COVID-19 Expat Updates

Care related to the coronavirus is covered under your expatriate medical plan. MetLife Worldwide Benefits will waive expatriate employees’ out-of-pocket expenses such as coinsurance, deductibles, or copayments related to diagnostic visits and testing for COVID-19 when medically necessary, through June 30^th, 2022. Benefits will be payable at in-network rates or at Medicare rates, as applicable, when applicable in-network rates are not available. As of January 15th, 2022, MetLife Worldwide Benefits covers approved at-home, over-the-counter COVID-19 tests without prescription for those enrolled in the plan. Coverage is expected to continue for the duration of the current U.S. public health emergency. 

MetLife Worldwide Benefits covers medical care for COVID-19 treatment at plan benefits.  

In addition, MetLife will cover the cost of approved vaccinations at 100% with no cost sharing.  

There are no policy limitations that would apply to a pandemic event. MetLife is required to evaluate each claim in accordance with the terms of the policy and to use the same claim processes as it does for any other sickness or injury claim. Each claim will be reviewed consistent with policy terms and applicable insurance law.

IBTM plans provide coverage for urgent and emergent medical care, so medically necessary tests, office visits, and treatment for COVID-19 are covered. If an insured employee or dependent is admitted to the hospital because of a COVID-19 diagnosis, they will be covered for care related to the diagnosis, provided they meet the plan requirements. MetLife Worldwide Benefits is waiving patient responsibility (including deductibles, coinsurance, and copays) related to the testing for COVID-19, when medically necessary, through June 30^th, 2022. Coverage for COVID-19 treatment is covered at a member's plan benefit level. 

COVID-19 has no impact on life insurance plans.  Claims for life insurance benefits may be filed regardless of the insured’s cause of death and will be processed as usual in accordance with the terms of the plan. 

There are no policy limitations that would apply to disabilities caused by COVID-19. MetLife will evaluate each claim in accordance with the terms of the policy and use claim processes already in place for disability claims.

Expatriate employees should contact Customer Service using the information on their ID cards if they have any questions or concerns. Our staff are trained and well prepared to handle inquiries and guide employees to nearest medical facility for care.

Expatriate employees can review the critical alerts and health warnings available on the “Travel Tools” section of our website, eBenefits, available any time.

COVID-19 PCR Testing Labs are available in the provider search tool on Travel EYE. There are approximately 2,300 testing sites in several countries. To find a testing site enter the city and country of your choice under the medical network section and select COVID-19 PCR Test as the specialty.

Telemedicine allows covered employees and their families to seek care without traveling to a healthcare facility and potentially risking their health or the health of others. MetLife Worldwide Benefits offers a network of virtual medical providers to all employees of all customers. Services provided through the telemed network are covered at 100% for all conditions.

If an expatriate employee’s medical plan includes IEAP through MetLife Worldwide Benefits, critical incident support can be accessed 24/7. To get more information, employees can access the IEAP tab on eBenefits for information on how to get started.

If an expatriate employee’s medical plan includes emergency medical evacuation through MetLife Worldwide Benefits, they may be eligible for emergency medical evacuation if they suffer an emergency sickness, including COVID-19. MetLife will use any and all available resources to ensure a safe and timely evacuation, should one be needed. Expatriate employees should ask their employer if emergency medical evacuation is included in their medical plan or review their Schedule of Benefits on eBenefits.

There are no policy limitations that would apply to a pandemic event. MetLife is required to evaluate each claim in accordance with the terms of the policy and to use the same claim processes as it does for any other sickness or injury claim. Each claim will be reviewed consistent with policy terms and applicable insurance law.

MetLife Worldwide Benefits is waiving patient responsibility (including deductibles, coinsurance, and copays) related to the testing for COVID-19, when medically necessary, through June 30^th, 2022. Benefits will be payable at in network rates or at Medicare rates, as applicable when applicable in-network rates are not available.

Beginning January 15, 2022, MetLife Worldwide Benefits will cover approved at-home, over-the-counter COVID-19 tests without prescription for those enrolled in the plan. Coverage is expected to continue for the duration of the current U.S. public health emergency.

Coverage for COVID-19 treatment is covered at a member's plan benefit level. 

These tests are covered according to plan benefits when medically necessary.

