William Russell International Health Insurance

Applying for international health insurance always requires an application form, a passport copy of all insured individuals, and proof of address (for example, a utility bill, a credit card statement, a letter from the authorities or similar that is not older than 3 months). The following application types are offered:

• Full Medical Underwriting (FMU): requires applicants to complete a comprehensive medical questionnaire as part of their application. You are expected to disclose any past or present medical conditions, including those that have been formally diagnosed as well as symptoms that have not yet resulted in a diagnosis. Based on this information, the insurer will decide whether to approve the application without restrictions, exclude specific pre-existing conditions from coverage, or accept the condition with a premium loading to reflect the increased risk. FMU is often preferred by individuals who value transparency and want clarity about what is covered and what is not, right from the start of their policy.
• Continuous Personal Medical Exclusion (CPME): is typically offered when you are transferring from one international health insurance company to another. This underwriting method seeks to maintain the same medical exclusions already applied to your existing policy. A medical questionnaire is mostly still required, but in a reduced format. CPME is especially useful for those who have already undergone FMU and wish to switch insurers without losing access to previously agreed terms. However, availability depends on the specific insurers involved and is not universally offered.
• Moratorium: offers a more streamlined approach at the application stage. No medical questionnaire is required. Instead, all pre-existing medical conditions experienced within a defined timeframe—typically the 2-5 years prior to the start of the policy—are automatically excluded. These exclusions may be lifted after a specified waiting period, usually 24 months, provided that no further symptoms have occurred, and no treatment, medical advice, or medications have been required during that time. While the moratorium approach is faster and less intrusive during the application process, it introduces a level of uncertainty, particularly for individuals with a history of health issues, since coverage decisions are deferred and conditional.