Most UK and European holiday insurance policies are designed for a specific scenario: a two-week beach break with a return flight booked. They handle cancellation, lost luggage, and short-term medical treatment reasonably well. However, they fall apart the moment your situation involves a longer trip, a move abroad, a study programme in the United States, or international work.
That is precisely where IMG (International Medical Group) operates. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Indiana, USA, IMG offers travel medical insurance, international health insurance, and expat coverage to individuals from over 190 countries. Its plans serve a fundamentally different traveller profile from standard UK insurers — and understanding that distinction is the foundation of using IMG well.
Quick Answer
IMG (International Medical Group) provides travel medical insurance, long-term international health insurance, and expat coverage across a specialist product range. Key plans include the Patriot Travel Series, GlobeHopper Senior, Global Medical Insurance, and Student Health Advantage. IMG suits long-stay travellers, expats, international students, digital nomads, and visitors to the United States seeking medical-focused protection rather than standard trip cancellation cover.
Travel Insurance vs Travel Medical Insurance: Why the Difference Matters
Standard travel insurance protects your trip. Travel medical insurance protects your health while travelling. IMG primarily does the latter — and for many international travellers, medical protection is the more critical gap to fill.
A UK package holiday insurer reimburses you if EasyJet cancels your flight or your suitcase goes missing in Malaga. Those are real risks, but they are not catastrophic ones.
A hospital admission in the United States, by contrast, can generate bills that run to tens of thousands of dollars in days. Emergency evacuation from a remote location can cost more than a house deposit. These are the risks IMG products address.
The Three Types of Cover IMG Provides
Travel medical insurance (the Patriot series) covers short-to-medium trips. The focus is emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, evacuation, and repatriation. Most plans do not include trip cancellation or baggage cover as standard — that requires a separate purchase.
International health insurance (Global Medical, Global Prima) covers long-term residents living outside their home country. These plans are annually renewable, include preventive care, and function more like a private health policy than a travel product.
Comprehensive trip insurance (iTravelInsured) combines trip cancellation, medical, and evacuation cover in one product. It is the closest equivalent to traditional UK travel insurance, designed primarily for US residents.
The Patriot Travel Series: Medical Cover for International Trips
The Patriot Travel Series is IMG’s most widely used product for international travellers. It divides into two directions: Patriot America plans for visitors travelling to the USA, and Patriot International plans for US residents or citizens travelling outside the US.
Understanding which plan applies to your situation is the first practical step.
Patriot America Plans: Visiting the United States
Healthcare in the United States operates without a public safety net for visitors. A single emergency room visit can cost several thousand dollars before treatment has even begun. For that reason, adequate medical cover is essential for anyone visiting from outside the US.
The entry-level Patriot America Lite provides basic emergency medical protection at an accessible price point. Notably, it does not cover pre-existing medical conditions. Travellers with health conditions should therefore look elsewhere within the Patriot range.
Patriot America Plus extends cover to include pre-existing conditions. For travellers under 70, acute onset of a pre-existing condition is covered up to the policy maximum. This is consequently a meaningful upgrade for anyone with a declared health history.
At the top end, Patriot America Platinum is IMG’s highest-tier visitor plan. It provides medical coverage up to $8 million and suits families, older travellers, or anyone who wants maximum protection in the US market.
All three plans include the important co-pay structure: $25 at urgent care centres and $15 at walk-in clinics, paid instead of the deductible on each visit. In practice, this makes routine urgent care significantly more accessible in cost terms.
Patriot International Plans: US Citizens Travelling Abroad
Patriot International Lite covers US citizens and residents travelling outside the US up to $1,000,000 medical maximum. Patriot International Platinum raises that to $2,000,000 in Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation coverage — the highest limit available on the Squaremouth platform for plans of this type.
These plans include $10,000 in Trip Interruption protection but do not cover trip cancellation or baggage loss as standalone benefits. For travellers who already have cancellation cover through a credit card or separate policy, a Patriot International plan provides a focused, cost-effective medical layer.
