AXA PPP International The Islands Health Plan
The Islands Health Plan is AXA PPP International’s international private medical insurance (iPMI) policy for those who live or work in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man. It is available to individuals and to SMEs (essentially, schemes with fewer than 150 members - above that a bespoke scheme is the preferred route).
Four versions of the plan are available – Core, Classic, Premier and Ultimate.
• Core pays for surgery and hospital charges; parental accommodation; brain and body scans and includes cancer cover. There is a choice of hospitals and the plan also includes ambulance transport and transportation benefits.
• Classic adds outpatient consultations, complementary practitioner and physiotherapy cover, out of Europe cover (for up to eight weeks), cash benefit and enhanced cancer cover.
• Premier and Ultimate, both offer the same benefits, with some benefits under Ultimate being higher or unlimited. These two options add GP charges; psychiatric treatment; enhanced cancer cover; maternity cash benefit; cover for accidental damage to teeth; non-routine dental treatment, and optical cover. Cover for GP fees can be up to £500 a year or unlimited.
Every version of the plan covers treatment in facilities in the islands and also in/daypatient care in hospitals across Europe, giving customers choice over where to go for treatment. However, the transportation benefit (which pays to fly there and back) only applies if the required treatment is not available locally.
Customers also get access to a 24 hour helpline, the MyGlobe online resource and expert case management for serious diagnoses.
Comment: The international PMI market is increasingly segmenting its markets by developing geography specific solutions and this plan is AXA PPP’s solutions for those living and working in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
A key need is being able to have treatment in a mainland facility (or on one of the other islands) if that treatment cannot or perhaps should not be supplied locally. This plan includes that, and it’s available if the patient chooses it (i.e. that is not dictated by AXA PPP), although transportation benefit only applies if the treatment is not available locally.
There are four versions of the plan, although no other options such as excess or co-payment. None of the four versions has an overall maximum annual benefit, which provides comfort in those very rare circumstances when otherwise benefits stop at just the time they may be needed most.
The single brochure covers both individuals and SMEs and usefully sets out the differences in benefit levels between the four plan versions.
Plus points: Benefits to complement the healthcare system in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man; Choice of just four benefit levels from budget to maximum cover; No annual maximum overall benefit.
Not so plus points: Chronic conditions are excluded; Treatment outside Europe is excluded; Some customers may prefer more options e.g. to add an excess or co-payment.
Website: www. http://www.axapppinternational.com.
Rating (max 10): Innovation: 8. Overall: 8. Gold
Tags: AXA PPP International; iPMI