Cost of International Health Insurance – 2017

Welcome to the third annual report on the cost of international health insurance. This year's report provides an updated look at what people can expect to pay for health insurance in various countries around the world. As with previous releases, we feel that this report functions as an accurate portrayal of not only the current state of international health insurance, but also the changes seen in the industry in the past year.

In order to offer as comprehensive an overview as possible we have maintained many data points from last year's report. Namely, we have kept the number of insurers at ten and used the same three levels of plans from each insurance provider, as well as the same four main demographic groups (find out more about these in the Report Background section). There has been one change in terms of data, however: the number of countries included has been increased to 100.

By analyzing the above data points, we are pleased to announce that the average price for an international health insurance plan (taking into account all of the available plans and demographics) spans from USD 19,724 to USD 7,027. As can be expected, the USA again is the most expensive location for international health insurance plans, while Ethiopia, Angola, and Mali are tied with the lowest average premium.

Looking at the four different demographics included in this report, we have found that there is quite a range between countries:

• Plans for individuals - Priced from USD 9,818 in the US to USD 3,490 in Angola, Ethiopia, and Mali.
• Plans for couples - Priced from USD 19,102 in the US to USD 6,719 in Ethiopia, Angola, and Mali.
• Plans for families - Priced from USD 28,857 in the US to USD 9,982 in Ethiopia, Angola, and Mali.
• Plans for retirees - Priced from USD 21,119 in the US to USD 7,918 in Ethiopia, Angola, and Mali.

In analyzing the data generated for this report, we have identified six key changes that we believe had a lasting impact on the industry, businesses, and clients who secure plans in 2017 and beyond:

• Premiums in the US have increased by an average of nearly 14%
• Singapore has replaced China as the third most costly location for health insurance.
• Southeast Asia has seen an increase in ranking with five countries ranked in the top 20.
• Dubai has fallen in ranking slightly to 9th in 2017.
• When compared with 2016, some countries have seen average premiums decrease.
• A number of countries have the same average premium

The Analysis section of this year's report, available now to download for free, contains an in-depth look at the major findings mentioned above. You can also find a comprehensive breakdown of the average prices for each country and demographic in the Appendices of the report.