International private medical insurance (IPMI) increasingly offers a very wide range of additional benefits which can help drive demand, increase usage and potentially reduce large treatment costs.
But maximising their value depends on ensuring engagement between insurers, advisers and members so that members can understand what the benefits are and how to best use them to support their health and wellbeing.
Maximising engagement over benefits can also help to manage customer expectations and give a pathway to ensuring that a customer’s coverage is appropriate for his or her stage of life – whether it be from starting their professional lives, creating a family or retiring.
But to do so means advisers and insurers need to go beyond a passive communication approach, and become more proactive, giving a more personalised approach to engage with their members.
Personalised approach
Insurers are typically charged with directing customers to plan services, but increasingly advisers are also doing so.
That approach can be via direct contact, whether through phone calls, webinars, or one-on-one sessions, to remind members of available benefits, provide support, and ensure they understand how to access care.
Such an approach is being used by Joe Cronin, president of International Citizens Insurance based in the US.
Cronin says: “In 2025, as brokers, we implemented a customer advocacy programme to enhance our service to all our clients.
“One of our primary objectives is to contact each client during the policy period to check in on them.
“Those communications will remind them to ensure they have taken advantage of all the benefits their plan offers, including health and wellness check-ups.”
Greater involvement
And its a similar strategy for Tyler Ogilvie vice president for international benefits at Penmore Financial Group based in Calgary, Canada.
Ogilvie says: “For us it really revolves around the consultant getting involved in the communication process.
“It is important to be able to add value outside of big meetings or plan renewals and member engagement is a great avenue for this.”
Another important strategy to improve member engagement, provide easier access to services, and promote health and wellness is the use of technology and digital platforms.
That can involve the use of digital tools, websites, social media, and apps to provide health information, promote services, and make healthcare more accessible to members.
Importance of health screenings
Nadia Jafar, CEO and founder of Bluestone of London points out that simply selling an IPMI policy isn’t enough as advisers must actively and regularly remind clients about their benefits, particularly health screenings, to ensure they are utilised effectively.
Jafar says: “Once you sell the policy, they roughly know, but they forget, so on a regular check-up, you need to let them know about their benefits and how to maximise them.”
“I like to check in with clients every quarter or six months to talk about the benefits and their needs, awareness of what they have, knowing what they have, how to use it, and whether the client uses it.”
Another important point for Jafar is the significant role of outpatient benefits and preventative health screenings in IPMI.
She stresses the value of preventative care and the need to balance utilisation with cost management.
“The biggest costs are driven by outpatient benefits, which are utilised the most scans such as GP visits, consultations, alternative therapies, as opposed to inpatient,” Jafar says.
“Health screening should be encouraged by all employers to utilise it, as it’s all about prevention; to find out about your health and ensure you are in a good place.
“Ultimately, all good global policies should have health screening.
“There is not one policy that I have recommended that does not have that.”
Mariana Ishchuk, global head of product management and innovation, health at Allianz Partners agrees about the importance of health screenings and says the insurer regularly notifies members about its services.
“To enhance engagement and ensure utilisation of benefits, we regularly remind customers about available services, such as preventive care checks, through our newsletters, website, and social media channels,” she says.
“Additionally, facilitating easy access to services is crucial, and our apps and digital tools play a significant role in this effort.
“Lumi, currently being rolled out in phases across our global portfolio, exemplifies this approach by offering services such as symptom checker, teleconsultation, medication delivery, and health insurance management, making healthcare more accessible and convenient for our customers.”
Manage costs
And health screenings can help members towards preventative check-ups and specialist consultations, especially in regions where direct specialist access is common.
Amber Musson-Thorp, group commercial director for Lifecare International based in Qatar says such a strategy can help to contain costs.
“We could use that to our advantage and as consultants and employers, push people to see particular specialists such as endocrinologists, dietetic consultants and cardiologists to catch and prevent common diseases before they are diagnosed,” she says.
“As healthcare consultants we are talking about these things on a daily basis and providing free health screens for our clients for exactly that reason.”
Tailored communication
Another aspect is how to best communicate with customers, as while mass communications by providers has its place, that strategy is not always as effective as when advisers take a more personal approach.
While insurers provide information, intermediaries can play a crucial role in ensuring clients actively engage with these communications and fully understand their plan benefits.
The approach shows the importance of advisers and consultants in bridging the gap between insurer communications and client understanding, especially in today’s information-saturated environment.
According to Kieran Brown, managing director UK at SIP Medical Family Office: “Insurers typically send out a lot of useful information, but like many mass emails, a lot of them just end up getting deleted.
“But intermediaries can add value by ensuring clients pay attention to these communications despite their busy lifestyles.”
Chris Beardshall, head of expatriate benefits solutions at WTW agrees that tailored communication is crucial.
And when it comes to expat executives, another point is the importance of frequent, tailored communication throughout the member journey to ensure expats understand and effectively utilise their international health insurance benefits.
Beardshall says: “It goes back to communication. It can be general, like a welcome email with app access, benefits, and contact numbers. However, tailored communication works best.
“Every client is different, and we work with them to align communication with their business strategy.
“Effective communication, at the right time and tone, is key.”
Beardshall emphasises there is a crucial role for both advisers and insurers and because expat medical insurance offers numerous benefits, frequent communication is essential.
“It’s about ensuring people have access to the right tools to improve services and understand what’s included and how to access those services,” he says.
“For the member journey, tailored communication about services, which will vary for each insurer and customer, is vital.”
The best way forward is for advisers or insurers to talk to policyholders before a critical period, so they know what to do if the worst happens.
Use of technology
But apart from health screens, costs for expats can also be better managed by guiding clients and using technology.
Beardshall highlights the need to balance cost control with meeting the needs of expat members, saying this involves guiding members towards effective care, utilising technology to facilitate access and manage costs, and ensuring preparedness for healthcare needs in unfamiliar settings.
“The focus here is on costs and expensive hospital groups,” he says.
“Insurers are focusing on directional care and case management to signpost effective healthcare treatments while controlling costs.
But Beardshall notes: “Expats are resilient. Understanding how to access care isn’t always their priority, but it should be.
“Effective communication and preparedness are essential. Before travelling, they need to know where to access treatment, their medical history, and ongoing claims.”
