Allianz Insurance Review

Over 35 million people now identity as digital nomads. That’s a significant chunk of people working overseas for extended periods of time, hopping from place to place.

A lot of traditional travel insurance products aren’t designed for these wandering workers, who usually need a policy that not only works across multiple geographies but also offers coverage for routine and emergency treatment.

Allianz is one of the big names in the insurance game, so unsurprisingly they’ve got a couple of products that are ideal for people working overseas. They’ve even got a package that has been designed with digital nomads in mind.

In this Allianz insurance review, we’re going to deep dive into what’s on offer, looking at the depth of coverage as well as how the pricing compares to the competitors.

What Is Allianz Insurance?

Allianz is the world’s largest insurance company, covering a lot of different sectors. As you would expect from such a behemoth, they have quite a diverse portfolio of travel insurance options. These include policies that focus on holiday trips as well as those that are more geared towards professionals who are living overseas. Honestly, there’s a lot of choice!

We’re going to zoom in on the options available through Allianz Care, a wholly owned subsidiary of the wider Allianz group. This part of the business specializes in health insurance for people living and working outside of their home country, whether as long-term expats or digital nomads.

With plenty of experience and a whole range of specially designed policies depending on your destinations, they’re a good fit for anybody looking for healthcare-related insurance, rather than trip-related coverage.

Key Features & Coverage

Allianz health insurance comes in two main flavors for expats and nomads: Care and Flexicare. In both cases, most treatment requires pre-authorization, though there are exceptions in the case of acute emergencies. Don’t worry, they’re not going to make you fill in forms before a doctor sets your broken leg!

Care Plan

The Care range is the more comprehensive of the two and covers you for 12+ months, making it ideal for long-term expats. There are three levels available, ranging from the basic-tier Core plan, through the Plus plan, all the way up to the bells and whistles of the Pro plan.

✅ Medical Coverage

• The Care Core package has a maximum limit of $2,500,000. This is predominantly to cover inpatient care, including surgery costs, diagnostics, prescriptions and hospital accommodation in a semi-private room. Outpatient surgery is also covered to the max. The Plus package raises the limit to $4,000,000, while the Pro package covers a whopping $5,000,000.
• Pre-existing conditions will usually be covered, but you will be clearly informed of any limitations during the insurance quote process.
• Oncology treatment is one of the highlights of Allianz Care, funding you up to the maximum of your package for all necessary cancer therapies and surgeries.
• Treatment for injuries sustained during certain activities, such as hiking, skiing and water sports, are included as standard.
• Emergency outpatient treatment is limited to a maximum of just $338. It’s possible to purchase an outpatient add-on that will increase your coverage for things like vaccinations, chiropractic treatment and physiotherapy up to $6,750, $11,780 or no limit, depending on the tier you select.
• Emergency outpatient dental work isn’t covered at all by the Core plan, although it is up to a limited amount by the Plus ($400) and Pro ($1,015) packages. There’s also a dental add-on that you can get if you want to receive money back for all treatments, surgeries and periodontics you receive overseas.
• Similarly, emergency pregnancy complications are only included in the Plus and Pro tiers, both up to the maximum. If you want more thorough coverage, there’s an add-on that will allow up to $6,750 and $13,500 for routine treatments and checkups, as well as between $13,500 to $20,250 for non-emergency complications related to childbirth. For all maternity cover, there’s a 16-month moratorium before you can access these benefits, which essentially means you need to be with Allianz for almost a year and a half before any pregnancy is covered.
• All plans come with Allianz’s Expat Assistance Program, which offers 24/7 help in the form of critical incident support and counselling.

✅ Emergency & Evacuation Coverage

• Medical evacuation is available where necessary treatment cannot be obtained locally. If this happens, you will be taken to the nearest appropriate medical facility. The costs for this will be covered up to the policy maximum. As a nice extra, Allianz will also cover the expenses for one person accompanying an evacuee up to $2,700 (Care), $3,375 (Plus) or $4,050 (Pro).
• Repatriation is not included in the standard packages, but it can be purchased as an add-on. This gives you the option of returning to your home country for treatment if it isn’t available locally, rather than the nearest appropriate medical facility. One individual accompanying the repatriated person can apply for expenses of up to $4,050.

✅ Travel-Related Benefits

• Allianz Care’s policies are limited to healthcare coverage, so they do not offer any travel-related benefits. However, it is possible to purchase Allianz travel insurance from another subsidiary.

✅ COVID-19 & Pandemic Coverage

• COVID-19 is covered like any other illness, with treatment available where medically necessary.

Flexicare Plan

The best digital nomad insurance from Allianz, Flexicare is for stays abroad of 3, 6 or 9 months. The coverage isn’t quite as extensive as with the Care packages, but it’s also not as expensive. Allianz have designed it to be more affordable for those who probably aren’t going to need as much routine intervention while working abroad.

