June - July 2015

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BODY&MIND
91 Jun-Jul15
In The Know:
INSURANCE
Health insurance – it’s one of those grown-up
necessities that many of us don’t think about until we
need it or when it is too late! Living in a country as an
expat can make the process a little more complicated,
so we asked the experts at Bupa Global to answer
some commonly asked questions, to make it a little
bit easier.
I’m young and healthy, and I
don’t have a family yet; why
would I need insurance?
You probably don’t think twice when it
comes to paying a premium for insurance
on your car, right? Surely your health is
more important. You should start your
insurance when you are young and
healthy. We can take care of your all-
round health with a range of wellness
benefits and preventive treatments
included in our global health plans. If
you take out insurance when you’re older,
or you leave it until you actually need it,
the plan may exclude the sickness or
you may have to pay extra to get your
pre-existing sickness covered. And be
aware the premiums increase with age!
I travel a lot; if I take out
insurance with Bupa Global, will
I still need travel insurance?
A global health plan in general provides
a wider range of medical benefits with
higher benefit limits than that of a travel
insurance plan, so you can enjoy a
broader coverage continuously, all-year
round. With our global health plans,
you won’t need to worry about the cost
of medical attention you may receive
while abroad and we provide cover on
medical evacuation and repatriation as
well. However, if you’re concerned about
coverage associated with your trip, such
as personal belongings and trip delays,
you might want to have travel insurance
on top of your medical insurance, which
is quite common among some of our
customers who are frequent travellers.
We are new to Hong Kong, we
have one child already and we are
planning to have one more. What
sort of package should we look at?
You may want to consider a plan that
includes maternity benefits. Our Bupa
Global Elite Health Plan covers you up to
US$30,000 / HK$234,000 for maternity
benefits. Also, this family-friendly plan can
cover children under the age of 10 at no
extra cost (two per paying parent), and it
offers a premium discount when two or
more members join the plan together.
I’m into adventure sports; can
I still be covered under Bupa
Global plans? Is there anything
you don’t cover?
Yes, our global health plans provide
cover regardless of your profession or
the sport or leisure activities you enjoy
doing. We don’t believe past health
issues should stop you from enjoying
your future. That’s why, when you join
our global health plans, many pre-
existing conditions can be covered.
Any other tips to help me choose
the appropriate global health plan?
When looking for the right global health
plan, there are several areas you should
consider:
• Annual policy limits (Bupa Global
offers up to unlimited annual policy
limits)
• Geographic coverage – e.g., regional
versus global coverage, including the
US
• Coverage for other family members
(does the package includematernity?)
• Whether you’d be covered for pre-
existing, mental, hereditary, congenital
and chronic conditions
• Look for a packagedplan that includes
inpatient/outpatient and preventive
benefits that are straightforward and
hassle-free.
For more information on Bupa
Global’s health insurance
plans, visit
international-health-insurance. eL