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Allianz Care vs IMG Global (GPMI) for expats in the Gulf and Europe
Allianz Care and IMG Global are the two most underwriting-flexible insurers on the market, but they flex in different directions: Allianz for individuals choosing a basis, IMG for groups and for modular cover. IPMIEMEA compares them for expats in the Gulf and Europe.
- Allianz's moratorium carries a 24-month waiting period on pre-existing conditions; IMG also offers moratorium, FMU and CPME to individuals.
- IMG's Medical History Disregarded basis applies only to company or group schemes that meet a minimum number of lives.
- Allianz pays 80% of inpatient and 50% of other eligible benefits if required pre-authorisation is missed; emergencies need 48-hour notice.
- IMG pre-authorises planned inpatient treatment five working days ahead, then issues a Guarantee of Payment and settles directly.
- Neither insurer describes a Europe-only area; IMG's area options and currency are confirmed at quote rather than published.
At a glance
| Allianz Care | IMG Global (GPMI) | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan structure | Care Base / Enhanced / Signature + modules | Bronze / Bronze Plus / Silver / Gold / Platinum |
| Dental and maternity | Optional out-patient and dental modules at the core level | Optional dental (6-month wait) and maternity (10-month wait) |
| Underwriting | FMU / Moratorium (24 months) / CPME / switch | FMU / Moratorium / CPME / MHD (groups) |
| Claims | Pre-auth for inpatient (80/50 if missed); MyHealth app | Guarantee of Payment direct billing; pre-auth 5 working days ahead |
| Emergencies | Notify within 48 hours of admission | Pre-authorisation number quoted on follow-up |
| Servicing | MyHealth app + 24/7 multilingual helpline | MyIMG / MyALC portal + 24-hour helpline and WhatsApp |
| Stands out for | Individual underwriting choice and global brand | Modular cover and group MHD |
Where each one wins
Both are international private medical insurance (IPMI) plans built for people living outside their home country, and both are unusually flexible on medical history. The difference is where the flexibility sits.
Allianz wins on individual underwriting choice and brand. A person with medical history can pick full medical underwriting (20 health questions and certainty from day one), moratorium (no questions, with a 24-month waiting period on pre-existing conditions), or CPME and switch terms when moving from another insurer, provided switch terms are properly maintained. Behind that sits one of the largest insurers in the world and a tidy structure: three core levels, with out-patient and dental modules that must match the core level you choose.
IMG wins on modularity and group cover. Global Prima's five tiers carry the medical core, and dental (six-month wait, accidents covered immediately) and routine maternity (ten-month wait) are bolt-ons you add only if you need them. For individuals IMG also offers full medical underwriting, moratorium and CPME, and may offer an alternative route if it cannot provide the one you applied for. For company or group schemes that meet a minimum number of lives, which varies by insurer, its Medical History Disregarded basis sets members' history aside entirely, so pre-existing conditions are not excluded.
The claims processes are both pre-authorisation led but differ in detail. Allianz requires pre-authorisation for inpatient and high-cost treatment, pays 80% of inpatient and 50% of other eligible benefits if it is missed, needs emergencies reported within 48 hours, and handles out-patient and dental claims through the MyHealth app with invoices due within 60 days of discharge. IMG asks for planned inpatient treatment to be pre-authorised no later than five working days before admission, then issues a Guarantee of Payment and settles directly with the hospital, with servicing through the MyIMG / MyALC portal, a 24-hour helpline and WhatsApp. The full profiles are at Allianz Care and IMG Global.
Allianz or IMG from the Gulf or Europe
Allianz publishes worldwide and worldwide-excluding-USA areas, both of which include every IPMIEMEA country, with the plan currency confirmed at quote. IMG's area options and currency are also confirmed at quote rather than published in the material behind this page. Neither insurer describes a Europe-only area, so a resident of Spain, Portugal or Germany should expect a worldwide-excluding-USA plan from either and read our guide to Europe regional versus worldwide cover before deciding whether that is the right shape.
The sharper difference is who is buying. Residents of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain generally need a locally compliant policy, usually arranged by the employer, with an international plan bought on top or by people the local scheme does not cover; check the current rule and read our guide to mandatory Gulf health insurance and top-up cover. For an individual Gulf expat with history who wants a plan that will follow them home to the United Kingdom, Allianz's menu of bases is the more useful tool. For a regional employer insuring staff across the Gulf and Europe, IMG's Medical History Disregarded route is often the deciding factor, if the scheme meets the minimum number of lives. For a healthy individual who simply wants a lean hospital plan, IMG's ability to leave dental and maternity off and Allianz's ability to leave out-patient and dental modules off lead to a similar place, and price decides. Our guide to pre-existing conditions explains the underwriting terms both insurers use.
Which should you choose?
Choose Allianz Care if…
You are an individual or family with medical history who wants to choose between full medical underwriting, moratorium and switch terms, you like a clean core plan with out-patient and dental modules at the same level, and you want a global insurer's name behind the policy.
Choose IMG Global if…
You want modular cover where dental and maternity are added only if needed, or you are arranging company or group cover where Medical History Disregarded can set members' medical history aside, subject to a minimum number of lives.
Read the full breakdowns: Allianz Care guide · IMG Global (GPMI) guide.
Do not guess between the two
Nomi compares Allianz, IMG and the rest of the market in one conversation, ranked on price and explained in plain English.
FAQ
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General information, not personal or medical advice. Based on each insurer’s plan documentation; exact terms, limits and underwriting are confirmed at quote. Prices are indicative. Allianz and IMG names and logos are the property of their respective owners.