A study by PMI Global has found that 20 per cent of companies that send employees overseas for prolonged periods of six months or more, fail to provide them with international health insurance .
PMI Global say the research has revealed the need for a greater duty of care amongst many employers that assign staff abroad . It also pointed out that for those staffed within the EU, as many as 36 per cent of companies rely on individual European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) for their employees’ health cover .
The study also showed that 20 per cent of those surveyed were unaware that their employers liability insurance would not always cover staff working overseas and that country-specific policies could be required.
Rachael Floyd, operations director at PMI Global, commented: “While the EHIC entitles any resident in the UK to receive emergency healthcare treatment while travelling in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, restrictions mean it isn’t a substitute for standalone international health insurance .”