Patriot Multi-Trip: Annual Coverage for Frequent Travellers
Patriot Multi-Trip offers an annual solution for individuals and families who travel outside their home country multiple times a year. A single premium covers all trips taken within 12 months, with per-trip durations of up to 30, 60, or 90 days depending on the option selected. The plan provides up to $1,000,000 of medical coverage.
For a traveller making four or five overseas trips annually, Patriot Multi-Trip is typically more economical than purchasing individual plans for each journey.
GlobeHopper Senior: Travel Medical Insurance for Over-65s
GlobeHopper Senior addresses a specific and underserved need: US citizens and permanent residents aged 65 and above who require travel medical insurance outside the United States. Two options exist — Single-Trip and Multi-Trip — with medical maximums up to $1,000,000 depending on age.
Standard Medicare does not follow US citizens abroad. As a result, older American travellers face a genuine coverage gap the moment they leave the country. GlobeHopper Senior fills that gap.
What GlobeHopper Senior Covers
Benefits include emergency medical treatment, emergency medical and political evacuation, and repatriation. Deductible options allow policyholders to manage premium costs by absorbing more of the initial cost themselves.
The Multi-Trip variant covers all international travel within a 12-month period. Each individual trip can last up to 30 or 45 days, depending on the plan option chosen.
One Requirement Worth Checking Early
GlobeHopper Senior requires active enrolment in Medicare Parts A and B, plus a Medicare Supplement plan. Travellers who are Medicare-eligible but have not yet enrolled, or who have opted out of a Supplement plan, will therefore not qualify. This is worth verifying well before booking rather than at the point of purchase.
Global Medical Insurance: Long-Term Cover for Expats and International Residents
IMG’s Global Medical Insurance (GMI) is a annually renewable international health plan designed for expats and globally mobile individuals living outside their home country. It is available to all nationalities, provides up to $5,000,000 in lifetime coverage, and functions as a full private health policy rather than a travel product.
This is the plan for someone relocating abroad for a year or more, not someone going on holiday for two weeks. The distinction matters practically: GMI covers preventive care, hospitalisation, outpatient treatment, prescription drugs, cancer treatment, mental wellness, and — on the Platinum tier — maternity care.
Coverage Tiers and Geographic Areas
GMI offers four tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each tier provides progressively higher benefit limits across inpatient and outpatient care. Platinum includes maternity coverage, though a 10-month continuous coverage waiting period applies before maternity benefits become active.
A useful cost-management tool is the coverage area selection. Choosing Worldwide excluding the USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Singapore, and Taiwan substantially reduces the premium, reflecting the significantly lower cost of healthcare in most of the rest of the world. Expats who have no plans to seek medical treatment in those higher-cost markets can save considerably with this selection.
Optional Riders and Customisation
IMG Global Medical Insurance offers seven different deductible options, with premiums reducing as the deductible rises. Additionally, the deductible can be reduced by up to 50% (to a maximum of $2,500) for members who remain claim-free.
Optional riders include dental cover ($750 per period with a $50 deductible), vision cover ($100 for eye exams, $150 for glasses and lenses every 24 months), global term life insurance (up to $75,000), political evacuation, and adventure sports coverage.
Student Health Advantage: Cover for International Students
IMG’s Student Health Advantage plan provides international health insurance for students studying outside their home country. It covers emergency medical care, hospitalisation, prescription drugs, mental health treatment, and — on the Platinum tier — maternity benefits.
Study abroad programmes frequently require students to hold health insurance meeting specific coverage minimums. Student Health Advantage is consequently designed to satisfy those requirements while providing practical, student-relevant benefits.
Sports coverage is included for most recreational activities. For higher-risk activities, furthermore, the adventure sports rider extends protection to include events such as skydiving, bungee jumping, rappelling, and whitewater kayaking at an amateur level.
In addition, the Patriot Exchange Program is the parallel product for organisations running international educational or cultural exchange programmes. It covers groups of students or exchange scholars and includes both medical and safety benefits.
Emergency Evacuation and Repatriation
IMG includes emergency medical evacuation and repatriation cover across its travel medical and international health plans. Evacuation arranges medically necessary transport to an appropriate treatment facility. Repatriation covers the return of a patient — or in the worst case, remains — to their home country.
