TL;DR
The digital nomad lifestyle offers unparalleled freedom, but navigating the complexities of healthcare abroad can be a significant challenge. As expert private medical insurance brokers in the UK, WeCovr has helped thousands of clients secure robust cover for their global adventures. This guide provides an authoritative look at IMG Global, one of the leading providers of international health insurance for remote workers.
Key takeaways
- Global Reach: IMG boasts a vast network of hospitals, clinics, and doctors across more than 190 countries. This facilitates direct billing, meaning the insurer pays the hospital directly, saving you from large out-of-pocket expenses.
- Specialised Plans: Their products are not simply repurposed travel insurance. They are comprehensive health plans designed for long-term international living, with options for varying levels of cover and budgets.
- 24/7 Assistance: A crucial feature for anyone in a foreign country facing a medical emergency. IMG provides multilingual support services to help you find care, arrange treatment, and navigate local healthcare systems.
- Bronze: This is a catastrophic-style plan. It's designed to protect you from major, high-cost medical events like a serious accident or an unexpected surgery requiring hospitalisation. It offers very little for day-to-day outpatient care like GP visits.
- Silver: A good middle-ground option. It provides solid inpatient cover and adds a defined limit for outpatient services, making it more practical for general healthcare needs.
The digital nomad lifestyle offers unparalleled freedom, but navigating the complexities of healthcare abroad can be a significant challenge. As expert private medical insurance brokers in the UK, WeCovr has helped thousands of clients secure robust cover for their global adventures. This guide provides an authoritative look at IMG Global, one of the leading providers of international health insurance for remote workers.
A detailed guide for remote workers – residency rules, travel patterns, renewability, emergency cover, outpatient limits and claims realities
For the modern British digital nomad, swapping a UK office for a laptop on a beach in Bali or a co-working space in Lisbon is the dream. However, this freedom comes with a critical responsibility: securing health insurance that moves with you. Your NHS access is limited once you're no longer ordinarily resident in the UK, and standard travel insurance is wholly inadequate for long-term stays.
This is where International Private Medical Insurance (iPMI) comes in. Unlike domestic UK PMI, iPMI is specifically designed for expatriates and global citizens. This detailed guide will dissect the offerings from IMG (International Medical Group), a major player in this market, focusing on the crucial details that every remote worker must understand before committing to a policy.
Who is IMG Global? A Primer for UK Digital Nomads
International Medical Group (IMG) is a US-based, world-renowned provider specialising in international health insurance and travel medical plans. For over 30 years, they have been a go-to choice for individuals, families, and groups living and working outside their home countries.
Key features that make IMG relevant for digital nomads:
- Global Reach: IMG boasts a vast network of hospitals, clinics, and doctors across more than 190 countries. This facilitates direct billing, meaning the insurer pays the hospital directly, saving you from large out-of-pocket expenses.
- Specialised Plans: Their products are not simply repurposed travel insurance. They are comprehensive health plans designed for long-term international living, with options for varying levels of cover and budgets.
- 24/7 Assistance: A crucial feature for anyone in a foreign country facing a medical emergency. IMG provides multilingual support services to help you find care, arrange treatment, and navigate local healthcare systems.
It's vital to understand that IMG is distinct from UK-centric providers like Aviva, Bupa UK, or Vitality. While those insurers offer excellent private medical insurance for UK residents seeking treatment within the UK, their policies are not designed for someone spending 11 months of the year abroad. IMG fills this specific, global niche.
Core IMG Global Health Insurance Plans for Digital Nomads
IMG's flagship offering for long-term global residents is the Global Medical Insurance plan. This plan is highly customisable and comes in four main tiers, allowing you to balance your budget against your desired level of cover.
As of 2026, here is a simplified overview of the different plan levels:
| Feature | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Maximum Limit | £800,000 | £4,000,000 | £4,000,000 | Unlimited |
| Deductible Options | £200 to £20,000 | £200 to £20,000 | £200 to £20,000 | £200 to £20,000 |
| Inpatient Care | Paid in full* | Paid in full* | Paid in full* | Paid in full* |
| Outpatient Care | Limited (Post-hospitalisation only) | Up to £4,000 limit | Paid in full* | Paid in full* |
| Prescription Drugs | Up to £4,000 limit | Up to £10,000 limit | Paid in full* | Paid in full* |
| Emergency Evacuation | Up to £40,000 | Paid in full* | Paid in full* | Paid in full* |
| Maternity Rider | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Dental & Vision | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
*Paid in full after the deductible has been met, up to the overall maximum limit.
- Bronze: This is a catastrophic-style plan. It's designed to protect you from major, high-cost medical events like a serious accident or an unexpected surgery requiring hospitalisation. It offers very little for day-to-day outpatient care like GP visits.
- Silver: A good middle-ground option. It provides solid inpatient cover and adds a defined limit for outpatient services, making it more practical for general healthcare needs.
