William Russell: Expat Insurance Solutions
William Russell offers international medical, life, and income protection insurance. They offer comprehensive benefits and customized plans to expats.
William Russell: Expat Insurance Solutions
William Russell provides international insurance solutions to members from 160 countries and helps expats and worldwide travelers secure insurance plans that follow them wherever they go. They offer worldwide coverage with the exclusions of the U.S. and comprehensive benefits for their members.
William Russell Insurance for Individuals and Businesses
William Russell offers individuals and businesses life, health, and income protection insurance plans with worldwide coverage. Founded in 1992, William Russell has grown from a family-run business to one of the leading global insurance providers.
- Extensive Network of over 4,000 Hospitals
- Renewed Annually as long as you want, regardless of state of health
- Direct communications for members to customer services and account managers
- Max Annual Limit up to USD $ 5 Million
Why Expats Choose William Russell Insurance
William Russell international insurance plans are a great choice for expats looking for international coverage and extensive benefits they can take with them wherever they travel. They have options for different budgets and healthcare needs.
Key Benefits of William Russell Plans
Some key features that set William Russell apart from other insurance providers include international coverage, diverse insurance products, comprehensive benefits, and enhanced member service. These unique advantages help members get the most out of their policies.
William Russell: Enhanced Member Service
William Russell is a boutique insurance provider, which means they are fully independent and don’t answer to shareholders or investors. They focus wholly on satisfaction and service to their members.
William Russell offers enhanced member services through experienced customer service experts and account managers. They provide their members with direct communication and don’t rely on call centers like other insurance providers to get in touch with their members.
William Russell: International Coverage
William Russell’s insurance plans are all designed for global coverage (with the exception of the U.S.). Their plans can be taken anywhere you go without worrying about your coverage benefits as you travel. With a wide network of providers, you can have medical support globally.
William Russell: Diverse Insurance Products
William Russell offers international life and income protection plans in addition to their medical plans. Expats looking to have life insurance coverage while they travel or income protection in case of illness or injury will take a great interest in these insurance options.
William Russell: Comprehensive Benefits
All of William Russell’s plans offer full coverage for hospitalization costs, cancer treatment, and medical evacuation, with premium plans offering additional benefits. Their plans even offer coverage for wigs, counseling, and dietician services for members going through cancer treatments.
William Russell International Medical Insurance Plans
William Russell offers four standard health insurance plans: Bronze, SilverLite, Silver, and Gold. These plans vary across coverage limits and benefits and are designed to offer expats different options for every budget and healthcare need.
Compare the annual benefit limits of each plan using the table below.
Annual Benefit Limits of William Russell Medical Insurance Plans |
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold | |
Annual Benefit Limit | USD $1.5 million | USD $1.5 million | USD $2.5 million | USD $5 million |
William Russell's plans also allow for a personalized selection of hospital benefits. The following table compares the hospital benefits of each plan.
William Russell Plan Comparison for Hospital Coverage Options |
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold | |
Hospital Accommodations | Semi-private room (option to upgrade to a private room) | Semi-private room (option to upgrade to a private room) | Private room | Private room |
Hospital Treatment | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage |
Parent Accommodation | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage |
Local ambulance | Full coverage | Up to USD $1,600 | Full coverage | Full coverage |
Hospital Cash benefit | Up to USD $150 per night (maximum of 60 nights) | Up to USD $200 per night (maximum of 60 nights) | Up to USD $200 per night (maximum of 60 nights) | Up to USD $350 per night (maximum of 60 nights) |
Advanced Diagnostic Tests | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage |
Each William Russell plan offers different outpatient benefits. Bronze and SilverLite offer basic coverage; the Gold plan is the most comprehensive.