An insured expatriate employee and their insured family members may be eligible for emergency medical evacuation due to COVID-19 if they suffer an emergency sickness that warrants emergency medical evacuation while outside their country of primary residence.

MetLife will use any and all available resources to ensure a safe and timely evacuation, however, we will not be liable for failure to render services or for delays in service due to circumstances beyond our control.

Brokers, clients, and expatriate employees should reference their certificate for plan-specific definitions.

No. An insured expatriate employee or their family members must meet the definition of emergency sickness to qualify for an emergency medical evacuation.

Brokers, clients, and expatriate employees should reference their certificate for plan-specific definitions.

We are happy to make referrals for providers that are appropriately staffed and capable of testing for and treating COVID-19. As a result of the fluid situation, we advise expatriate employees to contact Customer Service when assistance is needed locating a provider.

For health and travel advisory members should be directed to: World Health Organization and US Department of State.

There are no policy limitations that would apply to a pandemic event. Each claim will be reviewed consistent with policy terms and applicable insurance law.

Expatriate employees or their family members should consult with and follow the advice of their treating physician in circumstances where they have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Please see list above in “Resources” section.

Brokers, clients, and expatriate employees should reference their Schedule of Benefits for benefit definitions and to determine access to benefits.

Please refer to the “Policy updates” section above for information on actively-at-work.

In order to address pandemic concerns, we have incorporated a loss of personnel scenario into our Global Resiliency program. This scenario provides a combination of solutions for employee and work area recovery. Testing is performed throughout the year. All plans and scenarios in our Global Resiliency program are reviewed annually.

What up-to-date educational resources are available to learn more about novel coronavirus, how it spreads, regions impacted, travel alerts, and how to avoid exposure and stay healthy?

For health and travel advisory: World Health Organization and US Department of State.

No. MetLife is not able to add plan-specific benefit language on a Certificate of Coverage. This document is used to provide verification of insurance and contains the group name, participant name, certificate number, and covered dependents. It also validates coverage for each product (i.e., medical, dental, prescription, emergency evacuation, etc.).

Please see telemedicine bullet above in the “Resources” section.

The terms and conditions of the policy and certificate will apply. If a medical evacuation is warranted in accordance with the terms of the policy, the evacuation will be performed, subject to any restrictions imposed by the country in question. We are required to comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations in every jurisdiction in which we do business.

The travel restrictions placed by countries have no effect on insurance coverage. The terms and conditions of the policies are applicable.

FDA approved COVID-19 immunizations will be covered at 100% when medically necessary. Vaccine availability and distribution is a public health response driven by local health authorities. MetLife recommends consulting with local health authorities for vaccine availability and distribution. 

For group life insurance, there are no policy limitations that would limit a claim payment resulting from coronavirus, provided the individual met all other certificate requirements. Each claim will be reviewed consistent with policy terms and applicable insurance law.

The expatriate employee must meet the other certificate requirements which include: The Waiting Period, the definition of total disability, and that the disability must continue through the end of the Waiting Period. Being exposed to the virus, in and of itself, is not necessarily considered a Total Disability.

AD&D policies do not cover diseases. Therefore, death due to coronavirus is excluded, as are all other diseases.

We do not anticipate special handling will be necessary. However, if such a situation should arise, MetLife will assess and make appropriate adjustments to ensure claimants are assisted in a caring and timely manner.

There are no policy limitations that would apply to a pandemic event. Each claim will be reviewed consistent with policy terms and applicable insurance law.

We do not anticipate that special handling will be necessary, if such a situation should arise, MetLife will make appropriate adjustments. Claims submitted with a diagnosis of coronavirus will be administered the same as any other disability claim. MetLife’s current claim processing standards and procedures apply.

No. Claimants are unlikely to satisfy the definition of disability in the applicable plan solely due to being quarantined. If the expatriate develops coronavirus or even some other qualifying sickness while quarantined, the claim would be reviewed for payment.

We understand that these are challenging times for many businesses. As an accommodation to our DelAm clients, in the event premiums cannot be paid during the contract period, we are complying with Delaware’s mandate not to cancel policies for non-payment of premium without a court order, but to work with delinquent policyholders to come up with a payment plan for the duration of the state of emergency in Delaware.

