The risk of medical costs for employers who deploy employees abroad
If employees are deployed abroad for work, companies should take care of international health insurance in advance. Anyone who doesn’t do this is taking on an incalculable financial risk. Because: Employers are liable for all treatment costs that arise for employees during their stay abroad. The editorial team spoke about this with Dennis Warrelmann from Hallesche.
Mr. Warrelmann, you are an expert for international health group insurance at Hallesche. What exactly does that mean?
In fact, the term requires some explanation due to the diverse hedging options. In principle, it is always about covering medical costs for companies that employ employees as expatriates for work abroad or outside their usual place of residence. The same applies to employees who come to Germany as inpatriates (Inpats), for example from a foreign branch. But even if companies allow their employees to work from home offices abroad, there should be tailor-made protection. Here too, the employer is taking on an incalculable financial risk. The duration abroad to be insured ranges from a few days (business trips/home office abroad) to long-term assignments lasting several years, sometimes even decades.
And do you need insurance even when traveling for just a few days?
Yes definitely. If a company sends an employee abroad, it is liable for any medical costs that may arise. The duration of the stay abroad is irrelevant. Statutory health insurance only reimburses employers for the costs that would have fictitiously been incurred in Germany. This can leave large residual costs for companies. For example, an appendectomy costs an average of around 3,000 to 4,000 euros in Germany, around 7,000 euros in Switzerland and even around 13,000 euros in the USA. In the event of accident-related costs, the liability risks for the employer can quickly reach six-figure euro amounts and thus become an existential threat.
Dennis Warrelmann is authorized representative for Expat Medical at Hallesche Krankenversicherung a. G. Hallesche
What characterizes good insurance?
The basis is always comprehensive benefits that fully take into account the employer’s liability and, if possible, do not provide for any exclusions from benefits, for example for scheduled treatments. In addition, short-term trips in particular should simply be insured across the board and no time-consuming registration and de-registration of traveling employees should be required. Otherwise, there is a risk that problems with insurance coverage may arise during short-term trips if an urgent confirmation of costs is needed, for example for an operation, but the person traveling has not yet been reported to the insurer. The choice is then extensive services such as a multilingual 24/7 telephone hotline, direct billing with the hospital, app support with video consultations as well as text chat options, emergency call functions and much more. A continuation option in private health insurance after returning to Germany or continuing your stay in the Federal Republic of Germany completes our offer.
This is what you as Hallesche offer your customers?
Exactly, we offer comprehensive insurance coverage so that our corporate customers actually achieve their goal of insuring their comprehensive liability. In short-term business travel insurance, which we also offer for home offices abroad or work and for stays of up to 365 days, we work completely without lengthy registration and deregistration procedures and here too we offer unique, very comprehensive services via app.
And if employees are deployed abroad long-term?
Then we offer a comprehensive portfolio for long-term, unlimited international health insurance. It is particularly important here to be able to optimally serve the different needs of our corporate customers. In addition to full-cost insurance, which covers every medical service starting from the first euro, we also offer residual cost insurance, in which the advance services provided by statutory health insurance are taken into account and therefore offers particularly low premiums. In addition, we offer international health insurance coverage with employer subsidies, which is particularly interesting for those who are insured under private health insurance in Germany.
Can employees of foreign subsidiaries or branches also be insured, even if they travel to Germany?
As already mentioned at the beginning, this is easily possible. We can insure all international travel and posting activities through a group agreement. When traveling to Germany, special care must be taken to ensure that all requirements of German law for insurance coverage within the country are adhered to for longer stays. In order to avoid problems with residence permits or even fines, as a German private health insurer we offer 100 percent legally compliant solutions with no gray areas and can also include compulsory nursing care insurance.
That all sounds very complex. How do companies ensure that they are properly positioned for their trips abroad and international assignments?
By choosing the right partner: As a German private health insurer, Hallesche per se offers various advantages compared to foreign providers. In addition, we have been active in this business area for over 50 years and, as a mutual insurance association, we rely on comprehensive advice and support for our customers – ideally from the start of our international activities. We pay particular attention to long-term partnerships on equal terms. Many of our customers have been with us for 30, 40 or 50 years and still trust us to protect their employees abroad. Thanks to our decades of experience, we also have a large network of partners who support us worldwide in providing optimal support for our customers and their employees at any time and anywhere in the world.
Good to know
If a company sends an employee abroad, the employer has a comprehensive duty of care. According to Section 17 SGB V, the employer is liable for all treatment costs that arise for employees and, if applicable, family members traveling with them during their stay abroad. The protective obligations under Section 618 BGB and Section 62 HGB also continue to apply during the stay abroad.
2024-03-07 23:13:50
#Dont #underestimate #News
