Private Health Insurance For ExPats & World Travelers

France is currently ranked number four in the world as a destination for foreign students. With over 300,000 students coming each year, there are many systems in place to help streamline their immigration process. I have already discussed the online application for Etudes en France, but with a long list of requirements for the student visa, they also have other systems designed specifically for students. One of these is for healthcare, which is required from all international students. Many companies offer insurance policies that meet these specific needs. Sadly, a majority of these programs only apply to students under the age of 28. What are your options if you are above this age requirement? What if you are going with your partner/family? In this case you are more applicable for the healthcare policies meant for ExPats and World Travelers.

I began doing extensive research early on regarding what company and policy would be best for me and my partner. After looking at both the public and private healthcare options, we opted for private - narrowing it down to IMG and Cigna. If you too are in the market for this kind of health insurance, this chart from International Insurance was very helpful. I found myself referring to it more than any other resource:

Click for actual chart

We were looking for a fairly straightforward plan: full emergency coverage, wellness check-ups and prescription coverage. With no kids (nor plans to start a family) we were able to save on family and maternal care. We found a policy that felt like the right fit via Cigna - but with all these plans, there was a catch. 

You know how hot dogs and hot dog buns never come in the exact right quantity? How you always end up with too many hot dogs or not enough buns - that you always have to over buy something? Well, medical insurance felt that way too. These companies do not sell policies more than 30 days out - yet your visa interview is most likely more than 30 days out from your departure date. As a result you have to pay for time you are not in the foreign country to be able to provide proof of insurance in your visa application. HOWEVER this leads to ANOTHER dilemma. As the policy is only listed for one year, if you are staying for longer than a year your paperwork will not reflect that you have coverage for the entire duration of your stay. You will have to note and explain in your interview that the insurance automatically renews at the year mark. This drove me absolutely insane - with so many people living abroad why don't they change the policy (even though this way they clearly get more money from me)?

I will continue to give updates on how the policy works for us and if there are any hiccups along the way....STAY TUNED!