The CDC recommends to avoid all non-essential travel as the U.S. and the world is still in a crisis stage. While the current COVID-19 vaccines appear to be extremely effective at preventing illness in the people who receive them, vaccinated people might still be able to transmit the coronavirus to others as asymptomatic carriers. Currently being vaccinated does not exempt you from quarantine and testing requirements.

Vaccinated people will need to follow mask-wearing and safe social-distancing recommendations in public.

Your body needs the time to build protection after any vaccination, usually 2 weeks after getting last vaccine dose for the full vaccine immunity.

Even if you are vaccinated, you stand the risk of contracting COVID-19 however the severity of the illness is minimized.

You can delay up until 42 days between doses although we advise trying to stick to the advised dates as close as possible.

Most countries run their own vaccination program for residents of that country, with an order of priority by age groups, medical conditions, and occupations. As a tourist of a foreign country, it is unlikely that you would be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines distributed by local health authorities, while supplies are limited.

You can delay up until 42 days between doses, although we advise trying to stick to the advised dates as close as possible.

There is also a possibility that the country that you are visiting may not be administering the same vaccine that you have taken.

COVID-19 vaccines will not cause you to test positive on COVID-19 viral tests.

If your body develops an immune response, which is the goal of vaccination, there is a possibility you may test positive on some antibody tests. Antibody tests indicate you had a previous infection and that you may have some level of protection against the virus. However, antibody tests are not the ones used to screen you for travel.

Currently this is not a requirement for medical transports. Also, with most COVID-19 vaccines requiring two shots and various countries using different vaccines, there is little way to ensure you will get the same vaccine for the second shot back home.

However, a negative COVID-19 test is still a requirement for most medical transports.

Although there is no preference for the various COVID-19 vaccines, experts agree that the COVID-19 vaccines are not interchangeable between the first and second doses. The safety and effectiveness of mixed vaccines has not been studied and more research is needed. It is strongly recommended that the 2^nd shot be the same one as the first.

The current COVID-19 vaccines appear to be effective at preventing illness in the persons that are vaccinated, however vaccinated people might still be able to transmit the coronavirus to others as asymptomatic carriers.

Therefore, the risk is that your children are vulnerable to contracting COVID-19.

• Confirm the type of COVID-19 test required. Some countries are very specific about the type of tests they will accept.
• Confirm how recently the test must be taken.
• Research how to secure a test in the country you’ll visit or you may contact AXA for assistance in locating the nearest testing facility.
• Make an appointment with sufficient time to receive the results before boarding your flight.
• Bring your identification, money and in some cases cash to the testing facility.
• Obtain instructions and a contact at the testing facility in the event you do not receive the results on time.
• If the results are sent by email, download your email or take a screen shot of the result as you may not have access to internet at the airport to show your results to the airline. If results are on paper, take a picture of your test result so you have a copy saved on your phone. Keep the print out in a secure location.

Now, there is no requirement however, there is growing discussion amongst countries as a way for visitors to avoid restrictions such as quarantine. Several African countries already require vaccinations for yellow fever, for instance, so there is precedent. This situation is developing and we will continue to monitor.

Because data are lacking on the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines administered simultaneously with other vaccines, the vaccine series should routinely be administered alone, with a minimum interval of 14 days before or after administration of any other vaccine.

Not at the moment. Most countries run their own vaccination program for residents of that country, with an order of priority for different age groups, medical conditions, and occupations. As a tourist of a foreign country, it is unlikely that you would be eligible for Covid-19 vaccines distributed by local health authorities, while supplies are limited.

Even if you are vaccinated, you may be able to transmit the coronavirus to others who have not been vaccinated. Also, you are just as vulnerable to other infectious disease that may mimic COVID-19. So take full precautions to avoid other travel illnesses.

Until everyone across the globe has access to vaccines, think about your destination, the country’s vaccination progress and their medical systems.

The CDC is still recommending that all non-essential travel be curtailed.

We are still learning how long COVID-19 vaccines protect people that have been vaccinated.

For these reasons, people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 should keep taking precautions in public places, until we know more, like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, and washing your hands often.

While the current COVID-19 vaccines appear to be extremely effective at preventing illness in the people who receive them, vaccinated people might still be able to transmit the coronavirus to others as asymptomatic carriers. Vaccinated people will need to follow mask-wearing and safe social-distancing recommendations in public.