FAQ: Worldwide Health Options

How the plan works

Who is Bupa Worldwide Health Options for?

This policy is for expatriates as well as local nationals (where local regulations permit).

Who looks after my policy?

Worldwide Health Options is managed and serviced by Bupa International, which is based in Brighton.

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Arranging treatment

Where can I be treated?

You can receive treatment from any recognised hospital, clinic, or legally qualified medical practitioner.

We also have a network of over 5,500 hospitals and clinics who we can often arrange to pay directly on your behalf (this is known as prior approval).

Our Medical Centre will help you find suitable medical facilities and to book appointments.

How do I arrange treatment?

If for any reason you need treatment, we ask that you contact our Medical Centre first. We can then check your cover, talk through any concerns you have and arrange prior approval. This process also allows us to assist you with booking an appointment and to make direct contact with your hospital or clinic so that we can settle your bills for you.

How does the claims process work?

If you will be initially paying for your treatment, take a claim form (we can also send you paper copies if more convenient) with you to the hospital or clinic, have the doctor in charge of your treatment complete section 2 and complete the rest of the form yourself.

Enclose the original invoice(s) and send to us at: Bupa International, Russell House, Russell Mews, Brighton, BN1 2NR, UK.

To find out more deatils about how we pay for your treatment, please see this guide.

What treatment and conditions are not covered?

We always ask that you contact us before arranging or receiving any treatment so we can confirm coverage.

For further details on any of the exclusions, please read this plan’s membership guide or see the full list here.

How do deductibles work?

A deductible is the amount you must pay towards covered expenses before we will start paying for your treatment.

Deductibles apply separately for treatment you have under each of the options. For example, if you chose Worldwide Medical Insurance and Worldwide Medical Plus, the deductible for each would be applied as follows:

You have physiotherapy for a broken leg (usually paid from your Worldwide Medical Plus option):

Cost:	£300
Deductible applied:	£100
Amount paid	£200

You have treatment in hospital for a broken leg:

Cost:	£1,000
Deductible applied:	£500
Amount paid	£500

(From Worldwide Medical Insurance, as this covers hospital treatment)

Do you have a limit for the cost of treatment I may receive?

Beyond the benefit limits of your plan, we only pay costs when the charges made by the provider of services are reasonable and customary. By this we mean that the charges are the same as those made to our members by the majority of other service providers in the same country; and also that they are not more than the provider would normally charge.

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Services available to you

Can I access my policy online?

Yes. Worldwide Health Options is managed and serviced by Bupa International. As a Worldwide Health Options customer you get access to your personal website on Bupa International's MembersWorld.

MembersWorld provides you with all the same benefits as ihi Bupa’s myPage. You can track your claims, update your policy details, view your policy documents and use our live webchat for customer support service.

Complaints process

We are always pleased to hear about aspects of your membership that you have particularly appreciated, or that you have had problems with.

If something does go wrong, here is our simple procedure to ensure your concerns are dealt with as quickly and effectively as possible.

Getting in touch
If you have any comments or complaints, you can call the Bupa International General enquiries helpline on +44 (0) 1273 323 563, 24 hours a day.

Alternatively, you can email us via MembersWorld, or write to us at:

Bupa International
Russell Mews
Brighton
BN1 2NR
UK

We want to make sure that members with special needs are not excluded in any way. For hearing and speech impaired members who have a textphone, please call +44 (0) 1273 866 557.

We also offer a choice of Braille, large print, or audio for our letters and literature. Please let us know which you would prefer.

If you have not been able to resolve your problem, you can follow these steps on how to take your complaint further.

How can I contact Bupa International?

As an ihi Bupa member, you can call our Medical Centre on +44 (0) 1273 333 911at any time of the day to speak to medically trained people who understand your situation and who can give you the healthcare advice, support and assistance you need.

We also have a team of expertly trained people ready at our Bupa International office to help with any general enquiries you may have. Please call +44 (0) 1273 323 563.

You can also contact us via your MembersWorld website or send an email enquiry.

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Managing your plan

Can I change my plan?

Your membership with us is an annual contract. This means that we can only add or remove options for you on your ‘anniversary’.

If you want to add or remove options, we ask that you contact us before your anniversary to discuss your choices. If you add options to your plan, your subscriptions will be higher. If you remove options from your plan, your subscriptions will be lower.

How can I cancel my membership?

You can cancel your membership, and that of any additional people covered under your plan, within 28 days of receiving your first membership certificate. Should you wish to, simply write and let us know.

What happens if I can no longer pay for my plan?

If you do not pay subscriptions and other charges when they are due, your membership may be suspended.

Claims submitted while your membership is suspended will not be paid. Once you have paid your subscriptions and your membership suspension has ended, we will be happy to re-consider your claim(s).

I haven’t been able to find the answer to my question

We are always adding information to this website and are sorry if you haven’t found the information you were looking for on this occasion.

For the information you require, please contact Bupa International on +44 (0) 1273 718 306 or send an email enquiry.

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