- Gold: A comprehensive plan offering full cover for both inpatient and outpatient treatments. This is often the preferred choice for those who want peace of mind for a wide range of medical needs, from consultations to major surgery.
- Platinum: The highest level of cover, with an unlimited overall maximum and the most extensive benefits. It's designed for those seeking the absolute best cover available.
Choosing the right plan depends entirely on your risk tolerance, budget, and anticipated healthcare needs. A broker like WeCovr can help you model the costs and benefits to find the perfect fit.
The Critical Details: Residency Rules and Travel Patterns Explained
This is where many digital nomads make costly mistakes. Understanding the fine print on residency and travel is non-negotiable.
Residency and Home Country Cover
For a UK citizen, your 'Home Country' on an IMG policy is the United Kingdom. International health insurance is designed for use outside your home country.
- The Rule: IMG's Global Medical Insurance plans typically allow for cover in your home country (the UK) for a limited period. This is usually for up to six months per policy year.
- The Reality: If you spend more than six months in the UK, your international cover may be jeopardised or terminated. The policy is not a substitute for domestic UK PMI if you plan to be in Britain for extended periods. It's designed for incidental trips home.
Area of Cover: A Major Cost Factor
IMG allows you to choose your geographical area of cover, which directly impacts your premium.
- Worldwide: The most comprehensive and expensive option. It covers you anywhere on the globe.
- Worldwide Excluding USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore: This is the most popular option for digital nomads. It significantly reduces the premium by excluding the world's most expensive healthcare systems, while still providing cover across Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
Insider Tip: If you choose the 'Worldwide Excluding USA' option and have a short holiday or business trip planned to the US, the policy often includes an 'incidental home country and other country' benefit. This provides temporary emergency cover for a short period (e.g., up to 60 days) outside your chosen area, but it's not for planned treatment. Always check your specific policy wording.
Understanding Underwriting and Pre-existing Conditions with IMG
This is arguably the most important section of this guide. A misunderstanding here can lead to declined claims and financial distress.
Like all private medical insurance, IMG plans are designed to cover new, unforeseen, and acute medical conditions that arise after your policy starts. They do not cover pre-existing or chronic conditions.
IMG offers two main types of underwriting:
-
Full Medical Underwriting (FMU): You must declare your entire medical history on the application form. IMG's underwriters will assess your health profile. They may:
- Accept you on standard terms.
- Accept you but apply a premium loading (a higher price) due to increased risk.
- Accept you but place an exclusion on a specific condition (e.g., "any condition related to the right knee" if you've had past surgery).
- Decline your application altogether. FMU provides certainty. You know exactly what is and isn't covered from day one.
-
Moratorium Underwriting: This option is sometimes available. You don't have to complete a full medical questionnaire. Instead, the policy automatically excludes any medical condition you've had symptoms, treatment, or advice for in a set period (usually 5 years) before the policy started. Cover for these conditions may be added later if you go for a continuous 2-year period on the policy without experiencing any symptoms, treatment, or advice for that condition.
The Chronic Condition Reality: Chronic conditions, by definition, are long-term and require ongoing management (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, asthma, Crohn's disease). IMG policies will not cover the routine management of these conditions.
- Example: If you have diabetes, your policy will not pay for your insulin, blood sugar test strips, or regular check-ups with an endocrinologist. However, if you were to have a sudden, acute, and unforeseen complication resulting from your diabetes that requires emergency hospitalisation, that emergency treatment may be covered, subject to your underwriting terms.
Key Exclusions: What IMG Global Policies Typically Don't Cover
Every insurance policy has exclusions. Being aware of them upfront prevents future disappointment. Besides pre-existing conditions, common exclusions on IMG plans include:
- Routine and preventative care: Health check-ups, wellness screenings, and vaccinations are often not covered on lower-tier plans. Gold and Platinum plans may include some benefits for this.
- Maternity: Conception, pregnancy, and childbirth are only covered if you purchase an optional (and expensive) maternity rider, which typically has a 10-12 month waiting period.
- Dental and Vision: Routine dental check-ups, fillings, and eye tests are not standard. A separate Dental & Vision rider must be purchased.
- Cosmetic surgery: Any treatment that is not medically necessary is excluded.
- Mental Health: Cover for psychological or psychiatric care varies significantly by plan. Bronze plans may offer none, while Platinum plans offer extensive benefits. Always check the limits.
- Professional Sports: Injuries sustained while participating in sports for financial gain are excluded. Hazardous sports may also be excluded or require a special rider.
- Substance Abuse: Treatment for conditions arising from alcohol or drug abuse is generally excluded.
Demystifying Renewability, Emergency Cover, and Outpatient Limits
Understanding the mechanics of your policy is key to using it effectively.
