Insurance · Insurer
Now Health International: the WorldCare range, managed from Malta and underwritten by Starr Europe for Europe
A specialist in international health insurance, whose individual WorldCare range comes in several plans with high limits, excluding the United States by default. For Europe, Now Health distributes and manages the policies, and the risk is carried by Starr Europe Insurance; pre-existing conditions are excluded by default.
Please note
Characteristics
- Type
- Insurer
- Type
- Managing general agent
- Risk carrier
- Starr Europe Insurance Limited (documents de l’entité européenne) ; autres porteurs selon la région, indiqués au certificat
- Use
- Long-term expat health
- French scheme
- No
- CFE top-up
- No
- Medical questionnaire
- Not provided
- Covers
- Health · Hospital · Dental and optical · Repatriation · Assistance
- Settlement
- Both
- Regulator
- Malta Financial Services Authority
- Currencies
- USD · EUR · GBP
- Home country
- Malta
Standard cover applies in all countries except the United States; an option adds planned treatment in the United States. The country of residence is the one where the insured person habitually resides, defined by a minimum length of presence in each coverage period. Documents differ by region (Europe, United Kingdom, Asia-Pacific, Middle East) and by the entity issuing them.
Contracts and plans
Each plan is described from its contract documents. Compare plans in the same category: travel insurance does not replace expat health cover.
WorldCare Essential
Long-term expat health · IPID entité européenne, 2025
- Risk carrier
- Starr Europe Insurance Limited
- Distributor / administrator
- Now Health International (Europe) Limited (Malte) ; courtiers
- United States
- Optional
- Home country
- Being verified
- Renewal
- Not verified
- Link with the CFE
- First-euro cover
- Direct billing
- Partly
- Hospital : Yes
- Outpatient care : Partly
- Maternity : Partly
- Dental : Partly
- Optical : Being verified
- Mental health : Being verified
- Evacuation and repatriation : Being verified
Who for : Individuals and families living outside their home country; maximum age not stated in the information document.
Pre-existing conditions : Excluded by default: the information document excludes conditions from which the insured person suffered, or showed symptoms, before joining, unless different terms are set out in the policy documents.
Limits : Annual limit; excludes the United States by default, and in the United States inpatient treatment of illness is capped at a low limit, while accidents remain covered up to the annual limit; routine care only as an option; chronic conditions excluded; waiting periods for pregnancy complications and for HIV/AIDS cover.
- up to $3,000,000 WorldCare Essential: maximum annual limitProduct information document of the European entity (Now Health International (Europe) Limited, Malta), 2025 edition; amounts are also published in euros and pounds sterling.now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- up to $25,000 WorldCare Essential, default zone excluding the United States: ceiling for illnesses treated in the United States in the case of hospitalisationLimited coverage applicable in the United States when the standard zone (worldwide excluding the United States) is selected; accidents remain covered up to the annual ceiling of the plan.now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- 12 months WorldCare: waiting period for pregnancy complicationsCovers medical complications of pregnancy requiring hospitalisation; normal pregnancy and childbirth are excluded from the Essential, Advance and Excel plans, according to their information documents.now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- 3 years WorldCare: waiting period for HIV/AIDS coverPeriod of continuous membership required before any claim can be covered under this benefit.now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- from $150 WorldCare Essential (Asia-Pacific guide): lowest optional deductible levelSchedule taken from the 2026 Asia-Pacific member guide; the standard deductible is zero. The European entity's schedule was not reviewed.now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- up to $15,000 WorldCare Essential (Asia-Pacific guide): highest optional deductible levelSchedule taken from the 2026 Asia-Pacific guide; with the routine care option, the choices are restricted to the lower levels.now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
WorldCare Advance
Long-term expat health · IPID entité européenne, 2025
- Risk carrier
- Starr Europe Insurance Limited
- Distributor / administrator
- Now Health International (Europe) Limited (Malte) ; courtiers
- United States
- Optional
- Home country
- Being verified
- Renewal
- Not verified
- Link with the CFE
- First-euro cover
- Direct billing
- Partly
- Hospital : Yes
- Outpatient care : Yes
- Maternity : Partly
- Dental : Being verified
- Optical : Being verified
- Mental health : Being verified
- Evacuation and repatriation : Yes
Who for : Individuals and families living outside their home country.
