Having medical insurance while you're abroad is essential but it’s not going to be much good if there are conditions that are not covered under your plan. Most private medical insurance providers now operate on such a large, global scale that there are few glaring exclusions that could trip you up. However, a little time spent going over a company’s terms and conditions will bring to your attention some omissions in plans that you may want to know about before you sign.
 
The most important thing that might be missing from your plan, according to many private medical insurance (PMI) providers, is cover for chronic conditions. Obviously, a provider won't cover you automatically for any pre-existing conditions - that would be like insuring a house that is already burning down - but should you develop asthma or diabetes after signing the plan, you will want to know that you are covered for this. Some providers, however, will only cover you in severe cases of any chronic condition that has arisen, such as a diabetic coma.
 
This means that some companies, particularly ones that offer basic-level or ‘regional’ plans, will cover you in an emergency or in the short term, but not for the routine, ongoing treatment that you need. From an insurer's point of view you can understand why they may do this as illnesses like asthma and diabetes are spreading in today’s world and costs could spiral out of control if they insured everyone. Yet there are a lot of plans out there that will cover your everyday treatment of such illnesses, so it's up to you whether you want to pay the costs or be covered for them, (albeit sometimes with restrictions on the amount you can claim), under your plan.
 
There are also other features that are worth checking to see if you are covered. One of the greatest omissions on many PMI plans is cover for congenital defects. It is worth checking to see if there are any restrictions in their plans when, for instance, they have a baby with a birth abnormality that needs treatment. There are restrictions to this with some providers. People buy healthcare when they reach a certain age, and are more conscious of protecting their family - for this reason people should check all that is covered under pregnancy cover.
 
It must be also borne in mind that pregnancy cover is usually only available after you have had your plan for one year. This is pretty standard, but will make you plan that bit further, especially if you are set to have a baby in a country where healthcare is expensive, like the US or the Caribbean. You may well want to check the amount you can claim for a normal pregnancy, too, as the average cost, can be as much as £5,000 (US$8,000).

A recent addition to some plans has also been infertility treatment which is often not covered. Some provides now cover investigations in to infertility up to the point of diagnosis. It also covers IVF treatment up to a limit of £2,000 a year with four attempts allowed in a lifetime.
 
Psychiatric treatment is another area that not every provider is agreed on. Most will provide some level of cover, but there it is often limited to inpatient care and the amount you can claim back. Landers says that providers put these restrictions in place as it is hard to know how many visits to a psychiatrist will need to be made and how much ongoing treatment will be needed. Although having cover for such things as emergency evacuation are of higher priority when selecting a plan, most PMI providers have warned of the dangers of stress, especially on a busy expatriate lifestyle.
 
As such, only by doing the boring work of checking a firm’s terms and conditions (or by speaking to Candour) can you figure out exactly what you will be protected against and begin to compare plans.