Renewability
IMG Global Medical Insurance is an annually renewable contract. This means that each year, IMG has the right to adjust the premiums. Your premium will likely increase annually due to:
- Age: You will move into an older, more expensive age bracket.
- Medical Inflation: The cost of healthcare globally rises each year, and premiums reflect this.
- Overall Claims: Your individual claims won't single you out for a massive premium hike, but the overall claims history of the entire group of policyholders can influence renewal terms.
IMG policies are typically guaranteed renewable. This means they won't cancel your policy just because you've become ill or made expensive claims, a vital protection for long-term policyholders.
Emergency Medical Cover
This is a cornerstone of any international health plan.
- Emergency Evacuation: If you suffer a serious illness or injury in a location with inadequate medical facilities, IMG will cover the cost of transporting you to the nearest centre of medical excellence.
- Repatriation: If you choose, the policy may cover transporting you back to your home country (the UK) to receive treatment once you are stable enough to travel.
- Action Plan: In a medical emergency, your first priority is to get to safety. Your second should be to contact the 24/7 IMG assistance line as soon as possible. They will guide the process, guarantee payment to the hospital, and coordinate any necessary evacuation.
Outpatient Limits
This is a major difference between the plan tiers.
- Outpatient Care: Includes any treatment where you are not admitted to a hospital bed. This covers GP visits, specialist consultations, physiotherapy, diagnostic scans (MRI, CT), and prescription medication.
- Plan Differences:
- Bronze plans are essentially "inpatient only". They won't cover you for a visit to a doctor for the flu.
- Silver plans introduce a specific annual limit for all outpatient care combined (e.g., £4,000).
- Gold and Platinum plans typically cover outpatient care in full, subject to your deductible and overall policy limit. This provides comprehensive, day-to-day medical security.
For digital nomads who want to use their insurance for more than just major disasters, a Gold plan is often the most sensible investment.
The Claims Reality: How to Make a Claim with IMG
A smooth claims process is essential. IMG operates two primary systems:
-
Direct Billing (for Inpatient and Planned Treatment):
- Pre-authorisation is KEY. For any planned hospital stay, surgery, or expensive outpatient procedure like an MRI, you or your doctor must contact IMG for pre-authorisation.
- IMG will review the medical necessity, confirm your benefits, and issue a guarantee of payment directly to the hospital.
- This means you only have to pay your chosen deductible. The insurer handles the rest.
- Warning: Failure to pre-authorise can result in a significant penalty (e.g., a 20% reduction in what they'll pay) or even a denied claim.
-
Pay and Claim (for Routine Outpatient Care):
- For smaller costs like a GP visit or picking up a prescription, it's often easier to pay upfront.
- You must get an itemised receipt and a medical report or a claim form completed by the doctor.
- You then scan these documents and upload them through IMG's secure online member portal, "MyIMG".
- Reimbursement is then made to your bank account, typically within a few weeks.
- Pro Tip: Always request medical reports in English if possible. If not, you may need to provide a certified translation, which can add cost and delay.
Navigating claims can sometimes be complex, especially with language barriers. This is another area where having an expert broker like WeCovr on your side can be invaluable, as we can provide guidance and advocacy if issues arise.
Why Use a Broker like WeCovr for IMG Policies?
You can buy an IMG policy directly, but using a specialist broker like WeCovr offers significant advantages at no extra cost to you. Our commission is paid by the insurer, but our duty of care is to you, our client.
- Market Expertise: We live and breathe this market. We can quickly compare IMG's offering against other top international providers like Cigna Global, AXA Global, or GeoBlue to ensure you're getting the best policy for your specific needs.
- Application Support: We help you navigate the complex application forms, especially the crucial medical declaration, to minimise the risk of future problems.
- Tailored Advice: We'll analyse your travel plans, budget, and health status to recommend the right plan level and area of cover, preventing you from being underinsured or overpaying.
- Claims Advocacy: If you run into a dispute with a claim, we act as your advocate, using our expertise and relationship with the insurer to help resolve the issue fairly.
- Added Value: When you arrange your policy through WeCovr, you also get complimentary access to our AI-powered calorie and nutrition tracking app, CalorieHero, and can benefit from discounts on other insurance products like life or income protection cover.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Digital Nomads
Can I use an IMG policy for a digital nomad visa application?
How does the deductible/excess work on an IMG plan?
What happens if I move back to the UK permanently?
Choosing the right health insurance is the single most important financial decision a digital nomad will make. While IMG Global offers a robust and flexible range of products well-suited to a life on the move, the devil is in the detail. Understanding the rules around residency, pre-existing conditions, and claims is not just advisable—it's essential.
Ready to find the right international health cover for your nomadic life? The expert team at WeCovr is here to help. We'll compare the market for you, provide impartial advice, and ensure you get the protection you need, leaving you free to focus on your adventure.
Contact WeCovr today for a free, no-obligation quote and expert comparison of international health insurance plans.
