However, while each nation may have their own regional wellness programs, there are also international family wellness insurance strategy plan protection that can offer protection of wellness around the world. Local programs will be generally limited to covering healthcare care in their own nation, although some insurance strategy providers are looking into programs where healthcare tourism may help keep costs low. Global wellness programs on the other hand will offer wellness insurance strategy plan protection internationally; depending on the quality of the regional healthcare care program, this would allow the insurance policy holder to seek treatment somewhere where they feel the facilities could offer satisfactory care.
Geographical Coverage
Given that regional wellness programs will only cover the insurance policy holder in the nation it was taken out in, if the insurance policy holder relocates to another nation, they will have to take out a new policy in the nation they have moved to. Should the insurance policy holder have developed a long lasting illness prior to moving, then this illness will probably not be covered under new wellness policies as it will be a pre-existing condition. Global family wellness insurance strategy plan protection will generally only require the insurance policy holder to file a change of address form, whereby protection will continue. This is often referred to as the portability of the strategy plan.
Renewability
While many of the variations between international and regional wellness programs come down to their geographic areas of protection, there are other areas in which how the programs are structured diverge. One such divergence is how regional or international family wellness insurance strategy plan protection will replenish policies, or more specifically for how long. Often times, both regional and international plans will place age limits on applicants that they will accept, with 65 being the general cut off point, although some insurers may allow people up to the age of 80 to apply. What sets the regional and international programs apart is that most regional family wellness insurance strategy plan protection will often not replenish the policyholder's strategy when they get older, whereas most international programs will guarantee the ability to replenish the strategy for as long as the insurance policy holder wishes.
Calculating Premiums
Local and international wellness insurance strategy plan companies also generally have a different program for assessing and adjusting their rates every year. Most international family wellness insurance strategy plan protection are referred to as being 'community rated' meaning that when the strategy provider is reviewing their programs, they decide how much the next year's rates will cost based on the age of everyone on the strategy and the growth in healthcare inflation. Most regional plans will generally be 'experience rated' meaning that while they also take healthcare inflation into account, the majority of your premium will be calculated based on your statements history. This means that when you first take out the regional personal insurance strategy, it will likely be quite inexpensive as you haven't made any statements. Once the strategy comes up for renewal, the insurance provider will look at your statements history for the year and raise your rates accordingly.
While this highlights the biggest variations between regional and international personal plans, there are other variations such as the generally higher annual limits on benefits with international programs. While some programs may be similar, the exact protection of benefits will vary by insurance provider. It is important to make sure that as a insurance policy holder one understands what protection their strategy offers them, whether it is a regional or international policy.