There are currently some 30-40 million expatriates abroad, with millions of others retiring for long periods to a country which has never before been their long-term home. The growth of modern digital communications, Internet access and video conferencing has now transformed the level of financial and insurance services available to the individual, family or company anywhere in the World on a location, non-specific basis.

International medical insurance companies, medical assistance groups, underwriters and brokers are now all moving into what is a huge and growing market for new healthcare insurance services. The expatriate and those retiring abroad now have far more available quality healthcare insurance products available than ever before. Help lines from these companies for clients are multilingual and available worldwide 24 hours a day.

You may be in Belize, Berlin, Baku or the Bahamas, you can still be well serviced for your medical and healthcare insurance needs by international internet broker advisors and a wide range of insurance companies who specialise in this field. However, for the older clients going abroad, cost and level of cover must be prime considerations. Therefore, a check out first of local OUTPATIENT services is also a useful first move. Many developing countries or overseas retirement communities have good local Doctors and drugs and dressings. However, for serious hospital issues and treatment most would prefer the best care possible, probably "back home".