Now Health International WorldCare
Now Health International’s WorldCare plan has been updated following what the company says was its most comprehensive review since 2011. The key product changes fall into three areas and include:
1) A simple annual deductible
A new annual deductible structure replaces the previous per medical condition excess.
This approach aligns with industry best practice, and aims to make plans even easier for members to understand and to enable cost conscious customers to better tailor cover to their budget.
2) Increased benefit limits
Various core benefits have been enhanced, including diagnostic procedures, renal treatment, chronic conditions and routine maternity.
Diagnostic procedures: WorldCare Essential is now aligned with the other WorldCare plans to offer a full refund for in/day and out-patient diagnostic procedures, including MRI and PET scans.
Renal Treatment: All plans now offer a full refund for in-patient and pre/post-operative renal treatment. Following a market review, the benefit limit for out-patient renal treatment has also increased to $100,000 for WorldCare Advance, Excel and Apex.
Chronic Condition Maintenance: Full refund for the maintenance of chronic conditions applies to both WorldCare Advance and Excel.
Routine Maternity: Routine maternity benefit limit for WorldCare Apex has increased by over 16% to $17,500.
3) Added value services
New partnerships deliver a range of added value services across all four WorldCare plans and include:
Second Medical Opinion from Best Doctors Inc’s Interconsultation®, helping ensure members get the right diagnosis and the right treatment.
Crisis Management Service and health and safety alerts in conjunction with red24.
A Global Concierge Service team to support members seeking treatment overseas.
There are four cover levels – Essential, Advance, Excel and Apex, a choice of three currencies ($, £ and €) and separate plans targeted at residents of Singapore, Dubai, Mainland China and Indonesia.
Last year, a strategic global reinsurance partnership with Reinsurance Group of America (RGA) was announced, and this has enabled the company to offer sharper prices on select plans in certain markets it says.
Comment: Now Health International has introduced a number of changes to this plan (which we reviewed in 2012 and 2015). They focus on adding simplicity, improving benefits and making pricing more competitive. Add them up, together with the straightforward way benefits and options are set out, and the plan should appeal even more to brokers and to customers.
One area worth highlighting is the plans’ non-financial benefits. This includes a global concierge service and extended medical evacuation as well as the second medical opinion service. In addition, there’s a 24/7 hotline, access to crisis management consultants, travel safety alerts and a daily news service. Online help is also available and all such services can be invaluable to an expat away from home.
Plus points: A number of improvements across the product range; A significant level of non-financial benefits that may be invaluable to an expat.
Not so plus points: Maternity care only included in the top of the range Apex plan; Some maximum benefit levels apply and all plans have a maximum overall annual benefit; T&Cs run to 56 pages.
Website: http://www.now-health.com
Rating (max 10): Innovation: 8. Overall: 8. Gold
Tags: iPMI; Now Health International