✅ Medical Coverage

• The maximum claim limit for Flexicare is $202,500 per year. This includes intensive care, prescription drugs, surgeries, physician consultations, diagnostics and emergency dental operations related to inpatient and daycare treatment. Outpatient surgery is also covered to the max.
• Emergency outpatient treatment is limited to $338, including emergency outpatient dental. However, you can also apply for refunds of up to 80% of costs for medical practitioner fees, vaccinations, physiotherapy and other stipulated outpatient care.
• Pre-existing conditions are not covered.
• As with the Care plans, oncology treatment is funded up to the maximum for all necessary cancer therapies and surgeries.
• Access to Allianz’s Expat Assistance Program is included, offering 24/7 help in the form of critical incident support and counselling.

✅ Emergency & Evacuation Coverage

• Medical evacuation is available where necessary treatment cannot be obtained locally. If this happens, you will be taken to the nearest appropriate medical facility. The costs for this will be covered up to the policy maximum. Allianz will also pay for up to 7 days in a local hotel after you are discharged from hospital if you are deemed medically unable to travel.
• Repatriation is not included in the standard packages, but it can be purchased as an add-on. This gives you the option of returning to your home country for treatment if it isn’t available locally, rather than the nearest appropriate medical facility. One individual accompanying the repatriated person can apply for expenses of up to $4,050.

✅ Travel-Related Benefits

• Allianz Care’s policies are limited to healthcare coverage, so they do not offer any travel-related benefits.

✅ COVID-19 & Pandemic Coverage

• COVID-19 is covered like any other illness, with treatment available where medically necessary.

Pricing & Plans

Allianz divides its coverage into three main geographies: worldwide, worldwide excluding the US, and Africa only. Whichever region you select, you will receive cover for all countries within that area (barring a handful of sanctioned nations).

Pricing is based on a whole bunch of factors, including age, length of coverage, start date of your trip and your primary destination. To give you some idea of the premiums, we’ve obtained quotes for three different ages, all citing Cambodia as the primary destination but requesting coverage worldwide excluding the US. No deductible was added, but you can get cheaper premiums if you agree to pay a portion of any healthcare costs yourself.

Care:

• Age 32. Coverage for the Core policy is $2,145 per year, rising to $2,275 for Plus and $3,183 for Pro. Rather than paying the lump sum, you can pay monthly, although this does cost a little more overall. For Core, it works out as $188 per month, while Plus is $200 a month and Pro is $279 a month. The outpatient add-on is an extra $108 (Core), $174 (Plus) or $278 (Pro), while the maternity add-on (not available for Core) is an extra $67 (Plus) or $137 (Pro).
• Age 43. Core is $2,688 per year ($236 per month), Plus is $2,997 ($263 per month) and Pro is $3,891 ($341 per month). The outpatient plan is an additional $192 (Core), $198 (Plus) or $337 (Pro), while maternity is $42 (Plus) or $87 (Pro).
• Age 64. This is near the upper end of Allianz’s coverage limit, which tops out at 69. Core customers can expect to pay around $6,855 per year ($600 per month), while Plus is $7,806.00 ($683 per month) and Pro is $9,906 ($867 per month). The outpatient add-on is $296 (Core), $462 (Plus) or $823 (Pro).
• Dental and repatriation add-ons are charged at a flat fee regardless of age. For dental, that’s $84 per month for Smile (available on the Core and Plus tiers) and $162 per month for Smile Plus (available on the Pro tier). Repatriation costs $12 per month.

Flexicare:

• Age 32. Prices start at $443 for 3 months, rising to $998.2 for 6 months and $1474.3 for 9 months.
• Age 43. Policies start at $515 for 3 months, rising to $1,011 for 6 months and $1,494 for 12 months.
• Age 64. Flexicare is only available to people aged under 65, so this is the very upper limit of the plan. Prices leap to $1,189 for 3 months, $2,332 for 6 months and $3,447 for 9 months.
• You can add a repatriation plan for $21 for 3 months, $41 for 6 months or $61 for 9 months.

How Does Pricing Compare to Competitors?

Allianz’s Care policies are definitely on the pricier side, especially when you consider that they don’t include any travel-related benefits. That said, they also protect you for quite a lot of things that other companies generally won’t touch, such as cancer care.

Another thing to consider is that the maximum claim limit for the Care packages is a lot higher than most competitors offer, even on the lowest tier. Basically, you pay more in premiums, but you get more in return.

For a cheaper option, the Flexicare premiums are notably lower while still providing a good standard of care.

Pros & Cons of Allianz

???? Pros

✅ High maximum claim limits
✅ Pre-existing conditions are covered
✅ Excellent oncological provisions
✅ Covers multiple geographies under one policy

???? Cons

❌ Some of the most expensive premiums on the market
❌ No travel-related benefits
❌ Coverage only goes up to age 65 for Flexicare and 69 for Care

How to Sign Up & Use Allianz

The process to sign up for Care and Flexicare is largely similar. Where there are differences, we’ve highlighted them to help you out.

