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International employees and their families seeking long term, worldwide coverage International employees and their families moving, traveling or living abroad traditionally encounter entirely new cultural systems. Even for those who have acclimated, the societal differences are magnified when the need arises for medical care. The employees' distant location separates them from access to U.S. health care providers. Time zone differences limit the availability of most plan administrators - especially in the event of an emergency. Language and cultural traditions may also hinder communication between the medical provider and the employee or plan administrator. Most significantly, the levels of medical provider training and public health care services in many countries lag far behind minimum U.S. standards. Providing appropriate benefit plans for these complex situations is a formidable challenge faced by all multinational corporations and international organizations. Benefits managers must furnish a program that, in essence, surpasses the domestic benefit plan. In addition to full coverage for treatment while in the U.S., the international program must provide employees worldwide access to quality care, global portability, professional international benefit administration and special assistance coverage during medical emergencies. Organizations confronting these difficult issues have had few options for international benefits… until now.
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