IMG Global (GPMI) health insurance for expats in the Gulf and Europe

IMG's Global Primary Medical Insurance, sold as Global Prima, is a modular plan with five core tiers and optional dental and maternity, plus one of the widest sets of underwriting routes on the market. IPMIEMEA explains the plan for expats in the Gulf and Europe.

Five tiers and two optional add-ons

Global Primary Medical Insurance (GPMI), marketed as Global Prima, is the single international private medical insurance (IPMI) plan that came out of IMG and ALC Health being brought together. You choose one of five tiers for the core medical cover and then decide whether to add dental and routine maternity, each at an extra premium.

• Dental is optional on all plans, with a six-month waiting period. Accidental damage to teeth is covered immediately.
• Routine maternity is optional on all five tiers, with a ten-month waiting period.

The core covers inpatient and day-patient hospital treatment, and out-patient cover scales up with the tier. Keeping dental and maternity outside the core means you pay for them only if you want them, which is the main way IMG keeps the premium down for people who do not.

Reading the waiting periods

Both add-ons count their waiting period from the purchase date. Dental becomes claimable after six months and routine maternity after ten, so the add-on has to be in place well before you intend to use it. Adding maternity once a pregnancy is under way will not help with that pregnancy.

For what the core does and does not cover day to day, see our guide to inpatient versus outpatient cover.

The widest underwriting choice on the market

Underwriting is how an insurer decides what to cover given your medical history. IMG lists an unusually full set of routes, so there is normally one that fits.

Full medical underwriting (FMU)

You give your full history; the application has three headline knockout health questions. IMG then offers standard terms, applies personal exclusions, or declines, so you know your position before you buy.

Moratorium

No declaration at application. Recent pre-existing conditions are excluded and can become eligible after a continuous period free of symptoms and treatment.

Continuing personal medical exclusions (CPME)

When you switch insurer, your existing exclusions come across unchanged with no fresh underwriting of new conditions.

Medical history disregarded (MHD)

A group basis under which the insurer ignores members' medical history, so pre-existing conditions are not excluded. It applies only to company or group schemes that meet a minimum number of lives, which varies by insurer, and is not available to individuals.

One practical point: if IMG cannot offer the underwriting type you applied for, it may offer an alternative. That is a reason to take advice on which route gives the best cover rather than simply ticking the first box. Our guide to pre-existing conditions explains the trade-offs.

Pre-authorisation and direct billing

• Planned inpatient or day-patient treatment should be pre-authorised as early as possible, and no later than five working days before admission.
• Once a claim is pre-authorised and eligible, IMG issues a Guarantee of Payment to the hospital and settles directly, so you do not pay up front.
• The MyIMG / MyALC online member area handles pre-authorisation, claims, facility search and documents, with a 24-hour helpline and WhatsApp support behind it.
• Quote the pre-authorisation number on any follow-up correspondence, and keep your bank details current for reimbursements.

Using IMG Global from the Gulf or Europe

The material behind this page does not state IMG's area-of-cover options or plan currency, so both need to be confirmed at quote. What it does make clear is that the plan is built for globally mobile people, and the modular design works well for the typical IPMIEMEA reader: a professional in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar or Bahrain who wants hospital cover that travels, without paying for maternity or dental they will not use.

Gulf states generally require residents to hold a locally compliant health policy, usually arranged by the employer, and an international plan is bought as a top-up or by people the local scheme does not cover. The rules differ by emirate and state and change over time, so check the current position with your employer or the regulator; our guide to mandatory Gulf health insurance and top-up cover sets out the general picture.

IMG's group MHD basis is the feature most relevant to employers in the region. A company moving staff between the Gulf and offices in Germany, Spain, Portugal or the United Kingdom can, if the scheme meets the minimum number of lives, cover staff without each person's medical history being underwritten. For individuals, the moratorium and CPME routes make IMG a frequent choice when switching from an existing plan on moving country. Our EMEA guide to international health insurance covers the move itself.

Who IMG Global suits

A strong fit if you want to pay only for what you need, with dental and maternity as add-ons rather than built in, and especially if your medical history needs a flexible route. For company or group cover, the MHD basis can set medical history aside entirely, subject to the minimum number of lives.

Worth comparing if you want dental and maternity bundled as standard or a different plan structure. The usual alternatives are Cigna Global and Allianz Care; see Cigna vs IMG and Allianz vs IMG, or let Nomi price all three on your details.

Frequently asked questions

This page is general information, not personal or medical advice, and is based on IMG Global Prima (GPMI) plan documentation; exact terms, limits and underwriting are confirmed by the insurer at quote. Prices are indicative. IMG and the IMG logo are trademarks of International Medical Group.