• Sign-up process:

1. From the Allianz Care homepage, move your cursor over the “Personal” tab at the top, then click on “International Health Insurance.”
2. The top banner has three buttons to choose from: “Online Quote 12 Months” (for Care packages), “Online Quote 3-9 Months” (for Flexicare) and “Request a Callback” (if you’d rather get a quote over the phone). Click the one that meets your needs.
3. Fill in your basic personal information, your destination and when you want coverage to start. If you have gone for the Care option, you’ll also be asked if you want to be covered for pre-existing conditions.
4. Depending on the destination you entered, the next page will automatically select a zone of cover for you, but it is possible to select a different option from the dropdown menu. For Flexicare, decide between either “Worldwide” or “Worldwide excluding US.” For Care, you’ll have these two options as well as one specifically for Africa.
5. Below this section is displayed the different tiers of coverage and the associated prices. For Care, select either Core, Plus or Pro. For Flexicare, select either 3 months, 6 months or 9 months.
6. Scroll down to the add-ons. For Flexicare, choose whether you want to be covered for repatriation. For Care, there is greater customizability, including outpatient, dental and maternity add-ons. The page for Care also offers you the option to select a certain amount of deductible.
7. Fill in a few more personal details on the next page. For Flexicare, put down your occupation and your planned address at your destination. For Care, just enter a surname and your gender.
8. For people purchasing Care insurance, click agree on the pop-up asking about data consent, before proceeding to a page that explains your pre-existing conditions coverage. For people purchasing Flexicare, acknowledge that you understand that pre-existing conditions are not insured, before filling in a medical questionnaire about any diagnosed illnesses such as diabetes or cancer.
9. Finish up with your payment and you’re all set!

• How to apply for pre-authorization:

Many of the treatments covered by Allianz Care policies require pre-authorization. On the plus side, this means Allianz will usually directly settle with medical providers so that you aren’t left out of pocket. On the minus side, this means you must submit a form at least 5 working days prior to treatment if you want Allianz to pay up.

1. Download the pre-authorization form from the Allianz Care website.
2. Fill in your details, including your policy number, name, date of birth and contact information.
3. Ask your medical provider to fill in the section regarding the description of treatment.
4. Submit the form via email, fax or post. You should hear back within 24 hours.

If you experience a medical emergency, Allianz will waive the requirement for this process to be completed 5 working days in advance of any procedure. Just make sure a family member or a doctor contacts the Allianz helpline within 48 hours of the treatment to provide details over the phone. This is still termed ‘pre-authorization,’ even though technically it occurs after the fact.

• How to file a claim and get reimbursed:

For treatments that do not require pre-authorization, such as pre-hospitalization tests and some diagnostic scans, you can claim back money spent through Allianz’s MyHealth online portal or app.

1. Sign into the MyHealth portal or app. If you haven’t used the service before, you’ll first need to register using your policy number, date of birth and first three letters of your surname. You’ll then be prompted to enter an email address, before being asked to set a password.
2. Once you’ve logged in, click the “My Claims” button and submit a new claim.
3. Enter a few basic details about your treatment, including the medical provider and what services you received.
4. Upload photos or scans of supporting documentation, such as invoices.
5. Submit the claim. Allianz aims to deal with claims within 48 hours, though it can take longer.

• User experience:

Both the pre-authorization form and the claims form are straightforward to fill out.

The MyHealth portal and app are easy to use and navigate, which makes submitting requests for reimbursement a breeze.

The pre-authorization process is a little clunkier, and it seems odd that a big company like Allianz haven’t created a better digital product to replace the rather old-fashioned method of having to fill in a form and send it in via email.

Allianz vs. Competitors

*To provide a more direct comparison, we’ve scaled all prices to be equal to roughly 3 months of coverage, which is the minimum term offered by Allianz. Quotes vary based on age, trip duration, destinations and several other factors, so only treat this as a rough estimate.

Customer Reviews & Ratings

Allianz Care doesn’t maintain a presence on TrustPilot, but they do have a profile on Feefo, where they are rated 4.5 out of 5. The vast majority of people give 4 or 5 stars, with only 14% of reviews in the last year rating the service 3 stars or less.

What people like:

• The multilingual customer service line. Clients appreciate that they can communicate any issues in their native language.
• The speed of claims processing. Most people have found the reimbursement procedure fast and efficient, allowing them to receive funds within 2-3 days.

What people don’t like:

• The difficulty of finding a medical provider. Some people have claimed it is challenging to locate a hospital or clinic that will accept their Allianz insurance.
• Submitting additional documentation. Several customers have complained that when a claim is queried, the process for submitting additional documentation is laborious.

Who Should & Shouldn’t Use Allianz?

• Recommended for → Expats needing long-term healthcare, digital nomads seeking emergency and routine coverage
• Not ideal for → People who want trip protection bundled with healthcare insurance, anyone on a budget

Final Verdict: Is Allianz Worth It?

Allianz is a good choice if you want to go with a reputable, established insurance provider that gives you a lot of extras with their policies. We also appreciate how they’ve created a product designed specifically for digital nomads that is a bit more competitively priced than their catch-all expat coverage.

That doesn’t mean that Allianz is definitely right for you. If the premiums look a little high, SafetyWing offers an affordable alternative. For a better balance of healthcare and trip-related coverage, Faye is more comprehensive.

Overall though, this is a solid option that is consistently well reviewed by previous purchasers.

Sign up for Allianz Care.