International health insurance
Expat Insurance: Health Coverage for Living Abroad
Expat insurance usually means long-term international health coverage for people living outside their home country. It replaces the health plan you had at home, renews each year, and can be tailored by plan level, deductible, and whether you need coverage in the U.S. Expats should also review evacuation, life, and property coverage.
Blake Insurance Group is an independent agency serving clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed; coverage depends on the insurer, the policy, and underwriting.
Request expat insurance quotes
Tell us what you would like to cover, and a licensed agent will follow up with options available to us. Submitting the form does not bind coverage.
If the form does not load, call 888-387-3687, Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 5:00, or email info@blakeinsurancegroup.com.
Health insurance for expats
Long-term international plans are designed for expats. You pick a plan level, a coverage area, a deductible, and optional benefits. Coverage is underwritten, so the insurer reviews your health history and may accept, rate, or decline the application, and pre-existing conditions are often covered after a waiting period.
BCBS Global Solutions’ long-term plans are for people who live outside their home country at least three months a year. Its plan page lists Worldwide Premier for individuals and families, Worldwide Education for students and teachers, Worldwide Crew for maritime crews, and Worldwide Non-Profit for mission, volunteer, and humanitarian workers. Coverage is underwritten, so an application can be accepted, accepted at a higher rate, or declined, and plans without U.S. coverage are also available.
Pre-existing condition waiting periods apply: up to six months on Worldwide Premier without prior coverage, and 12 months on the Crew, Education, and Non-Profit plans, reduced month for month by prior coverage.
Another example: Cigna Global
| Plan level | Annual maximum per person |
|---|---|
| Close Care | $500,000 |
| Silver | $1,000,000 |
| Gold | $2,000,000 |
| Platinum | Paid in full |
Source: Cigna Global benefits page, October 2026. Deductible options run from $0 to $10,000, with 0% to 30% cost share. The customer guide controls.
On Cigna Global, Silver has no routine maternity cover, while Gold and Platinum include it after 12 months of cover, so families planning children should compare levels carefully.
Do you need U.S. coverage?
If you will return to the U.S. for care or visit often, consider a plan that includes the U.S., which costs more. If not, plans that exclude the U.S. may include limited emergency coverage for short visits. Americans 65 and older should note that Medicare generally doesn’t pay abroad, so an international plan is often needed for care where they live.
Original Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States. Medicare.gov lists three narrow exceptions for foreign hospital care: an emergency that happens in the U.S. when a foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat you; an emergency while driving the most direct route between Alaska and another state through Canada; and living in the U.S. when a foreign hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your condition.
Medicare Part D drug plans do not cover prescriptions you buy outside the U.S. On a cruise ship, Part B may pay for medically necessary care only if the ship is in a U.S. port or no more than six hours from one when you get care.
Some Medigap plans add a foreign travel emergency benefit. Plans C, D, F, G, M, and N pay 80% of billed charges for medically necessary emergency care that begins in the first 60 days of a trip, after a $250 yearly deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime limit. Plans C and F are available only to people eligible for Medicare before 2020. Some Medicare Advantage plans cover emergencies abroad, but not all do, so check your plan's evidence of coverage for the words “foreign” or “worldwide.”
Local public and private options
Some countries require or allow foreign residents to join a public system or buy local insurance. Local plans can cost less but may not cover care outside the country or evacuation. In Mexico, for example, IMSS offers a voluntary family health insurance program for people without social security coverage, which excludes pre-existing conditions; see our Mexico health insurance guide.
Evacuation and repatriation
If you live far from major hospitals, check whether your plan includes evacuation, and where it would take you. Repatriation of remains is also worth confirming.
The U.S. Department of State says the U.S. government does not pay medical costs for citizens traveling abroad, and that Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for medical care outside the United States. It recommends asking your U.S. health insurer what it covers overseas, buying travel health insurance if it does not, and buying medical evacuation insurance for trips to higher-risk areas or places with limited medical care.
The department also notes that trip cancellation insurance usually does not pay for medical costs abroad, and that some travel medical policies pay hospitals directly instead of reimbursing you later.
Other coverage expats should review
- Life insurance: ask your life insurer whether moving abroad affects your policy or future applications.
- Property: ask whether your U.S. homeowners or renters policy covers belongings or property abroad; you may need local coverage.
- Auto: driving abroad usually requires local auto insurance, as in Mexico, where U.S. policies aren’t recognized for liability.
- Disability and income protection: check whether existing coverage continues if you work abroad.
Existing conditions when you move
Most travel policies exclude pre-existing conditions unless you qualify for a waiver. Squaremouth’s October 2026 guidance says a waiver typically requires buying within 14 to 21 days of your first trip payment, insuring the full trip cost, and being medically able to travel when you buy. Insurers usually look back 60 to 180 days before the purchase date to decide what counts as pre-existing.
Travel medical plans differ. BCBS Global Solutions’ Single Trip Platinum covers pre-existing conditions for U.S. residents who keep a qualifying primary health plan, while its Single Trip Gold plan does not.