Bronze
Annual Benefit Limit USD $1.5 million
SilverLite
Annual Benefit Limit USD $1.5 million
Silver
Annual Benefit Limit USD $2.5 million
Gold
Annual Benefit Limit USD $5 million
William Russell Insurance Plans Out-patient Coverage Comparison |
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold | |
Annual Limit for Out-patient Treatment | No limit | Up to USD $5,000 | No limit | No limit |
Primary Medical Care | Post-hospital treatment only | USD $1,500 (option to extend to USD $2,500 or USD $3,500) | Full coverage | Full coverage |
Emergency Ward Treatment | Essential & immediate treatment following an accident | Up to the annual limit for out-patient treatment | Full coverage | Full coverage |
Complementary Treatments | Up to 10 sessions (post-hospital treatment only) | Not covered | Up to 10 sessions | Up to 15 sessions |
Expatriates want to make sure that in the event of an emergency, they can get to a medical facility that has the capability of treating their condition. This benefit is called emergency evacuation.
The following table compares emergency evacuation and repatriation of remaining benefits for each of the plans. Most of the plans offer full coverage for emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains.
William Russell Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains Benefits |
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold | |
Emergency Medical Evacuation | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage |
Repatriation of Mortal Remains | Full coverage | Up to USD $5,000 | Full coverage | Full coverage |
If you’re looking for preventative healthcare coverage and wellness benefits, you will want to choose one of William Russell’s more comprehensive plans. The table below compares the wellness benefits.
William Russell Wellness Benefits by Plan |
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold | |
Preventive Health Services | Not covered | Not covered | Up to USD $300 (option to extend cover to USD $500) | Up to USD $750 (option to extend cover to USD $1,300) |
Well-Child Benefit | Not covered | Not covered | Up to USD $200 | Up to USD $400 |
William Russell’s international insurance plans have a lifetime benefit limit for mental health services. The following table illustrates those lifetime benefit limits.
William Russell Plan Lifetime Benefit Limits for Mental Health Treatment |
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold | |
Lifetime Limit for Mental Health Treatment | USD $50,000 | Not covered | USD $75,000 | USD $100,000 |
The following table compares the different coverage options for cancer treatment with William Russell's international health insurance plans. Gold offers the most comprehensive coverage for cancer treatment and related services.
William Russell Cancer Treatment Coverage by Plan |
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold | |
Cancer Treatment | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage |
Cancer Genome Test | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage | Full coverage |
Wigs | Lifetime limit of USD $150 | Lifetime limit of USD $150 | Lifetime limit of USD $150 | Lifetime limit of USD $250 |
Counseling | Lifetime limit of USD $500 | Lifetime limit of USD $500 | Lifetime limit of USD $500 | Lifetime limit of USD $750 |
Dietician | Lifetime limit of USD $100 | Lifetime limit of USD $100 | Lifetime limit of USD $100 | Lifetime limit of USD $250 |
Maternity benefits in basic coverage plans are limited. To find the best maternity coverage, opt for a more comprehensive William Russell Plan. This table highlights a few differences in maternity coverage across plans.
Bronze
Annual Benefit Limit USD $1.5 million
SilverLite
Annual Benefit Limit USD $1.5 million
Silver
Annual Benefit Limit USD $2.5 million
Gold
Annual Benefit Limit USD $5 million
William Russell Maternity Benefits Comparison |
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold | |
Routine Maternity Care & Routine Care of Newborns | Not covered | Optional up to USD $5,000 (for businesses only) | Optional up to USD $10,000 (for businesses only) | Up to USD $18,500 per pregnancy |
Pregnancy Complications | Up to USD $4,800 | Up to USD $10,000 | Up to USD $15,000 | Full coverage |
Childbirth Necessitating an Emergency Surgical Procedure | Not covered | Not covered | Optional up to USD $20,000 (for businesses only) | Full coverage |
William Russell plans have basic or full coverage for in-patient dental restorative treatment. Some plans have options for additional dental coverage. The following table compares dental benefits.