Pre-existing conditions : Excluded by default: the information document excludes conditions from which the insured person suffered, or showed symptoms, before joining, unless different terms are set out in the policy documents.
Limits : Annual limit; routine care covered up to the limit; pregnancy complications only, after a waiting period.
- up to $3,500,000 WorldCare Advance: maximum annual limitProduct information document from the European entity, 2025 edition.now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
WorldCare Excel
Long-term expat health · IPID entité européenne, 2025
- Risk carrier
- Starr Europe Insurance Limited
- Distributor / administrator
- Now Health International (Europe) Limited (Malte) ; courtiers
- United States
- Optional
- Home country
- Being verified
- Renewal
- Not verified
- Link with the CFE
- First-euro cover
- Direct billing
- Partly
- Hospital : Yes
- Outpatient care : Yes
- Maternity : Partly
- Dental : Yes
- Optical : Being verified
- Mental health : Being verified
- Evacuation and repatriation : Yes
Who for : Individuals and families living outside their home country.
Pre-existing conditions : Excluded by default: the information document excludes conditions from which the insured person suffered, or showed symptoms, before joining, unless different terms are set out in the policy documents.
Limits : Annual limit; routine and complex dental care within sub-limits; normal pregnancy and childbirth excluded.
- up to $4,000,000 WorldCare Excel: maximum annual limitProduct information document of the European entity, 2025 edition. The Apex plan, cited on the website's comparison tool, has no product information document that has been reviewed.now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
WorldCare Apex
Long-term expat health · Comparateur du site, non daté
- Risk carrier
- Non vérifié
- Distributor / administrator
- Now Health International
- United States
- Not verified
- Home country
- Being verified
- Renewal
- Not verified
- Link with the CFE
- First-euro cover
- Direct billing
- Being verified
- Hospital : Being verified
- Outpatient care : Being verified
- Maternity : Being verified
- Dental : Being verified
- Optical : Being verified
- Mental health : Being verified
- Evacuation and repatriation : Being verified
Who for : Not verified.
Pre-existing conditions : Not verified.
Limits : Top plan in the range, cited on the comparison tool; no information document read.
Published figures
- Premium, fromOn quote
- WorldCare Essential, default zone excluding the United States: ceiling for illnesses treated in the United States in the case of hospitalisationup to $25,000now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- WorldCare Excel: maximum annual limitup to $4,000,000now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- WorldCare Advance: maximum annual limitup to $3,500,000now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- WorldCare Essential: maximum annual limitup to $3,000,000now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- WorldCare Essential (Asia-Pacific guide): highest optional deductible levelup to $15,000now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- WorldCare Essential (Asia-Pacific guide): lowest optional deductible levelfrom $150now-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- WorldCare: waiting period for HIV/AIDS cover3 yearsnow-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- WorldCare: waiting period for pregnancy complications12 monthsnow-health.com · Verified on Nov 2, 2026
- Age at enrolmentNot provided
Who carries the risk
Now Health International designs and manages the policies; it is not always the insurer. For clients falling under the European entity, the information documents are issued by Now Health International (Europe) Limited, a Maltese company authorised and supervised by the Malta Financial Services Authority, and state that the policy is underwritten by Starr Europe Insurance Limited.
The Asia-Pacific member guide, for its part, refers to the insurers “shown on the certificate of insurance”. The risk carrier therefore depends on the region of subscription: only the certificate names it with certainty.
Plans and benefits
According to the European entity's information documents, the individual WorldCare range comprises:
- Essential: inpatient core cover, annual limit of up to $3,000,0004; routine care only as an option.
- Advance: adds routine care, annual limit of up to $3,500,0003.
- Excel: adds dental benefits, annual limit of up to $4,000,0002.
- Apex: top plan cited on the site's comparison tool, with no information document read.
