Short trips · emergency-focused · trip cancellation/interruption · evacuation home · typically time-limited.
Expat Health Insurance · Updated for 2026
Health insurance for expats moving abroad: what families should compare first.
One of the highest-stakes decisions before relocating, and one of the most confusing. This is an educational guide to comparing your options, not a recommendation of any single provider.
Why regular travel insurance may not be enough
Travel insurance is built for trips: a few weeks away, then home. Once you’re relocating, the questions change: routine care, ongoing prescriptions, having a baby, managing a chronic condition, raising kids in a new healthcare system, and understanding what happens if you need care outside your destination country.
Living abroad · inpatient + outpatient options · maternity options · renewable plans · destination/network planning.
First: decide what problem you are solving
Families usually need one of three things. Do not compare plans until you know which one you are buying for.
Short-term travel medical while you leave the US, scout, or bridge into a longer policy.
Simple global medical coverage for mobile adults and remote workers. Often easier to start, but limits matter.
More comprehensive coverage for living abroad with kids, routine care, specialists, and possible maternity/pediatric needs.
In some countries, paying locally for routine care plus carrying a higher-deductible international plan can make sense.
What families should compare
Hospital stays, surgery, serious illness.
Doctor visits, tests, prescriptions.
Transport to adequate care or home.
Pregnancy, newborn, routine child care, vaccines.
What is covered, excluded, waited out, or underwritten.
Whether your destination doctors/hospitals are in-network.
What you pay before coverage starts and where caps apply.
Whether coverage can renew if your health changes.
Providers families often compare
These are not ranked. They solve different problems. Read the notes, then verify the current policy terms directly with each provider.
Cigna Global
PREMIUM EXPAT HEALTHCigna Global is the premium comparison point for families who expect to live abroad long-term and want a configurable international health plan rather than short-trip travel insurance.
Read comparison notes →Official site ↗SafetyWing
NOMADS / REMOTE WORKERSSafetyWing is built around nomads and remote workers. It is easier to start than traditional expat insurance, but families should read the limitations carefully before relying on it as a long-term health plan.
Read comparison notes →Official site ↗Genki
NOMAD HEALTH / TRAVELGenki is a useful comparison point in the nomad insurance category. It may fit mobile adults better than families who need robust routine care, maternity, or pediatric planning.
Read comparison notes →Official site ↗IMG Global
TRAVEL MEDICAL / EXPATIMG has a broad catalog of travel medical and global medical products. That breadth is useful, but it also means families need to be precise about which plan they are evaluating.
Read comparison notes →Official site ↗BCBS Global Solutions / GeoBlue
US TRAVELERS / EXPATSGeoBlue has been folded into the broader Blue Cross Blue Shield Global Solutions positioning. It remains a strong research path for US-based families comparing international medical coverage.
Read comparison notes →Official site ↗World Nomads
TRAVEL INSURANCEWorld Nomads is travel insurance. It can be useful for the move itself or a defined travel period, but it should not be confused with comprehensive international health insurance for living abroad.
Read comparison notes →Official site ↗Recommended research path
- Write down your destination, trip length, citizenship/residency, family size, and must-cover medical needs.
- Separate travel/transition coverage from long-term expat health insurance.
- Shortlist 2–3 providers that fit the use case, not the cheapest headline price.
- Read the policy wording for exclusions, pre-existing conditions, maternity, pediatric care, evacuation, deductibles, and annual maximums.
- Ask the provider how claims work in your destination hospitals before buying.
Educational disclaimer. This page is general information only and is not insurance, legal, tax, or medical advice. Some links may be affiliate links; see our affiliate disclosure.