Beyond school insurance: what expat families really need

Year 6 left for an overnight trip on Tuesday. By sunset, Lukas (Berlin family, now in Asia) had an ankle the size of a tennis ball. A teacher called: Which clinic should we use? Who pays?

The school had an accident policy, but it did not answer the two questions his parents cared about most: Who can see him now? and Will we need to pay up front?

Here is the quiet truth many families discover: school cover protects the school first. It helps for incidents on campus or trips, but it rarely covers the care families actually use, such as international clinics, follow ups, scans, braces, or mental health support after a tough term.

Below are the blind spots we see most often, plus simple ways to close them without blowing the budget.

1) “Which clinic can see us tonight?”

What you expect: GP triage, referral, then secondary care.

What happens here: You choose a private international clinic and pay the full tariff unless your plan has Outpatient with direct billing (see UK government guidance on foreign travel insurance ).

Fix: Pair Outpatient for urgent visits, scans and physio with Inpatient if admission is needed. Direct billing means the clinic invoices the insurer, not you (see ABI data on medical claims and repatriation costs).

2) Half term travel and the big “what if”

Ski week in Hokkaido, diving in Bali, grandparents in Europe. All great until someone needs specialist care that is not available locally.

Fix: Add Evacuation. A clinical team manages the transfer, bed to bed, to the right hospital in region or back home. This is low probability, high impact cover that buys certainty.

3) Expecting a baby far from home

Clémence (Paris to Bangkok) hoped for midwife led antenatal care and a calm delivery. Private hospitals provide that experience if your plan includes Maternity and the newborn’s first days.

Fix: Choose Maternity and check the 10 to 12 month waiting periods. Add the newborn from day one. Pair with Outpatient for scans and routine checks.

4) Small teeth, big bills

School snacks, sport, scooter tumbles. Dentistry arrives earlier than expected. Add vision screenings and the first pair of glasses, and costs climb.

Fix: Include Vision & Dental so check ups, fillings and glasses do not become surprises. If you expect orthodontics, ask about limits and waiting periods.

5) The bit nobody talks about: feeling wobbly

New school, new language, new friends. Great growth. Real pressure. Parents feel it too.

Fix: Add Health & Well being for counselling and psychology. Access to an English speaking professional, sometimes in your home language, can steady the whole family.

Quick decision guide

  • Many clinic visits? → Outpatient + Inpatient

  • Travel often? → Evacuation + Outpatient + Inpatient

  • Expecting? → Maternity + Outpatient + Inpatient (mind waiting periods)

  • Routine checks for kids? → add Vision & Dental

  • Need emotional support? → add Health & Well being

How Winson Health makes this easy

  • Clinic matching: Winson Health maps your cover to the international clinics you already use, with direct billing where available.

  • Clear, no jargon guidance: Plain explanations of what is covered, what is not, and how claims work, with no small print surprises.

  • Putting you first, always: Support for your family and children, from the right plan to claims, going beyond school insurance.

Get your free 10-minute gap check today and give your family the cover and peace of mind you need abroad.