Standard cover applies in all countries except the United States. Under the Essential plan, an illness treated in the United States is covered as an inpatient only up to up to $25,0001, whereas an accident is covered up to the annual limit. An option adds planned treatment in the United States. Evacuation and repatriation are covered up to the annual limit under Advance and Excel.
None of the three plans read covers normal pregnancy and childbirth: only medical complications of pregnancy are covered, after 12 months8.
Deductibles, waiting periods and exclusions
Conditions from which the insured person suffered, or showed symptoms, before joining are excluded by default; chronic conditions are excluded under Essential. HIV/AIDS cover is only available after 3 years7 of continuous membership.
The Asia-Pacific guide provides for a zero deductible by default and, as an option on Essential, a deductible from from $1506 to up to $15,0005. Direct billing works within the network after prior approval for inpatient care; it is not offered for Essential's routine care option.
The maximum age at subscription, the medical underwriting methods offered to individuals (full questionnaire or moratorium) and the European entity's deductible scale were not found in the documents read. The expatriate offer presentation page was not accessible.
Who it suits, and who it does not
WorldCare is aimed at expatriates who want high limits outside the United States and accept strict screening of medical history. It is a poor fit for anyone planning a pregnancy, since normal maternity is not covered in the plans read, and for anyone who needs regular treatment in the United States without taking out the option.
Price and points to check
No price scale is published: the price is obtained by quotation, depending on region of residence, age, plan, deductible and options.
- The insurer named on the certificate, which varies by region of subscription.
- The United States option, without which an illness treated there is covered only to a very limited extent.
- The absence of normal maternity cover in the Essential, Advance and Excel plans.
Sources and verification dates
- 1.
WorldCare Essential, default zone excluding the United States: ceiling for illnesses treated in the United States in the case of hospitalisation : $25,000
« Illnesses are covered for in and day-patient treatment up to USD 25,000/EUR 20,000/ GBP15,625. »
Now Health International, « WorldCare Essential IPID (2025) »Verified on Nov 2, 2026Verified source
- 2.
WorldCare Excel: maximum annual limit : $4,000,000
« An annual maximum plan limit of USD 4m/EUR 3.2m/GBP 2.5m »
Now Health International, « WorldCare Excel IPID (2025) »Verified on Nov 2, 2026Verified source
- 3.
WorldCare Advance: maximum annual limit : $3,500,000
« An annual maximum plan limit of USD 3.5m/EUR 2.8m/GBP 2.2m »
Now Health International, « WorldCare Advance IPID (2025) »Verified on Nov 2, 2026Verified source
- 4.
WorldCare Essential: maximum annual limit : $3,000,000
« An annual maximum plan limit of USD 3m/EUR 2.4m/GBP 1.9m »
Now Health International, « WorldCare Essential IPID (2025) »Verified on Nov 2, 2026Verified source
- 5.
WorldCare Essential (Asia-Pacific guide): highest optional deductible level : $15,000
« USD 150, USD 250, USD 500, USD 1,000, USD 2,500, USD 5,000, USD 10,000, USD 15,000 »
Now Health International, « WorldCare Individuals Handbook Asia-Pacific (2026) »Verified on Nov 2, 2026Verified source
- 6.
WorldCare Essential (Asia-Pacific guide): lowest optional deductible level : $150
« USD 150, USD 250, USD 500, USD 1,000, USD 2,500, USD 5,000, USD 10,000, USD 15,000 »
Now Health International, « WorldCare Individuals Handbook Asia-Pacific (2026) »Verified on Nov 2, 2026Verified source
- 7.
WorldCare: waiting period for HIV/AIDS cover : 3 years
« There is a three year waiting period for the AIDS benefit »
Now Health International, « WorldCare Essential IPID (2025) »Verified on Nov 2, 2026Verified source
- 8.
WorldCare: waiting period for pregnancy complications : 12 months
« a 12 month waiting period for Pregnancy Medical Conditions. »
Now Health International, « WorldCare Essential IPID (2025) »Verified on Nov 2, 2026Verified source