IMG Global (GPMI) health insurance for expats in Asia

IMG's Global Primary Medical Insurance (GPMI), sold as Global Prima, is a modular international private medical insurance (IPMI) plan with five core tiers. IPMIAsia explains the tiers, optional dental and maternity, the wide underwriting menu, and how it suits expat families in Asia.

Five tiers and two optional add-ons

Global Prima is the unified international plan that emerged when IMG and ALC Health were brought together. It is modular in the plainest sense: you choose a tier for the core medical cover, and then add dental and maternity only if you want them.

• Dental is optional on every tier for an additional premium. It carries a 6-month waiting period, although accidental damage is covered immediately.
• Routine maternity is optional on all five tiers and carries a 10-month waiting period.

What the core covers

The core covers inpatient and day-patient hospital treatment, with out-patient cover that scales up through the tiers. Because dental and maternity sit outside the core, you only pay for them when you need them, which is a straightforward way to keep the premium down if you do not.

The widest underwriting menu

IMG lists more underwriting routes than almost any other international insurer, which means there is usually one that fits your circumstances.

FMU (Full Medical Underwriting)

You give your full history; the application has three headline knockout health questions. IMG then offers standard terms, applies personal exclusions, or declines, so you know where you stand before you buy.

Moratorium

No declaration upfront. Recent pre-existing conditions are excluded and can become eligible after a continuous symptom-free and treatment-free period.

CPME (Continuing Personal Medical Exclusions)

When you switch insurer, your existing exclusions carry across as they are, with no fresh underwriting of new conditions.

MHD (Medical History Disregarded)

A group-scheme basis where the insurer sets members' medical history aside, so pre-existing conditions are not excluded. It is only available to company or group policies that meet a minimum number of lives, which varies by insurer, and not to individuals.

One useful detail: if IMG cannot offer the underwriting type you applied for, it may offer an alternative. That makes advice on which route gives the best cover worth having. Nomi flags the basis, and an experienced adviser confirms terms. Read more in our pre-existing conditions guide.

Claims, pre-authorisation and direct billing

• Planned inpatient or day-patient treatment should be pre-authorised as early as possible, and no later than five working days before admission.
• Once a claim is pre-authorised and eligible, IMG issues a Guarantee of Payment to the hospital and settles directly, so you are not out of pocket.
• Everything runs through the MyIMG / MyALC online member area: pre-authorisation, claims, facility search and documents, backed by a 24-hour helpline and WhatsApp.
• Quote the pre-authorisation number on any follow-up correspondence and keep your bank details current for reimbursements.

IMG Global for expats in Asia

IMG's area of cover and plan currency are confirmed at quote rather than fixed in the published tier table, so when you compare Global Prima with a plan from another insurer, ask for the area and currency first. For most people living in Asia, the question is whether the United States needs to be in the area at all; our guide to regional versus worldwide cover sets out how to decide.

The modular design is a practical fit for a family moving between Asian hubs. A couple without children can skip maternity entirely, add it ten months before they plan to need it, and keep dental out until it matters. The Guarantee of Payment arrangement is what makes planned hospital treatment cashless, so the five-working-day pre-authorisation rule is worth building into any treatment plan.

For employers in Asia arranging cover for a team, the Medical History Disregarded basis is the detail to ask about: subject to the minimum number of lives, it can set staff medical history aside entirely. IPMIAsia includes IMG in every whole-market comparison it runs through Nomi.

Relevant country pages: Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan.

Who IMG Global suits

A strong fit if you want to pay only for what you need, with dental and maternity as optional extras, or if your medical history calls for a flexible underwriting route. For company and group cover, the MHD basis can set medical history aside entirely, subject to the minimum number of lives.

Worth comparing if you want dental and maternity bundled in as standard, or a different plan structure altogether. See IMG next to Cigna Global and Allianz Care, or browse all insurers.

Frequently asked questions

This page is general information, not personal or medical advice, and is based on IMG Global Prima (GPMI) plan documentation; exact terms, limits and underwriting are confirmed by the insurer at quote. Prices are indicative. IMG and the IMG logo are trademarks of International Medical Group.