Now Health WorldCare for expats in the Gulf and Europe

WorldCare is Now Health International's flagship international plan: four levels with high annual maximums, the same cost levers on each, and full medical underwriting for individuals. IPMIEMEA explains the ladder and who actually insures the plan in the UAE, the UK and Europe.

The four-step ladder

WorldCare is Now Health International's international private medical insurance (IPMI) for globally mobile individuals and families. The four levels step up in both the annual maximum and what is included, from hospital-only cover to a top plan with routine dental and maternity. Now Health also sells SimpleCare, a lower-cost plan built around cover close to home; the two sit at opposite ends of the insurer's range.

Exact sub-limits sit in the plan's Table of Benefits and can differ by the territory the plan is issued in, which matters in EMEA because WorldCare is issued through different carriers in different places (see below).

What each level includes

• In-patient and day-patient treatment is the core of every level.
• Out-patient consultations, diagnostics, physiotherapy and alternative therapies on Advance and above, with a limited option on Essential.
• Routine and complex dental on Excel and Apex after a nine-month waiting period.
• Routine maternity on Apex after a twelve-month waiting period.
• Wellness, optical and vaccinations as an optional module on Advance and above.
• Extended evacuation and repatriation as an option on every level.
• Menopause hormone replacement therapy, listed on all four levels.

The same three levers on every level

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

A high deductible is the largest single saving but only sensible if you could absorb it in a bad year. The excess and co-insurance trim the premium more gently and are easier to live with for routine use. Our EMEA cost guide explains how these levers interact with age and area.

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 real difference from insurers that offer both routes.

• 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 10 employees are underwritten the same way; schemes of 10 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 published target, not a measured average.

If you have medical history, the exact terms offered (cover, exclusions or loadings) matter more than the headline price. Our guide to pre-existing conditions compares FMU with the moratorium route.

Service standards, claims and extras

• Now Health commits to processing eligible pay-and-claim reimbursements within five working days, and to placing guarantees of payment with hospitals for in-patient treatment within five working days so you do not pay up front. Both are service commitments rather than averages.
• Plan documents, claims submission and tracking run through the online portfolio and smartphone app, with provider search built in.
• Support is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by phone, online chat and WhatsApp, with a one-working-day response promise on enquiries.
• Extras include a second medical opinion service, a global concierge for treatment abroad (appointments, guarantees of payment, medical-visa support) and a member assistance programme for confidential counselling.

Using WorldCare from the Gulf or Europe

Now Health International administers WorldCare, but the risk carrier depends on where the plan is issued, and several of the named carriers are in IPMIEMEA's region: Starr insures plans in the UK and Europe, Arabia Insurance insures plans in the UAE, and Best Doctors Insurance Limited (Bermuda) covers most rest-of-world plans. Because the Table of Benefits can differ by issuing territory, a resident of the UAE and a resident of Germany may be reading slightly different documents for the same plan name. Ask at quote which carrier and which table apply to you.

The published area is worldwide, with USA elective treatment as an option and an Africa restriction as a way to narrow it. There is no Europe-only area, so a resident of Spain, Portugal or the United Kingdom gets worldwide cover and decides only whether to add planned treatment in the United States. Limits are published in US dollars. Our guide to Europe regional versus worldwide cover explains when a worldwide-only insurer is still the right choice.

Gulf residents in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain generally need a locally compliant policy, usually arranged by the employer, with an international plan bought as a top-up or by people outside the local scheme. Check the current rule where you live and see our guide to mandatory Gulf health insurance and top-up cover.

Who WorldCare suits

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 you are transferring from another insurer with terms you want carried across.

Compare alternatives if price is the main driver (SimpleCare is Now Health's own lower-cost product), if you would prefer a moratorium underwriting option, or if you need dental or maternity sooner than the nine- and twelve-month waits allow. Nomi prices both Now Health products beside the rest of the market for your details.

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.