TL;DR
As expert UK private medical insurance brokers, WeCovr has helped thousands of clients navigate the complexities of health cover. This guide provides an authoritative, in-depth look at IMG Global Medical Insurance, a leading choice for individuals, families, and businesses with international healthcare needs. We will dissect their plans, limits, and underwriting to help you make a truly informed decision.
Key takeaways
- British Expatriates: UK citizens moving abroad for work, retirement, or a new lifestyle who need reliable health cover in their new country of residence and globally.
- Inpatriates to the UK: Foreign nationals relocating to the UK who may want the flexibility of receiving treatment in the UK, their home country, or elsewhere.
- Digital Nomads & Remote Workers: Professionals who travel continuously and need a single policy that covers them wherever they are.
- Multinational Businesses: Companies with employees stationed in various countries needing a consistent, high-quality group health insurance scheme.
- International Students: Students studying at universities outside their home country.
As expert UK private medical insurance brokers, WeCovr has helped thousands of clients navigate the complexities of health cover. This guide provides an authoritative, in-depth look at IMG Global Medical Insurance, a leading choice for individuals, families, and businesses with international healthcare needs. We will dissect their plans, limits, and underwriting to help you make a truly informed decision.
An in-depth guide to IMG Global – plan types, benefit limits, underwriting approach, networks, exclusions and how to compare IMG policies sensibly
International Medical Group, or IMG, stands as a titan in the world of global health and travel insurance. For over 30 years, they have specialised in providing comprehensive medical cover to people living and working outside their home countries.
Unlike standard UK providers who focus solely on domestic care, IMG’s entire business model is built around the needs of a global citizen. This means their plans are designed for portability, international access, and the unique challenges faced by expatriates, from finding a doctor in a new country to managing medical emergencies far from home.
Backed by the financial strength of their parent company, SiriusPoint, IMG offers a sense of stability and reliability crucial when choosing a long-term health partner. They serve millions of members across more than 190 countries, demonstrating a truly global reach and deep expertise in the international private medical insurance (IPMI) market.
UK PMI vs. International PMI: A Crucial Distinction
Before diving into IMG's plans, it's vital to understand the fundamental difference between standard UK Private Medical Insurance (PMI) and International Private Medical Insurance (IPMI). Choosing the wrong type is one of the most common and costly mistakes we see.
UK Private Medical Insurance (PMI) is designed for UK residents to get private medical treatment within the UK. Its primary purpose is to bypass NHS waiting lists for acute conditions. It is not designed for use abroad, other than very limited emergency cover on some plans.
International Private Medical Insurance (IPMI), like the policies offered by IMG, is designed for individuals, families, and employees who live, work, or travel extensively outside their home country. These plans are geographically broad and fully portable.
Here is a simple breakdown of the key differences:
| Feature | Standard UK PMI | International PMI (e.g., IMG) |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Scope | Primarily United Kingdom only | Global or specified large regions |
| Primary Audience | UK residents needing UK treatment | Expatriates, global nomads, frequent travellers |
| Portability | Limited or non-existent outside the UK | Fully portable between covered countries |
| Currency | Great British Pounds (GBP) | Multiple currency options (USD, EUR, GBP) |
| Typical Benefits | In-patient, out-patient, cancer care in the UK | Broader benefits including medical evacuation & repatriation |
| Best For | Faster access to private healthcare in the UK | Comprehensive medical cover while living and working abroad |
Key Takeaway: If you plan to live exclusively in the UK, a domestic PMI policy is likely the right fit. If you are moving abroad, or are a foreign national moving to the UK and require global cover, an IPMI plan from a specialist like IMG is essential.
Who is IMG Global Medical Insurance Best For?
IMG’s plans are specifically tailored for individuals and groups whose lives cross borders. They are an excellent choice for:
- British Expatriates: UK citizens moving abroad for work, retirement, or a new lifestyle who need reliable health cover in their new country of residence and globally.
- Inpatriates to the UK: Foreign nationals relocating to the UK who may want the flexibility of receiving treatment in the UK, their home country, or elsewhere.
- Digital Nomads & Remote Workers: Professionals who travel continuously and need a single policy that covers them wherever they are.
- Multinational Businesses: Companies with employees stationed in various countries needing a consistent, high-quality group health insurance scheme.
- International Students: Students studying at universities outside their home country.
- Missionaries & Marine Crew: IMG offers specialised plans (Global Mission℠ and Global Crew℠) tailored to the unique risks and locations of these professions.
- High-Net-Worth Individuals: Those who travel frequently between multiple homes and demand seamless access to the best healthcare facilities worldwide.
Conversely, if you are a UK resident with no plans to live or work abroad for extended periods, a domestic UK PMI plan would be more suitable and cost-effective. An expert broker like WeCovr can help you compare both types to ensure you get the right protection.
A Deep Dive into IMG's Global Medical Insurance Plans (2026)
IMG's flagship offering for individuals and families is their modular Global Medical Insurance plan. This structure allows you to build a policy that precisely matches your needs and budget. The plan consists of a core component and several optional add-on riders.
The plans are typically tiered (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum), with increasing levels of cover and higher annual limits.
