Now Health WorldCare international health insurance for expats in Africa

WorldCare is Now Health International's flagship international plan, a four-step ladder with high annual limits, the same price levers on every level and an area option that specifically concerns Africa. IPMIAfrica explains how it works for members on the continent.

Four plans, one ladder

WorldCare is the top-tier international private medical insurance (IPMI) product from Now Health International, aimed at globally mobile individuals and families. Now Health also sells SimpleCare, a lower-cost product built around cover close to home; the two sit at opposite ends of the price range and are compared separately on our SimpleCare page.

The four WorldCare levels step up in both the annual maximum plan limit, the most the plan pays per person per year, and in what is included.

Exact benefit sub-limits are in the plan's Table of Benefits and can differ by the territory the plan is issued in.

What is covered as you climb

Inpatient and day-patient treatment is the core of every level. The ladder then adds:

• Out-patient care: consultations, diagnostics, physiotherapy and alternative therapies on Advance and above, with a limited option on Essential.
• Dental: routine and complex dental on Excel and Apex after a nine-month waiting period.
• Maternity: routine maternity on Apex after a twelve-month waiting period.
• Wellness, optical and vaccinations: an optional module on Advance and above.
• Extended evacuation and repatriation: listed as an option on every level.
• Menopause hormone replacement therapy: listed on all four levels.

Two options change the area of cover. USA elective treatment extends cover to planned treatment in the United States. An Africa restriction narrows the area. Both are chosen at quote and both change the premium, so decide where you actually expect to be treated before comparing prices.

Three price levers on every level

1. Annual deductible on inpatient and day-patient treatment, with a wide range of options up to US$15,000 for people who want the lowest possible premium.
2. Out-patient per-visit excess of US$15 or US$25 per visit, on Advance and above.
3. Out-patient co-insurance, where you pay 10% or 20% of each out-patient bill.

A high deductible is the biggest single saving, but only makes sense if you could comfortably absorb that amount in a bad year. The excess and co-insurance trim the premium more gently. Our cost guide for Africa explains how to pick a deductible you can live with.

Full medical underwriting, and what that means

Every individual WorldCare plan is fully medically underwritten. Now Health asks detailed medical-history questions once, at application, and states that you then know exactly what you are covered for. There is no moratorium option for individuals, which is a genuine difference from insurers that offer both routes. Other published points:

• If you are switching from another insurer, Now Health may offer continuous transfer terms or continued personal medical exclusions, carrying across the terms or exclusions your current insurer gave you.
• Company plans with fewer than ten employees are underwritten the same way; ten or more may be offered on a medical-history-disregarded basis.
• Now Health's service promise is to respond to an application that needs underwriting within two working days. That is a target, not an average.

If you have medical history, the exact terms you are offered matter more than the headline price. Our pre-existing conditions guide compares full medical underwriting with the alternatives.

Using WorldCare from Africa

WorldCare is the one plan on IPMIAfrica where the area options name Africa directly. The default area is worldwide, with USA elective treatment as an add-on and an Africa restriction as a way to narrow cover and lower the premium. For readers who live in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania or Mauritius, the obvious caution applies: ask exactly what the Africa restriction removes before selecting it, because a restriction that limits cover on the continent where you live is unlikely to be the right trade. Our guide to regional versus worldwide cover explains when narrowing an area is sensible and when it is a false economy.

Limits are published in US dollars. Who carries the risk depends on where the plan is issued: Now Health International administers WorldCare, and the carrier is Best Doctors Insurance Limited (Bermuda) for most rest-of-world plans, with Starr in the UK and Europe, AXA General Insurance in Hong Kong, Sompo in Singapore and Indonesia, and Arabia Insurance in the UAE. Ask which applies to you. On claims, Now Health commits to processing eligible pay-and-claim reimbursements within five working days and to placing guarantees of payment with hospitals for inpatient treatment within five working days; both are published service commitments, not averages. Documents, claims submission and tracking run through the online portfolio and smartphone app with provider search built in, support is 24/7 by phone, online chat and WhatsApp with a one-working-day response promise, and extras include a second medical opinion service, a global concierge service for treatment abroad covering appointments, guarantees of payment and medical-visa support, and a member assistance programme for confidential counselling.

Who WorldCare suits

WorldCare is a strong fit if you want high annual limits on a clear four-step ladder, you value published service standards for claims, pre-authorisation and underwriting turnaround, and you are comfortable with full medical underwriting or are transferring with terms you would like carried across.

It is worth comparing alternatives if price is the main driver, since WorldCare is a premium-tier product and Now Health's own SimpleCare sits at the other end of the range, if you would prefer a moratorium underwriting option, or if you need dental or maternity sooner than the nine-month and twelve-month waits allow. Browse all insurers we cover.

Frequently asked questions

This page is general information, not personal or medical advice, and is based on Now Health International's published WorldCare plan information and underwriting statement; exact terms, limits and underwriting are confirmed by the insurer at quote. Prices are indicative. Now Health International and WorldCare are trademarks of their respective owners.