William Russell Dental Benefits Compared by Plan |
Bronze | SilverLite | Silver | Gold | |
Emergency Restorative Treatment Received as an In-patient | Full coverage | Up to USD $5,000 | Full coverage | Full coverage |
Out-patient Emergency Restorative Treatment | Not covered | Not covered | Up to USD $500 | Up to USD $1,000 |
Dental Basic | Not covered | Optional up to USD $500 | Optional up to USD $1,000 and USD $1,500 for businesses | Up to USD $1,500 |
Dental Plus | Not covered | Not covered | Optional Up to USD $1,500 | Optional up to USD $2,000 |
William Russell Value Plans
William Russell designed their Bronze and SilverLite plans for members looking to keep their premium costs down by focusing on more basic coverage. Value plans are popular with younger and healthier expats or expats who qualify for high-quality public healthcare systems.
William Russell Bronze Plan
The Bronze plan only covers outpatient services incurred after a discharge from the hospital. This plan was designed for expats who want coverage for only the most expensive healthcare services and minimal other benefits.
Bronze
- Annual benefit limit of USD $1.5 million
- Full coverage of hospital treatment
- No annual limit for out-patient treatment
- Full coverage for local ambulance
William Russell SilverLite Plan
The SilverLite plan offers coverage for basic medical care but no post-hospital treatment outpatient services. This plan was designed for expats who don’t expect to see the doctor frequently and aren’t concerned with well-being benefits.
SilverLite
- Annual benefit limit of USD $1.5 million
- Full coverage of hospital treatment
- Up to USD $5,000 annual limit for outpatient treatment
- Up to USD $1,600 for local ambulance
William Russell Comprehensive Plans
William Russell’s comprehensive plans are the Silver and Gold plans. These options are designed for expats wanting more coverage for their healthcare needs. These plans offer more coverage for health treatments and have higher benefit annual limits.
William Russell Silver Plan
The Silver Plan is William Russel’s best-selling plan. It provides comprehensive coverage for a variety of healthcare services, such as full coverage for all outpatient services. The Silver plan is a viable option for expats visiting the doctor yearly.
Silver
- Annual benefit limit of USD $2.5 million
- Private room hospital accommodation
- No annual limit for outpatient treatment
- Up to USD $300 (option to extend cover to USD $500) for preventative health services
William Russell Gold Plan
The Gold plan offers the most coverage and benefit limits of all the plans. It is the only plan that fully covers maternity and pregnancy services and basic dental services. This plan is a great choice for expats looking to start a family or who need premium coverage benefits.
Gold
- Annual benefit limit of USD $5 million
- Private room hospital accommodation
- No annual limit for outpatient treatment
- Up to USD $750 (option to extend cover to USD $1,300) for preventative health services
William Russell Non-Medical Insurance Products
William Russell also offers international life and income protection insurance. They offer these products to expats looking to stay protected while they travel abroad and offer comprehensive rates and benefit limits.
William Russell International Life Insurance
William Russell offers life insurance policies that insure you up to USD $2 million, with early payment for terminal illnesses. They also offer an optional Death By Accident benefit, with an additional lump sum paid to your beneficiaries.
International life insurance offers coverage across the globe and takes care of beneficiaries in the case of the policyholder’s death. Traditional life insurance policies will only cover you in your home country, so an international life insurance policy is crucial if you plan on traveling often.
It is important to note that William Russell does not offer life insurance to residents of Iran,
Libya, North Korea, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Switzerland. Life insurance policies generally do not provide cover in areas with high risks of terrorism, HIV infection, and war.
William Russell International Income Protection Insurance
International income protection insurance provides expats unable to work for longer than three months due to illness or injury with a regular monthly income. William Russell’s plans range from USD $81 to $118 a month and can cover up to 80% of your salary.
Income protection insurance serves as a financial safeguard and is especially valuable for those who are the sole provider in their households. William Rusell’s income protection plans even cover those who are self-employed.
William Russell Business Insurance Solutions
William Russell offers group international health, life, and income protection insurance plans to employers across the globe. William Russell’s international employee benefits make finding the best coverage for your unique workforce needs easy.
William Russell offers employers a competitive advantage by providing employee benefit
packages that ensure the well-being of your staff. They also offer Medical History Disregarded (MHD) underwriting, which is available for groups of ten or more people, which makes enrolling new employees on a plan easy.
Where Do William Russell Members Have Coverage?
