Tailoring plans for global organisations — the Aetna International approach

As a health insurance broker, your international clients are looking for a group health insurance plan that covers the diverse requirements of their entire workforce.

This means your first challenge is understanding their specific needs. Your second is finding a plan flexible and comprehensive enough to meet them.

At Aetna International, we have over six decades of experience providing health insurance to companies around the world. Over that time, we’ve worked closely with businesses and brokers to understand what a global workforce needs from their coverage — allowing us to create flexible plans that offer a comprehensive level of care and a range of impressive add-on options.

Core services at the heart of all our plans

At the heart of all our plans is a commitment to providing the core services, advice and assistance our members need, whenever and wherever they need them. Our Care and Response Excellence (CARE) team offers an end-to-end service that begins at the pre-trip planning stage. A range of assessments help us to give tailored advice and information to our members on their new health care environment, what to do in an emergency, and how to manage any chronic conditions they may have.

Damian Lenihan, Executive Director, Sales, details a story of the process in action. Aetna International recently supported a diabetic woman who had relocated to Johannesburg. “She wanted to make sure she had a ready supply of medication for her trip,” explains Damian. “She also wanted to know she could access emergency and non-urgent care once she was there.”

Aetna International’s CARE team and the woman also discussed the impact of her condition on her future health. Using Aetna International resources, “we collaborated on practical tips to change her lifestyle to improve her outlook.”

Group plans that meet individual needs

“Businesses have a duty of care to ensure they have proper cover for employees when they’re abroad,” says Shelly Sheperson, Sales and Service Manager at Aetna International.

Aetna International knows that businesses need great core services, including medical, dental, disability and life cover. But that’s not all, increasingly, business are looking to partner with insurance experts who can help them deliver tailored packages for their global employees.

We recognise that all of our members have distinct needs, whether they are covered by an individual or group plan. Alongside our core health care services, we can also tailor group plans so that your clients can be sure that employees with chronic health conditions, and those requiring prescription medications or maternity care, have their needs met.

Of course, all of this is backed up with a round-the-clock commitment to assisting our members in an emergency. Our Member Services Team can be contacted 24 hours a day to help organise treatment through a global network of established providers. If the need arises, we can even arrange transport and treatment back home.

With our new member website, Health Hub, it’s never been easier for our members to explore all of these health care options. With improved speed and accessibility options, they can find the information they need from any device as well as submitting and tracking claims, and finding health care providers online.

A holistic approach to health and well-being

Many of your clients will also be keen to support their employees in all aspects of their new life — making sure that they continue to get the best from them wherever they are based. Aetna International members whose employer has opted for an Aetna Summit plan have access to emotional support or practical assistance through an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). EAP can provide emotional and practical assistance in response to stress, anxiety and depression with a range of causes from family, work, legal or financial issues.

Damian Lenihan explains how our Johannesburg-based member benefitted from this programme:

“Once she was in South Africa, she found that she was struggling to adapt to the culture and new role, so she called us for assistance. We were able to provide her with telephone counselling, and helped her to find a local expat support group.”

In an uncertain social and political climate, your clients may also have worries about the safety of their workforce. Aetna Security Assistance powered by WorldAware (Please note that this service is now provided by Crisis 24 - 04/2021) offers assistance to eligible members faced with a range of politically or culturally sensitive situations. For members with plans that include Aetna Security Assistance services we help them learn about the ‘dos and don’ts’ in their new home, offer pre-travel security advice, support them if they lose their belongings, such as a passport or wallet. The range of Aetna Security Assistance services available to members will depend on the level of cover the individual or their employer has chosen.

Empowering regional brokers with international expertise

While our global scope may allow us to create an impressive array of coverage across almost every market, at Aetna International we understand that health care is fundamentally about caring for individuals. This could involve tailoring plans to meet the unique needs of a client, or creating a group plan covering a diverse, international, globally mobile and multigenerational workforce.

We work closely with our brokers to understand and meet the specific needs of their customers - even offering one-on-one guidance on the various options available. This allows our broker partners to offer clients a truly bespoke service, backed up by the skills, knowledge, and security offered by an experienced global health insurance provider. 

For more information, contact our expert sales consultants today.

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