Your questions,
clearly answered.

It is long-term medical cover for people who live, work or retire outside their home country. It pays for your care where you live and, depending on the plan you choose, in other countries too.

Unlike travel insurance, it is designed for your everyday life abroad: hospital stays, specialists, medicines, check-ups and, if you choose it, dental, optical or maternity care.

• Local insurance usually covers you in one country only, often with a limited choice of hospitals.
• Travel insurance covers emergencies during a trip, for a limited time. It is not made for living abroad.
• International health insurance covers you where you live, follows you if you move, and gives you access to private hospitals in your area of cover.

Our Health Insurance page compares the three side by side.

It depends on where you live and on what your current cover includes. Many expats keep local cover and add an international plan for private hospitals, evacuation or care outside the country. Others replace their local plan completely.

Tell us what you have today: we check the gaps with you, for free.

Be Protected Abroad (BPA) is an independent international insurance advisor, part of Be Protected Global Pte. Ltd. in Singapore. We are not an insurer: we compare plans from 20+ international insurers and help you choose, apply and use your cover.

No. Our advice is free: you pay the same premium as you would going directly to the insurer.

Answer a few questions about you, your family, where you live and the level of care you want. You receive a personalised comparison by e-mail, in minutes: several plans side by side, sorted by price, with the one we recommend highlighted.

Only the basics: date of birth of each person to insure, nationality, country of residence, desired start date and the level of cover you are looking for. No documents are needed for a quote.

• Age of each insured person.
• Country of residence: even with a worldwide area of cover, where you live changes the price.
• Area of cover: including the USA increases the premium.
• Level of cover: hospital only, hospital and outpatient, or more complete plans.
• Deductible and co-payment: sharing part of the costs lowers the premium.

The most effective levers are a deductible (the amount you pay before the insurer pays), a co-payment on outpatient care, an area of cover that excludes the USA, and choosing only the options you really need. Your advisor shows you the effect of each choice on the price.

No. A quote is free and without obligation. It is valid for 14 days. The final premium is confirmed by the insurer after your application and, if required, your health questionnaire.

Our quotes are shown in US dollars, the reference currency of most international plans. Your advisor can tell you which payment currencies the insurer accepts.

Every plan covers hospital care: room, surgery, intensive care, tests, medicines and cancer treatment, up to the limits of the plan. Most plans also include medical evacuation.

Depending on the plan and the options you choose, you can add outpatient care (GP, specialists, prescriptions, scans), dental, optical, check-ups and maternity.

Inpatient care is treatment that needs a hospital admission, usually overnight. Outpatient care is everything else: doctor and specialist visits, prescribed medicines, lab tests and scans without staying in hospital.

Most international plans include emergency medical evacuation to the nearest suitable hospital when the right treatment is not available locally. Limits and conditions vary by plan: they are shown on your quote and in the policy documents.

Only on some plans, and usually after a waiting period from the start of the policy. If you are planning a family, tell your advisor before you choose: maternity usually cannot be added once you are pregnant.

They are included on the more complete plans or available as options, with annual limits. Routine dental care and glasses are rarely covered on hospital-only plans.

Only if your area of cover includes it. Healthcare in the USA is very expensive, so plans that include it cost noticeably more. If you rarely go there, an area of cover excluding the USA is usually the better choice.

It depends on the plan and on your area of cover. Some plans cover your home country fully, others with limits. Check this with your advisor if you spend time there regularly.

Each policy has its own exclusions. Common ones are pre-existing conditions (on some plans), cosmetic treatment, and treatment not considered medically necessary. Your advisor gives you the policy wording before you apply, so there are no surprises.

Often, yes. There are two approaches:

• Plans with a health questionnaire: the insurer reviews your answers and may cover the condition, exclude it, or apply an extra premium.
• Plans with no medical questions: quick to join, but pre-existing conditions are excluded.

Your advisor helps you choose the approach that suits your situation.

It depends on the plan. Some insurers ask for a health questionnaire, others do not. Always answer it honestly and completely: an undeclared condition can lead to a refused claim.

Each insurer sets a maximum age to join, and some accept new members until a later age than others. Once you are insured, your plan can usually be renewed each year. Ask your advisor about the options for your age.

Yes, this is one of the main advantages of an international plan. Tell your insurer about the move: your premium may change with your new country of residence, and your area of cover must include it.

International plans are made for people who live, or are about to live, outside their home country. If you are preparing a move, you can usually arrange your cover in advance so that it starts on your arrival.

Yes. Add them to your quote request and we compare the options for the whole family. Each person is priced according to their age.

It depends on the insurer: children are usually covered on their parents' plan until early adulthood, and longer on some plans if they are students. Your advisor confirms the rule for each plan.

Contact us as soon as the baby is born: newborns are usually added more easily when the insurer is told quickly, sometimes without medical questions. The exact conditions depend on the plan.

For a planned stay, contact your insurer before admission to get a pre-authorisation. In many hospitals, the insurer then pays the bill directly, so you do not have to advance the costs.

Usually, you pay the clinic and send your receipts and medical documents to the insurer, often through its app. The refund goes to your bank account according to your plan.

Go to the nearest emergency service, then call the 24/7 assistance number shown in your policy documents as soon as possible. They guide you to the right hospital and organise an evacuation if needed.

In most cases, yes: international plans give you a wide choice of hospitals and doctors within your area of cover. Some insurers have a network of hospitals where they pay directly.

Yes. We stay your contact after you sign up: if a claim is unclear or delayed, we help you understand the next steps with the insurer.

Premiums are paid annually, and some insurers also accept quarterly payments, sometimes with a small surcharge. Your advisor tells you the options for your plan.

Your plan renews each year. The premium can change, mainly with your age and the insurer's yearly price review. We review your cover with you, so it keeps fitting your life.

Usually at renewal. Moving to a lower level is simple; moving to a higher level may require new medical questions. Talk to your advisor before your renewal date.

Insurers generally allow you to cancel within a short period after purchase and receive a refund, as long as no claim has been made. After that, the conditions of your policy apply. Your advisor confirms the exact terms of your plan.

Yes. International life cover pays a lump sum to your loved ones, up to US$350,000, wherever you live. New applications are accepted from age 18 to 65. See our Life Insurance page.

Yes. We build group health and protection plans for small and growing international teams, with a tailor-made proposal from 20+ insurers. See our Company & SME page.

You can choose on your own, or talk it through with a BPA advisor: we answer your questions, compare the options with you and help you complete your application. There is no obligation.

Message us on WhatsApp, write to us through the contact page, or reply to your quote e-mail. A real person answers.

We use your information to prepare your quote, advise you and, when you decide to apply, to set up your policy with the insurer.