IPH Emerald Plan health insurance for expats in Asia
IPH's Emerald Plan is an individual international private medical insurance (IPMI) product with Core, Advance and Deluxe benefit levels. IPMIAsia explains how the levels differ, what full refund means, which limits step up, and how the plan reads for an expat in Asia.
- Core has no outpatient cover; Advance and Deluxe cover general and specialist outpatient treatment at full refund, subject to policy.
- Full refund still sits under the policy's overall limits, reasonable and customary charges and any restrictions marked in the schedule.
- Hospice lifetime limits step from $/£25,000 on Core to $/£50,000 on Deluxe; stem-cell treatment is not included on Core.
- Home nursing is up to 4 weeks on Core, 8 on Advance and 26 on Deluxe.
- The USD and GBP schedules carry the same numeric limits, so choose the currency you are paid or billed in.
Core, Advance and Deluxe
Emerald is positioned for private healthcare abroad or locally, and it keeps the choice simple: three benefit levels, with the hospital core the same at each and the differences showing up in outpatient cover and a handful of specific limits.
| Benefit | Core | Advance | Deluxe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital and day-care | Full refund, subject to policy | Full refund, subject to policy | Full refund, subject to policy |
| General and specialist outpatient | Not included | Full refund* | Full refund* |
| Cancer and organ transplant | Full refund, subject to policy | Full refund, subject to policy | Full refund, subject to policy |
| Hospice lifetime limit | $/£25,000 | $/£30,000 | $/£50,000 |
| Stem-cell treatment lifetime limit | Not included | $/£75,000 | $/£150,000 |
| Home nursing | Up to 4 weeks | Up to 8 weeks | Up to 26 weeks |
*Full refund remains subject to the policy's conditions, overall limits, reasonable and customary charges and any marked restrictions.
What full refund means, and where the levels really differ
Full refund is the wording IPH uses where a benefit is paid in full rather than capped at a fixed amount. It is not a blank cheque: the policy's overall conditions, its overall limits, the requirement that charges be reasonable and customary, and any restrictions marked in the schedule still apply. So when you compare Emerald with an insurer that quotes a headline annual maximum, you are comparing two different ways of expressing the same idea, and the full policy wording is what tells you where the ceiling actually sits.
Reading the table, the levels differ in three places:
- Outpatient. Core has none. Advance and Deluxe cover general and specialist outpatient treatment at full refund, subject to policy. If you expect regular GP and specialist visits, Core is not the plan; our guide to inpatient versus outpatient cover explains why this is usually the first decision.
- Lifetime limits. Hospice cover steps up from $/£25,000 on Core to $/£50,000 on Deluxe. Stem-cell treatment is not included on Core and carries lifetime limits of $/£75,000 on Advance and $/£150,000 on Deluxe. Lifetime limits run across the whole time you hold the plan, not per year.
- Home nursing. Four weeks on Core, eight on Advance and 26 on Deluxe.
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Benefits, claims and limitations
All three levels publish emergency medical evacuation, medical repatriation and local ambulance cover. Advance and Deluxe add broader outpatient benefits, and Deluxe adds further benefits including treatment of congenital conditions. IPH's official site links separate How-it-works and FAQ material, while the plan overview supplies the benefit comparison.
IPH Emerald for expats in Asia
The plan overview IPMIAsia works from does not publish an area-of-cover menu, so the area that applies to you, and whether the USA can be left out, is something to confirm from the full policy with your quote. Emerald's own positioning as cover for private healthcare abroad or locally is a reasonable fit for the way many expats in Asia use insurance: treatment in the country they live in most of the time, with the option of a regional hub such as Singapore, Hong Kong or Bangkok for something serious. Ask whether the area includes those hubs before comparing. Our guide to regional versus worldwide cover in Asia explains the trade-off.
Emerald publishes USD and GBP schedules with the same numeric limits in either currency. The USD schedule is the easier one to line up against the rest of the Asian market; the GBP schedule suits a British family paid in sterling who would rather avoid exchange movements on claims. The reasonable-and-customary rule is worth remembering too: it means IPH pays what is normal for the place of treatment, which is relevant if you travel from a lower-cost country to a more expensive one for care. IPMIAsia includes IPH Emerald in its whole-market comparison through Nomi.
Relevant country pages: Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan.
Who IPH Emerald suits
A strong fit if you want full-refund hospital and cancer cover at every level with a plain three-step choice, you can decide quickly whether you need outpatient cover (Core without, Advance and Deluxe with), and you want a sterling option alongside US dollars.
Worth comparing alternatives if you want a published annual maximum you can compare at a glance, a published regional area for Asia, or a wider set of optional modules such as maternity and dental. Browse all insurers or read the cost guide for Asia.
Frequently asked questions
What are the IPH Emerald plan levels?
What does full refund mean on the Emerald plan?
Does Core include outpatient cover?
Which currencies is Emerald available in?
Is evacuation included?
How does IPMIAsia compare Emerald with other insurers?
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This page is general information, not personal or medical advice, and is based on IPH's Emerald Plan product page and official plan overview (version 1.102024); exact eligibility, area, deductible, underwriting, exclusions and pre-authorisation are in the current full policy and are confirmed by the insurer at quote. Prices are indicative. IPH and the IPH logo are trademarks of their respective owners. No network total, named partnership or average approval time is asserted.