These are not theoretical benefits. In genuinely remote areas — rural Southeast Asia, high-altitude trekking regions, certain parts of Africa or Central Asia — the cost of arranging air evacuation to a facility capable of treating a serious injury can easily exceed $100,000. Consequently, having that cost covered, and having a 24/7 assistance team who can coordinate the logistics, has a meaningful practical value that most travellers underestimate until they need it.
IMG’s Global Concierge and Assistance Services operates 24/7/365, staffed by multilingual nurses, doctors, and case managers. Additionally, IMG Travel Intelligence provides policyholders with real-time push notifications covering crime, terrorism, severe weather, and other threats across 10 threat categories.
Pre-Existing Conditions: What IMG Covers and Where the Limits Sit
Pre-existing condition coverage varies significantly across IMG’s product range. Some plans cover acute onset of pre-existing conditions up to the policy maximum. Others exclude them entirely, or apply waiting periods. Understanding which applies to your plan and your health history is critical before relying on the cover.
The Patriot America Plus and Patriot America Platinum plans cover acute onset of pre-existing conditions for travellers under 70. “Acute onset” means a sudden, unexpected deterioration of a pre-existing condition requiring immediate treatment — not routine management or ongoing treatment of a known condition.
For the Global Medical Insurance expat plans, pre-existing conditions can be covered through the underwriting process. Specifically, IMG applies different underwriting methods depending on the applicant’s medical history, which can allow conditions to be covered that other providers might decline. However, this requires declaration and assessment at the application stage — not after a claim occurs.
The practical advice is therefore straightforward: declare your full medical history accurately when applying. A claim relating to an undeclared condition will not be paid.
How Claims Work With IMG
IMG processes Patriot plan applications and issues ID cards within one business day. Global Medical plan applications take three to four business days after receipt of all required information. Claims are managed online through the IMG member portal at imglobal.com, with 24/7 telephone support available.
The Claims Workflow
For emergency medical treatment, the first step is contacting IMG’s 24/7 assistance line. In many cases, IMG can arrange direct billing with the treating hospital, removing the need to pay upfront and claim reimbursement later. This works best with facilities within IMG’s international provider network of over 17,000 providers.
For non-emergency claims, the process runs through the online member portal. Specifically, document the treatment with receipts, medical reports, and physician notes, then submit everything through the portal. IMG’s claims team reviews and communicates its decision by email.
What Customers Report
Independent reviews through platforms like Squaremouth and Trustpilot describe efficient processing for straightforward claims. One reviewer noted that an electronic claim process for a diverted-flight situation resulted in reimbursement within a month. Another described IMG as “outstanding” when handling a complex cancellation claim involving a family medical emergency.
The more complex the claim — particularly those involving ongoing treatment rather than single emergency incidents — the more documentation IMG typically requests. Thorough record-keeping from the start of any medical incident is therefore worth the effort.
IMG and the Digital Nomad or Long-Term Traveller
IMG’s product range suits the reality of how many people now travel: extended, multi-country, blending work and leisure. The Patriot Multi-Trip annual plan, Global Medical Insurance, and the combination of primary medical and separate trip cover all address scenarios that standard single-trip UK policies cannot handle.
A digital nomad spending 10 months a year across Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America needs something fundamentally different from a two-week holiday policy. In particular, the Global Medical Insurance plan — with the Worldwide excluding high-cost markets option — covers that profile at a manageable annual premium.
For long-term travellers who return to the US or UK periodically, however, the coverage area selection requires careful thought. If you expect to seek medical treatment in the US during a home visit, you consequently need a plan that includes US coverage — even though it will cost significantly more.