Core Plan Coverage
All IMG Global Medical Insurance plans provide a robust foundation of essential benefits, primarily focused on in-patient and day-patient care. This includes:
- Hospitalisation: Room, board, and nursing services.
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU): Full cover up to the overall plan limit.
- Surgery, Anaesthesia & Theatre Charges: Covered in full.
- Cancer Treatment: Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and oncology.
- Emergency In-patient Dental: Treatment for dental injuries resulting from an accident.
- Medical Evacuation: A critical benefit for expats, covering transportation to the nearest suitable medical facility if local care is inadequate.
- Repatriation of Remains: Covers the cost of returning a member's body to their home country in the event of death.
Customising Your IMG Plan: Optional Riders
This is where IMG's flexibility truly shines. You can add one or more of the following modules to enhance your core plan:
- Out-patient Treatment Rider: Covers consultations with GPs and specialists, diagnostic tests, physiotherapy, and prescription drugs that don't require a hospital stay. This is a highly recommended add-on for comprehensive cover.
- Wellness & Preventative Care Rider: Covers routine physical exams, health screenings, and vaccinations. This is for proactive health management, which standard PMI often excludes.
- Dental & Vision Rider: A combined package offering cover for routine dental check-ups, fillings, and major restorative work, plus eye exams and allowances for prescription glasses or contact lenses.
- Maternity Rider: Provides cover for pre-natal care, delivery, and post-natal care. Crucially, this rider has a waiting period, typically 10-12 months, meaning you must have the policy in place for this duration before you can claim for maternity costs.
- Medical Evacuation & Repatriation Rider: Enhances the core evacuation benefits with higher limits and additional features like political evacuation or cover for a companion.
Illustrative Plan Comparison (2026)
Below is a typical comparison of IMG's plan tiers. The exact limits and benefits can be tailored, but this table gives a clear overview of the differences.
| Benefit Tier | Overall Annual Limit | Area of Cover Options | In-Patient Care | Out-Patient Rider | Dental & Vision | Best For... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Typically ~$1,000,000 | Worldwide ex. USA | Fully Covered | Optional | Optional | Budget-conscious expats needing essential hospital cover. |
| Silver | Typically ~$2,500,000 | Worldwide ex. USA | Fully Covered | Optional (higher limits) | Optional | Families seeking a balance of comprehensive cover and value. |
| Gold | Typically ~$5,000,000 | Worldwide (incl. USA optional) | Fully Covered | Optional (generous limits) | Optional | Individuals or families wanting robust global protection. |
| Platinum | Typically ~$8,000,000 | Worldwide (incl. USA) | Fully Covered | Included (often paid in full) | Included | Top-tier, all-inclusive cover with minimal restrictions. |
Understanding IMG's Underwriting Approach
Underwriting is how an insurer assesses your medical history to decide the terms of your policy. IMG primarily uses Full Medical Underwriting (FMU) for its individual and family plans.
Full Medical Underwriting (FMU)
This is the most common type of underwriting for IPMI.
- What it is: You must complete a detailed health questionnaire, declaring all previous and current medical conditions for all applicants.
- The Process: IMG's medical underwriters will review your declaration. Based on your history, they will decide to:
- Accept cover on standard terms.
- Apply an exclusion: A specific condition (e.g., a past knee injury) will be permanently excluded from cover.
- Apply a premium loading: Charge a higher premium to cover the increased risk associated with a condition.
- Decline cover in rare cases of very severe or complex medical histories.
Expert Adviser Tip: Be 100% honest and thorough on your application. Failing to disclose a pre-existing condition, even if you think it's minor, is known as 'non-disclosure'. If you later claim for that condition or a related one, your insurer may refuse to pay and could even void your entire policy.
The Critical Rule: Pre-existing and Chronic Conditions
This is the single most important concept to understand about private medical insurance.
- Pre-existing Conditions: Standard individual policies from IMG are designed to cover unforeseen medical events that occur after your policy starts. Conditions you already have are almost always excluded from cover under FMU.
- Chronic Conditions: These are long-term conditions that require ongoing management but cannot be cured, such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension, or Crohn's disease. IMG policies, like all standard PMI, do not cover the routine, long-term management of chronic conditions. They are designed to cover acute flare-ups of these conditions. For example, the policy would cover a hospital admission for a severe, unexpected asthma attack (an acute event), but it would not cover the cost of your routine preventative inhalers.
For larger corporate groups (typically 10+ employees), IMG may offer Medical History Disregarded (MHD) underwriting. This is a premium option where the insurer agrees to cover eligible pre-existing and chronic conditions, but it is not available for individual purchasers.
Navigating the IMG Hospital & Doctor Network
One of the greatest advantages of an IMG policy is access to its enormous global network of healthcare providers. This network simplifies the process of receiving care, especially in a foreign country.
Finding a Provider: IMG members have access to an online portal and the MyIMG mobile app. These tools feature a provider search directory, allowing you to locate approved doctors, clinics, and hospitals near you, wherever you are in the world.
Direct Billing (Cashless Service): When you use a provider within IMG's network for planned, pre-authorised treatment, the process is seamless.