Members can choose from six different coverage zones when selecting a health insurance plan, with each zone offering a different area of insurance coverage. These zones were created to help expats who plan on staying in a restricted, specific geographical area save on their premiums.
Across all zones, the United States has no full coverage insurance option. This is because of the high cost of private healthcare in the country. As most of their members live elsewhere, William Russell has elected not to include the U.S. to keep their premiums low.
Areas of International Health Insurance Cover for Expats
The six zones of health insurance coverage offer different geographical area restrictions, with the first zone offering worldwide full insurance coverage (excluding the U.S.) Zone 3 is only available to expats living in Indonesia.
We have provided this table to help understand the zones and their restrictions.
William Russell’s Coverage Zones |
Zone 1 | Zone 2 | Zone 3 | Zone 4 | Zone 5 | Zone 7* |
Worldwide cover with restricted short-term cover in the U.S. | Full cover in most countries, restricted coverage in countries where private healthcare is expensive (but no cover in the USA) | Special area of cover for residents in Indonesia | Full cover in Africa & Indian Subcontinent, with restricted cover elsewhere (no cover in the USA) | Full cover in Africa (except South Africa) & Indian Subcontinent, with restricted cover elsewhere (but no cover in the USA) | Full cover in Southeast Asia only |
*The zones skip from 5 to 7 for health insurance plans, as Zone 6 is only available for life insurance policies.
Short-Term United States Optional Coverage
Referred to as the US-45 optional coverage, this option is only available to members who choose Zone 1 as their coverage area. This coverage only covers short-term trips to the U.S. that add up to a total of 45 days.
Within in the 45-day limit, expats will be covered up to USD $100,000 in medically necessary treatment services and USD $250,000 in accident and emergency treatment services. William Russell does not cover medical evacuations to, from, or within the U.S.
William Russell Plan Eligibility
William Russell determines your eligibility for its insurance plans based on different factors like your age and where you live. The eligibility requirements will also differ based on what international insurance product you choose, whether it may be life, health, or income protection.
- Health insurance: to be eligible, you must be living outside of your home country, and you must be younger than 76 when your healthcare policy starts.
- Life insurance: to be eligible, you must be younger than 70 before you purchase a policy, and you cannot be a resident of Iran, Libya, North Korea, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, or Switzerland.
- Income protection insurance: to be eligible you must be under 60, in good health, and work a non-hazardous job.
Pre-existing conditions will not affect your eligibility for a health insurance plan, but the condition itself will not be covered, or they may charge you more for your insurance plan.
William Russell Plans and Pre-existing Conditions
Like most insurers, William Russell does not cover pre-existing conditions on their plans. While having a pre-existing condition does not disqualify you from applying for an international insurance plan, you may have to pay a higher premium because of it.
William Russell generally does not pay out life insurance in the event of death that resulted as a cause of a pre-existing condition. Coverage for the pre-existing condition caused death may be provided if William Russell’s underwriters have agreed to cover a policyholder.
For more information on pre-existing conditions and how they affect your insurance options, contact an insurance broker at Pacific Prime who has experience handling these cases.
Working with a Broker to Secure a William Russell Plan
Working with a broker to secure a William Russell plan can help simplify the process for you and give you answers to any of your questions. To find out more or compare health insurance plans in general, get in touch with a Pacific Prime advisor today!
As a leading global health insurance brokerage and employee benefits specialist, Pacific Prime knows the ins and outs of the industry and has the knowledge and expertise to provide you with impartial advice with our motto of “simplifying insurance” in mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do William Russell’s plans renew?
William Russell’s international insurance plans renew annually, so their members are never locked into policies for longer than a year. William Russell members can keep their plans as long as they want by renewing every year, regardless of state of health.
How extensive is the network of hospitals affiliated with William Russell?
There is a network of 4,000 hospitals affiliated with William Russell. These in-network hospitals will bill William Russell directly, meaning you won’t need to pay upfront and wait for reimbursement.
Interested in a William Russell plan?
Our experts can provide you with a personalized quote based on your needs and requirements.