Long-term plans use waiting periods instead of trip-style waivers, so apply well before you move if you have ongoing conditions.
Before you move
- Get your international plan approved before you cancel U.S. coverage.
- Check your visa’s insurance requirements.
- Collect medical records and prescriptions by generic name.
- Learn which local hospitals bill your insurer directly.
- Set reminders for renewals and premium payments.
Checking a plan and insurer
- Who issues the plan. Find the insurer’s legal name on the quote, not just the brand or website.
- License. Confirm the insurer and agent are licensed in your state through your state insurance department or the NAIC’s company and producer searches.
- Pre-approval rules. Ask whether you must call the assistance line before treatment or evacuation, since some plans reduce or deny benefits if you don’t.
- Direct billing. Ask whether the plan can pay hospitals directly or whether you pay first and file a claim.
- Exclusions. Read the exclusions for pre-existing conditions, hazardous activities, alcohol, and travel to countries under government warnings.
What an independent agency does
An independent insurance agency is licensed to sell policies from several insurance companies. Instead of quoting one company's products, an independent agent can compare options from the insurers the agency represents, explain the differences in coverage, and help you re-shop at renewal. The insurance company, not the agent, makes underwriting and claim decisions.
Blake Insurance Group is an independent agency. We work with clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed, and we will tell you which insurers we can quote for your situation.
How we work
Blake Insurance Group serves clients by phone, email, and online in states where we are licensed. The insurers and plans we can offer depend on our appointments and your location; a company named on this page may not be available through us.
How to verify an insurer or agency
Before buying through any website or app, confirm who is selling you the policy and who will issue it:
- Find the licensed agency or insurer named in the site's footer, terms, or license page.
- Look up the agency or producer on your state insurance department's license search, or through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).
- Look up the insurer on your state insurance department's company search to confirm it is authorized in your state.
- Save the insurer's name and policy number once issued, since that is who handles claims.
A legitimate service will make this information easy to find. Be cautious if you cannot identify the licensed entity.
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against the sources below in October 2026. Plans, prices, and rules change, so confirm current terms before you buy.
- BCBS Global Solutions: Long-term plans for living abroad
- Cigna Global: Plans and benefits
- Medicare.gov: Travel outside the U.S.
- AARP: Does Medicare cover me outside the U.S.?
- U.S. Department of State: Insurance coverage overseas
- IMSS: Seguro de Salud para la Familia
- AAA Mountain West Group: Mexico auto insurance FAQ
- Squaremouth: What is a pre-existing conditions exclusion waiver?
- BCBS Global Solutions: Single Trip plans
What to have ready for an expat insurance quote
These details help an agent quote accurately.
- Traveler details. Names, dates of birth, and citizenship.
- Where you will live. Country of residence and how long you will stay.
- U.S. coverage needs. Whether you need coverage during visits home.
- Health history. Long-term plans are medically underwritten.
- Budget. Preferred deductible and annual maximum.
Expat insurance FAQs
What is expat insurance?
Usually long-term international health insurance for people living abroad, plus other coverage such as evacuation and life insurance.
Do expats need health insurance?
Usually, yes. Home-country plans and Medicare generally don’t cover ongoing care abroad, and some visas require coverage.
Can I keep my U.S. health plan abroad?
Most U.S. plans cover little abroad. Check your plan’s international terms before you move.
Are pre-existing conditions covered for expats?
Often after a waiting period. BCBS Global Solutions’ Worldwide Premier, for example, applies up to six months without prior coverage.
Related guides
Partner quote options
Sponsored
Blake Insurance Group works with the partners below. Each link opens the partner's own website, where its terms, eligibility rules, and privacy policy apply. Blake Insurance Group may be compensated if you buy through these links.
- BCBS Global Solutions (formerly GeoBlue): Travel medical plans for trips abroad and international health plans for people living, working, or studying outside their home country.
Important information
Compensation. Links in the partner section of this page are sponsored, and Blake Insurance Group may be paid if you make a purchase. Sponsored placement does not affect the other information on this page.
Independent agency. Blake Insurance Group LLC is an independent insurance agency. Licensed insurance producer NPN 16117464. Licensed states: AZ, AL, TX, CA, NY, OH, FL, NC, VA, GA, OK, NM, IA, KS, MI, NE, SC, SD, WV, IL, NJ, PA, TN, and WA. Which insurance companies we can quote depends on our current appointments, the product, and your state. Mentioning a company on this page does not mean we represent it.
Plan details. Plan features and figures on this page were checked against the listed sources in October 2026 and can change. Confirm current terms in the plan documents before you buy.
Coverage terms. Descriptions are general. The policy contract controls what is covered.
Availability. Coverage, prices, and eligibility vary by company, state, and applicant, and are subject to underwriting. The issued policy controls.
Your next step
Request a quote, and a licensed agent will compare options available to us for your trip or situation.
