Germany’s Medigo offers medical travel insurance

German medical concierge company Medigo has expanded into health insurance, covering cancer treatment, neurosurgery, heart surgery and organ transplants at hospitals worldwide. The product has been launched in Russia, with plans to expand to the UK and other EU countries.

Since its inception in 2013, Medigo, a global healthcare network, claims to have sent 120,000 customers from 220 countries to a thousand hospitals and clinics in 36 countries. It has offices in Berlin, Singapore, Dubai, Delaware (USA) and the UK.

Medigo also cooperates with insurance companies. In Russia for Allianz customers, for example, Medigo will pay the bills and get reimbursed by the insurer or customers. It also has a contract with Allianz in Germany for arranging treatment overseas.

Medigo has now launched a major illness treatment insurance product, GLOBALCOVER, to cover cancer treatment, neurosurgery, heart surgery and organ transplants at hospitals worldwide. It provides patients with access to the latest medical treatments that are not always available or accessible in their home country either in the public or private healthcare systems.

Traditional critical illness insurance products just pay out when someone gets sick. Medigo’s GLOBALCOVER Critical Illness helps people confirm their diagnosis and access medical treatment available globally. Features include:

  • Lifetime coverage up to €1,000,000
  • Multiple treatment options (US, Europe & Asia)
  • 2nd opinion from an international expert
  • Travel and accommodation costs (including a companion)
  • Priority access to leading hospitals
  • Full concierge services
  • Group cover can be tailored to an organisation’s needs

Medigo sees the main market as businesses, insurers and other organisations.

The product has been launched in Russia, underwritten by Sberbank Life Insurance. There are plans to launch in the UK with cover underwritten at Lloyd’s of London. Other EU launches are hoped for.

The success rate of companies seeking to sell insurance for planned medical treatment has to date been low. Most attempts fail due to poor take up and lack of profit for insurers.