clothes that they travel in. Rather than wear your once worn travel clothes home, bring some one-time use detergent and wash your clothes in the bathtub. Packing a separate bag for dirty laundry, such as a mesh laundry bag, is an easy way to keep your dirty clothes away from your clean clothes. This is also a common cruise ship hack for extra space (so you’re not constantly sifting through all of your laundry while on vacation).

Protect Your Health

It’s very important to stay hydrated throughout your adventures. Not only does staying hydrated prevent your nasal passages from drying out while flying, but it can also flush toxins and increase your energy throughout the day.

At the end of the day, no one wants to get sick on vacation. We can take as many precautions as possible to protect our health and sometimes, we still fall ill. Most domestic health insurance plans do not provide adequate coverage while traveling internationally. That’s why it’s important to evaluate which travel medical insurance plan best fits your needs. Traveling with peace of mind, knowing that you have support and coverage if the unexpected happens is well worth the investment. View IMG’s travel medical insurance plans and compare benefits here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I seek medical help?

With an international health plan from IMG, you have medical coverage worldwide. Our plans give you the freedom to choose your own health care provider wherever you are in the world.To view IMG's exclusive provider list, visit the Find A Doctor page in the myIMG member area.

What is the definition of a "Qualified Expatriate"?

To qualify as an “expatriate health plan,” substantially all of the primary enrollees must be “qualified expatriates.” A “qualified expatriate” is a primary insured meeting all of the following:

Qualified Expatriates in the U.S.:

The individual’s skills, qualification, job duties, or expertise is of a type that has caused the employer to assign him to the U.S. for a specific temporary purpose or assignment tied to employment; and

In connection with such transfer or assignment, the plan sponsor reasonably determines that the individual will require access to health insurance in multiple countries, and is offered other multi-national benefits on a periodic basis (e.g., tax equalization benefits, cross-border moving expenses, compensation to enable the expatriate to return to his home country);

Qualified Expatriates Outside of the U.S.:

The individual is working outside the U.S. for a period of at least 180 days in a consecutive 12-month period that overlaps with the plan year. For purposes of the definition, “U.S.” includes the 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

There are also special provisions for members 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations who are traveling or relocating internationally for the organization, including students and religious missionaries.

Expatriate Health Plans are Minimum Essential Coverage

Expatriate health plans qualify as minimum essential coverage. This means that an expatriate health plan will satisfy the employer mandate and the enrollee’s individual mandate.

Employers are Still Subject to §6055/§6056 Reporting and Cadillac Tax on Certain Expatriates

The exemption from ACA requirements does not apply for the new health information reporting requirements for the beginning of 2016.

However, the information statements (primarily the Forms 1094-C and 1095-C for employers) may be provided electronically to individuals covered under an expatriate health plan even if the individual has not consented to electronic distribution (as long as the individual has not explicitly refused electronic distribution).

Expatriate health plans will be exempt from the §4980I excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health coverage (generally referred to as the “Cadillac tax”) that is scheduled to take effect in 2018, except for expatriates assigned to work in the U.S.

Effective Date

These provisions related to expatriate health plans apply to expatriate health plans issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2015.

Am I getting the best deal on these plans?

Insurance prices are regulated by the government - you won't find a better price on IMG insurance plans anywhere else.  

How long does it take to process my application and receive my ID card and other documents?

If you are applying for coverage under the Patriot series of plans, IMG will process your application and send your ID card and other documents within one business day. If you are applying for coverage under the Global or Group series, IMG will process your application within three to four business days following the receipt of all required information, and your materials will be forwarded the same day coverage is approved. Every attempt will be made to process your application timely. The specific time frame depends largely on the type of coverage for which you are applying. 

I am a U.S. Citizen. Am I eligible for your Global Medical Insurance (GMI) plan?

You are eligible for our Global Medical insurance plan if you reside outside of the U.S. or have a good faith intent to reside outside of the U.S. for six months or more in a calendar year. Please note that IMG’s Global Medical Insurance Plan does not meet the definition of “minimum essential coverage” under PPACA. GMI is not intended to provide U.S. citizens residing in the U.S. with health insurance. While your GMI plan for worldwide coverage will not be affected by PPACA, you should review the information below to see if you are exempt from the requirements of PPACA or not, and whether you will have to pay a tax penalty or not. Under PPACA, all U.S. citizens, nationals and resident aliens will be required to purchase minimum essential coverage (PPACA compliant coverage), unless they are exempt. Exempt U.S. citizens include U.S. citizens who reside outside of the U.S. The exemption applies to a U.S. citizen who has a tax home (main place of work or employment, or if you don’t have a main place of work or employment, your main residence) in a foreign country, and is a bona fide resident of a foreign country. See details under the IRS foreign earned income exclusion test. If a person was required to purchase minimum essential coverage and did not, she/he would be required to pay a tax penalty for not purchasing PPACA coverage (if she/he files a U.S. tax return). In many cases, this tax is far less than the premiums that a person would pay for obtaining PPACA coverage.

Disclaimer

This is not an offer to enter into an insurance contract. This is only a summary and shall not bind the company or require the company to offer or write any insurance at any particular rate or to any particular group or individual. The information on this page does and will not affect, modify or supersede in any way the policy, certificate of insurance and governing policy documents (together the "Insurance Contract"). The actual rates and benefits are governed by the Insurance Contract and nothing else. Benefits are subject to exclusions and limitations.