- You present your IMG membership card.
- The hospital confirms your cover with IMG.
- The hospital bills IMG directly for the covered costs.
- You are only responsible for paying any non-covered expenses and your chosen deductible/excess.
This "cashless" system removes the significant stress of having to pay a large hospital bill upfront and then claim it back.
Out-of-Network Treatment: You are generally free to use a hospital or doctor outside of IMG's preferred network. However, in this scenario, you will likely need to pay the provider yourself and then submit a claim to IMG for reimbursement. It is always wise to seek pre-authorisation from IMG before proceeding with out-of-network treatment to ensure the costs will be covered.
Key Exclusions: What IMG Global Medical Insurance Won't Cover
Understanding what is not covered is as important as knowing what is. While policies vary, here are some common exclusions on IMG plans:
- Pre-existing conditions that were not disclosed or were specifically excluded at the time of application.
- Routine management of chronic conditions (e.g., regular medication, check-ups for diabetes).
- Cosmetic or aesthetic surgery, unless it is medically necessary for reconstruction following a covered accident or illness.
- Maternity and childbirth, unless you have purchased the specific Maternity Rider and passed the waiting period.
- Routine health check-ups and preventative screenings, unless you have the Wellness Rider.
- Addiction treatment for drug or alcohol abuse.
- Injuries sustained from professional sports or other hazardous activities (these can sometimes be covered for an additional premium).
- Self-inflicted injuries or attempted suicide.
- War, terrorism, and civil unrest (though some plans may offer limited cover for this).
Reading the policy wording carefully is essential. A broker from WeCovr can walk you through the fine print to ensure there are no surprises.
How to Compare IMG Policies and Get the Best Price
Choosing the right IPMI plan is a balancing act between comprehensive cover and affordable premiums. Here’s a sensible approach to get it right.
1. Define Your Core Needs
- Geography is Key: Where will you spend most of your time? If you have no need for cover in the USA, Singapore, or Hong Kong (the world's most expensive healthcare systems), choosing a "Worldwide excluding..." plan can reduce your premium by 30-50%.
- Level of Cover: Are you healthy and happy with just in-patient cover for major emergencies? Or do you want the peace of mind of out-patient, dental, and wellness benefits?
2. Select Your Deductible (Excess)
- A deductible is the fixed amount you agree to pay towards a claim before the insurer starts paying.
- IMG offers a wide range of deductible options, from 25,000 or more.
- The higher your deductible, the lower your annual premium. For example, increasing your deductible from 2,500 could lower your premium significantly. It’s a way of self-insuring for smaller claims while retaining full protection against catastrophic costs.
3. Use an Expert Broker Navigating the myriad options, deductibles, and riders can be overwhelming. This is where an independent broker adds immense value.
- No Extra Cost: Brokers are paid a commission by the insurer, so you get expert advice at no cost to you.
- Market Knowledge: WeCovr works with IMG and other leading IPMI providers. We can compare the entire market to find the absolute best fit for your unique situation, not just the best IMG plan.
- Application & Claims Support: We help you complete the complex underwriting forms correctly and can provide assistance if you run into any issues with a claim.
- Added Value: As a WeCovr client, you also get complimentary access to our AI-powered calorie and nutrition tracking app, CalorieHero, and can benefit from discounts when you purchase other policies like life or travel insurance.
The IMG Claims Process: A Step-by-Step Guide
IMG has a well-established claims process designed for a global audience.
- Pre-authorisation (The Golden Rule): For any planned hospital stay, surgery, or complex treatment, you must contact IMG beforehand to get the treatment pre-authorised. This confirms your cover and is essential for enabling direct billing. Failure to pre-authorise may result in a penalty or reduced payment.
- Find a Provider: Use the MyIMG app or online portal to find an in-network hospital or doctor.
- Receive Treatment: Present your IMG ID card. If pre-authorised at an in-network facility, billing will be handled directly.
- Submit a Claim (If you paid upfront): For out-of-network care or out-patient claims, you'll need to complete a claim form and submit it with all itemised invoices and receipts. This can be done quickly through the MyIMG secure member portal.
- Reimbursement: IMG will process your claim and reimburse you in your chosen currency, less any applicable deductible or co-insurance.
Does IMG cover pre-existing conditions?
Can I use my IMG Global Medical Insurance plan in the UK?
What is the difference between a deductible and co-insurance?
Is IMG regulated in the UK?
Your Next Step to Global Peace of Mind
IMG Global Medical Insurance offers a powerful, flexible, and reliable solution for those living an international life. Their modular plans and vast global network provide a level of security that is essential when navigating healthcare systems outside your home country.
However, the sheer number of options—from plan tiers and riders to deductibles and geographic areas—can make choosing the right policy a daunting task.
This is where expert, impartial advice is invaluable. The team at WeCovr specialises in both UK and international private medical insurance. We can help you compare IMG's offerings against the wider market, ensuring you secure the most appropriate and cost-effective cover for your global journey.
Ready to explore your IMG Global options? Speak to a WeCovr adviser today for a free, no-obligation quote and find the perfect international health plan for your needs.
