AMII summit: Intermediaries call for multi-lingual literature

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Intermediaries can add "real value" in guiding employers through expat reward packages, Aviva said at the AMII 2012 summit.

Teresa Rogers, international business lead at Aviva, presenting expat and international trends at an Association of International Medical Insurance Providers session, reported 1 in 5 employers had sent more people overseas in recent years.

And 55% have been actively targeting alternative countries to develop business.

She said: "For employers it is about getting the package right. There is no one size fits all. Employers have said getting the rewards package right is a real headache.

"It is an opportunity for knowledgeable intermediaries to guide their clients through all the difficulties, such as understanding the legislation."

According to Rogers, 75% of employers included health insurance as part of the package., adding: "Travel insurance simply is not enough."

She added the BRIC countries were the most popular, China especially given expectations for the economy to be the largest in 15 years.

"People want a safe place to live and do not want too many language or cultural barriers," Rogers said.

"BRIC is a real concern for employers today for these reasons because people cannot integrate in the culture easily."

The session also broke out in a panel discussion.

Guy Jones, managing director of independent healthcare consultants Berwick Devoil Healthcare, and audience member,  expressed concern about lack of multi-lingual supporting literature for international cover.

He said: "There is very little communication in other countries and I wondered if anybody was creating documentation through social media and the internet, so non-British expats can read the documents and show it to their medical practitioner?"

One of three panellists Carl Carter, managing director of IMG Europe, said the majority of expats tended to speak English anyway, and in other cases some local language literature and local brokers could be used to assist.

Fellow panellist Philip Wright, chief commercial officer at DKV Globality, said: "It is when it comes to claiming that it really matters. We need to make sure there is local service.

"The policy document is important but is not normally an issue. It is more about talking through claims in a culturally sensitive way."

Third panellist Mark Coleman, director of international sales for Cigna, said as an insutry it was moving towards to a more multi-language place.

Rogers' presentation was based on research by the HSBC Expat Explorer Survey 2011, Weichert Relocation Reosurces 2011 and One Poll, the independent research company.

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