How IMG Compares: Key Differentiators
| Feature | IMG Patriot Series | IMG Global Medical | Standard UK Holiday Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | Short-term travel medical | Long-term expat health | Package holiday trips |
| Medical maximum | Up to $8M (Platinum) | Up to $5M lifetime | Typically up to £10M |
| Trip cancellation | Not included (Patriot) | Not included | Core benefit |
| Annually renewable | No (per trip) | Yes | Annual multi-trip only |
| Pre-existing conditions | Limited / tier-dependent | Via underwriting | Often excluded or screened |
| Emergency evacuation | Included | Included | Included (varies by tier) |
| Suitable for USA visits | Yes (Patriot America) | Yes (with US coverage area) | Not typically designed for this |
| Expat / long-stay use | Limited | Core use case | Not suitable |
| International students | Student Health Advantage | Not primary use | Not designed for this |
Important Things to Know Before Buying
Verify whether your plan is primary or secondary medical insurance. Some IMG Patriot plans operate as secondary coverage — meaning they pay after any other eligible insurance you hold. Travellers without other health insurance may need a plan that specifies primary coverage.
Patriot plans generally exclude trip cancellation. If you also want cancellation and baggage cover, you need either the iTravelInsured plans or a separate trip insurance policy alongside the Patriot product.
The Global Medical Insurance plan requires you to reside outside the US. US citizens living domestically do not qualify. The plan is specifically for internationally resident individuals.
GlobeHopper Senior requires active Medicare enrolment. Verify Parts A, B, and a Supplement plan are active before applying.
Coverage area selection affects both cost and claim eligibility. Choosing Worldwide excluding high-cost markets and then seeking treatment in one of those excluded markets results in no coverage for that treatment. Select the coverage area that genuinely reflects where you may need medical care.
Pre-existing conditions require declaration, not assumption. Whether a plan covers your condition — and under what terms — depends entirely on what you declare at application and what the plan’s specific pre-existing condition provisions allow.
Pros and Cons
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| ✅ Exceptional medical maximums | Up to $8M (Patriot Platinum); up to $5M lifetime (Global Medical) |
| ✅ Broad product range | Covers visitors, expats, students, seniors, multi-trip travellers |
| ✅ 24/7 multilingual assistance | Nurses, doctors, and case managers available around the clock |
| ✅ IMG Travel Intelligence | Real-time location alerts across 10 threat categories |
| ✅ Expat-grade long-term cover | Annually renewable Global Medical plan with preventive care included |
| ✅ Customisable deductibles | Multiple deductible options allow meaningful premium control |
| ✅ Adventure sports rider | Covers skydiving, bungee jumping, rappelling, and more at amateur level |
| ✅ Accessible student plans | Student Health Advantage designed for study abroad requirements |
| ❌ Patriot plans exclude trip cancellation | Separate cover required for cancellation and baggage |
| ❌ Pre-existing condition limits | Acute onset only on some plans; full cover requires careful underwriting |
| ❌ Complexity of product range | Choosing the right plan requires careful matching to traveller profile |
| ❌ GlobeHopper eligibility requirements | Medicare A, B, and Supplement enrolment required before applying |
| ❌ US healthcare costs affect Patriot premiums | Including USA coverage increases cost significantly |
Who IMG Works Best For
| Traveller Profile | Recommended Plan |
|---|---|
| Non-US citizen visiting the United States | Patriot America Plus or Platinum |
| US citizen travelling abroad short-term | Patriot International Lite or Platinum |
| US citizen making multiple annual international trips | Patriot Multi-Trip |
| Expat or long-term international resident (any nationality) | Global Medical Insurance |
| Digital nomad (multi-country, multi-month) | Global Medical (Worldwide ex-US) or Patriot Multi-Trip |
| International student studying abroad | Student Health Advantage |
| Exchange programme participant | Patriot Exchange Program |
| US senior travelling internationally | GlobeHopper Senior |
| Traveller wanting trip cancellation + medical | iTravelInsured LX |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IMG International Medical Group?
IMG (International Medical Group) is a specialist international insurance provider founded in 1990 and based in Indiana, USA. It offers travel medical insurance, long-term international health insurance, expat coverage, and student health plans to individuals from over 190 countries. Its primary focus is medical protection for international travel and residence rather than standard trip cancellation cover.
What is the difference between IMG travel medical insurance and travel insurance?
