ALC Health’s Lauren Kingston has achieved a fantastic 8th place in the Mountain & Moorland Ridden Fell/Dales Pony of the Year competition at this year’s Horse of the Year competition at the NEC in Birmingham which show cases some of Britain’s finest native breeds. Texting back to the office this morning after her amazing performance, Lauren commented,“We were 8th.. He was amazing.. I’m so proud of him!!”.
An amazing result for Lauren and her horse and very well deserved. Next year……….
The NatWest International Personal Banking Quality of Life Report is a global study of British expatriates’ opinion and attitudes to living abroad. The Report, now in its sixth year, examines attitudes to lifestyle, employment and financial status and is conducted in conjunction with the Centre of Future Studies among 1,800 British expats.
Find out more here >
Around half of expats probably do not have sufficient international private medical insurance and risk the prospect of incurring heavy costs if they become ill or suffer a serious accident.
Industry data shows the percentage of expats who hold international private medical insurance standing at around the 50% mark.
Although international private medical insurance provides real peace of mind for those concerned about long term or chronic illnesses which may strike, this kind of insurance is equally relevant for helping expats who may have been injured in a car accident or who might be struck down with an unexpected illness.
More often than not, the cost of a course of medical treatment is unknown. International medical insurance premiums vary enormously and reflect medical costs. They are made up of many elements, not just the cost of the drugs, treatments and the wage of the specialist, local surgeon or doctor. It is also a fact that medical inflation tends to run at higher levels that normal consumer inflation, and inevitably, the cost of carrying out a procedure will be reflected in the premium rates.
As the party conference season gets underway, the NHS – and how to pay for healthcare – will be in the political headlines again reports the Health Insurance & protection Daily
Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told the Liberal Democrat conference that he would fight to ring-fence the NHS budget against any other public spending cuts. And ahead of its own conference, UKIP has unveiled its own proposals for saving the NHS budget – compulsory medical insurance for migrants who do not qualify for free care on the health service.
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Road accidents are one of the major risks for expats abroad and significantly impact on general expat health, being one of the top five causes of medical evacuations. According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) study, 1.24 million people were killed on the world’s roads in 2010 writes Bryony Ashcroft
The Global status report on road safety 2013 presents information on road safety in 182 countries, accounting for 99% of the world’s population. Road accidents are the leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29 globally.
Middle-income countries have been hardest hit by rising road traffic accidents, these are emerging nations such as the BRICs and several Asian countries.
In these developing countries rapid access to healthcare can be a challenge. Something expats need to consider when choosing an international health insurance policy is whether they have medical evacuation included.
The study found only 28 countries, equating to 7 percent of the global population, have laws on five key risk factors: drink-driving, speeding, use of crash helmets, seatbelts and child restraints. However, enforcement of these rules, even in countries with existing legislation, is inadequate.
Health insurance for expatriates is a complicated industry, one which is constantly shifting. In Europe the impact of the economic crisis on health services has meant several countries have restricted access to expats and business travellers.
This comes at a time when business travel is increasing, despite persistent financial woes across much of the developed world. According to data from Euromonitor International, business travel has been steadily increasing to 212 million international arrivals in 2012.
With this increase in business travel, the constantly changing landscape of international health insurance and many countries tightening healthcare rules for expats, companies need to ensure they provide emergency evacuation coverage as part of their employee medical insurance package.
Reproduced with kind permission of expathealth.org
One of the benefits of expat life is improved weather, especially for northern Europeans. We all know a little sunshine is good for us, and even recommended. However, many people are still unaware of the risks they are taking in the sun writes Bryony Ashcroft
A recent survey shows that while many Europeans have traditionally fair skin, nearly half (48%) think their skin is darker than it is in reality. This could mean people don’t appreciate the damage they are doing when exposing their skin to the sun, especially in countries where it tends to be stronger.
With public awareness of skin cancer at an all time high, why are skin cancer rates still growing? One reason may be related to how we see our skin, thinking it’s darker than it is causes us to stay in the sun longer than we should.
The survey also discovered the desire for a tan is increasing, with 62 percent of people questioned revealing they think a tan is attractive, up from 56 percent five years ago. Over three quarters (80%) of us never check for signs of skin cancer, with a shocking 69 percent admitting they didn’t know what to look for.
Many of us have dark patches or raised moles on our skin, while these usually remain harmless it is important to recognise any changes.
Cancer Research UK recommends checking moles following the ABCD rule. If you notice any of these signs then see your doctor:
You should also look out for a new growth or sore that won’t heal; a spot, mole or sore that itches or hurts; and a mole or growth that bleeds, crusts or scabs.
Reproduced by kind permission of expathealth.org
When moving abroad expats are confronted with all manner of things, one of which is ensuring they have some form of health insurance. For expatriate workers companies will often provide benefits, including international health insurance.
Employee Benefits has compiled some important information concerning common health benefits offered to expats to give you an idea of what to expect. The recent survey of 376 HR and benefits professionals revealed the most frequently offered health benefit is private medical insurance (PMI), offered in 33% of cases.
The research also discovered that international employees are often offered life assurance/death in service benefits too (28%), as well as PMI for employees’ dependants (27%) and employee assistance programmes (22%).
Employee benefits organised the survey so that the overall use of expatriate healthcare benefits was reviewed across the entire sample of respondents. This is displayed in the table below, taken from Employee Benefits’ original report.
Referring to PMI’s position as the primary health benefit for expats, this comes as no surprise because many countries do not have an equivalent to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), and so expats require comprehensive insurance to cover any medical bills.
In addition, the survey compared this year’s results with those gathered in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Between 2011 and 2012, the percentage of respondents offering PMI for expat employees dropped from 83% to 70%, having increased from 76% to 83% between 2010 and 2011. Furthermore, the number of companies with no offer of health benefits doubled between 2011 and 2012 from 6% to 12%, but this percentage has fallen to 9% over the course of the past year.
The comparison conveys a considerable change, with more companies reducing the benefits they do offer, possibly in order to adapt to the current economic situation. Further illustrated by the survey, which found 78% of companies say cost is a factor in which benefits they buy or continue to offer to employees abroad.
An important point worth noting is that expatriate PMI will allow those expats who are not offered the level of medical service overseas they are used to receiving at home to seek care in other countries or return home for treatment.
In light of the research, it is positive to see the variety of health benefits frequently offered to overseas employees. Currently, with many countries cutting or restricting expat access to healthcare, companies are under more pressure to provide expat health benefits to ensure that their foreign workforce is fully covered. Cutting out benefits entirely is not really an option if an organisation wishes to remain an attractive employer and to be seen as providing duty of care.
Reproduced by kind permission of expathealth.org
We’re at the peak of summer, which means one thing for many of us: relaxing trips to the beach. But as carefree as a day or vacation at the beach might be, it’s still important to take extra safety precautions to ensure a fun time throughout your entire stay writes the healthytravelblog.com
Decrease your chances of summer risks that range from water-related injuries to melanoma. Here’s how to protect yourself and your loved ones from danger at the beach:
The healthy thinkers at Purple Parking, a company that provides airport parking services in the UK, have created this visual guide to help you eat healthily at the airport. It’s perfect for frequent fliers who travel for business or pleasure.
Reproduced by kind permission of the healthytravelblog.com