Travel medical insurance, such as IMG’s Patriot series, focuses on emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, evacuation, and repatriation. It typically does not include trip cancellation or baggage cover. Traditional travel insurance, by contrast, includes those trip-cost protections as core benefits. For travellers whose main concern is medical risk — particularly in the United States — travel medical insurance therefore offers higher medical limits at a lower premium than comprehensive travel insurance.
Does IMG cover pre-existing medical conditions?
It depends on the plan. Patriot America Plus covers acute onset of pre-existing conditions for travellers under 70 up to the plan maximum. Patriot America Lite excludes pre-existing conditions. The Global Medical Insurance expat plan can cover pre-existing conditions through an individual underwriting process. Always declare your full medical history accurately at the application stage.
Who can buy IMG Patriot America plans?
Patriot America plans are available to non-US citizens and non-US residents travelling to the United States, its territories, and Puerto Rico. Green Card holders are eligible provided their primary residence is outside the US. However, they are not available to US citizens or US permanent residents as their primary home-country health insurance.
Is IMG suitable for digital nomads?
Yes. The Global Medical Insurance plan with Worldwide excluding high-cost markets coverage is specifically well-suited to digital nomads who spend extended periods across multiple countries. The Patriot Multi-Trip annual plan also suits frequent travellers making multiple shorter international trips throughout the year.
Does GlobeHopper Senior require Medicare?
Yes. GlobeHopper Senior is available to US citizens and permanent residents aged 65 and above who are eligible for Medicare and actively enrolled in both Medicare Parts A and B, plus a Medicare Supplement plan. Verify enrolment before applying — it is an eligibility requirement, not a recommendation.
How does IMG handle emergency evacuations?
IMG’s 24/7 Global Concierge and Assistance Services can coordinate emergency medical evacuation, including arranging transport to the nearest appropriate medical facility or back to the policyholder’s home country. Political evacuation cover is additionally available as an add-on rider on Global Medical plans. Overall, emergency evacuation is included as a standard benefit across Patriot and Global Medical plans.
Does IMG cover adventure sports?
Standard IMG Patriot and Global Medical plans cover many recreational sports as standard. An Adventure Sports Rider extends that cover to higher-risk activities including skydiving, bungee jumping, rappelling, canyoning, paragliding, whitewater kayaking, and similar pursuits at an amateur level. Specifically, the rider is purchased as an add-on at the application stage.
How quickly does IMG process applications?
Patriot series applications are typically processed within one business day, with ID cards and policy documents issued the same day. Global Medical Insurance applications take three to four business days following receipt of all required information. Coverage can begin immediately upon processing.
Can I extend an IMG Patriot plan mid-trip?
Yes. IMG will email policyholders before their coverage term ends with a link to extend. Extensions are subject to the plan’s maximum duration limits. For long-term coverage beyond the Patriot plans’ maximum periods, the Global Medical Insurance plan is the appropriate alternative.
Final Verdict
IMG occupies a distinct and genuinely useful position in the international insurance market. For anyone whose travel profile moves beyond a standard package holiday — extended stays abroad, expat relocation, study programmes, visits to the United States, or senior travel outside Medicare’s reach — IMG’s product range addresses needs that most UK and European holiday insurers simply are not designed for.
The Patriot America series stands out for visitors to the US, where the medical maximum limits and pre-existing condition options at the Plus and Platinum tiers are meaningfully better than many alternatives. For expats and long-term international residents, Global Medical Insurance provides a proper, annually renewable health policy rather than a short-term patch. GlobeHopper Senior, meanwhile, fills a genuine gap for older American travellers.
The complexity of the product range is the main practical challenge. Choosing correctly between plans requires understanding which category of traveller you are and which risks you are primarily covering. Spend time on that matching process before purchasing — the right plan offers strong value, and the wrong plan leaves material gaps. Overall, for the traveller profiles IMG is built for, the product delivers.
Editorial & Accuracy Standards
- Expert Review:
Ammara Azmat,
Senior Travel Mobility Analyst (12+ years experience) - Status: Verified for accuracy against official 2026 service data and real-time traveller reports.
- Our Process: This content follows our Fact-Checking Policy.
