The Argus Group has announced that, effective June 1, it will remove annual and lifetime maximum restrictions on its coverage of overseas major medical treatments and also eliminate exemptions regarding pre-existing conditions from overseas medical care.

Argus is the first insurance company in Bermuda to offer these benefits — and at no extra cost to its clients.

A policy maximum is the limit on the benefits an insurance company will cover in an allotted time period, after which the individual has to pay for all remaining healthcare costs. As a result of the new policy, Argus clients who require major medical treatment abroad will have all necessary medical expenses paid for by Argus Health. Major medical benefits include hospital, surgical, anesthetic, medical, diagnostic and related emergency or referred treatment and services received overseas. All Argus Health clients, regardless of age, will benefit from this new policy, with the exception of dependant children aged 19 to 26 taking a gap year and members enrolled in the Signal Plan.

“Major medical procedures are often serious health treatments that can be physically, emotionally and financially stressful for individuals and their families,” said Michelle Jackson, the executive vice-president in charge of group insurance at Argus. “We are proud to be the first insurance company in Bermuda to remove the maximum-coverage limit on major medical treatments. Our clients rely on us for assistance and we are delighted to offer full coverage at a time when it is most needed.”

The Signal Plan is Argus Health’s economical group plan that offers comprehensive local and overseas benefits but with some restrictions to make it more affordable than other group health plans available in Bermuda. At the same time, Argus Health has also enhanced the Signal Plan by increasing lifetime limits for overseas coverage from $1 million to $1.5 million, and doubling the annual overseas coverage to $500,000.

Argus is also the first local insurer to remove the exemptions on pre-existing conditions. Historically, individuals with pre-existing conditions who change insurance companies have had to wait six months before having their overseas medical care covered by their insurance plan. This benefit is applicable across all group health plans.

“As a leading insurance company in Bermuda, we want to ensure that Argus Health members have access to the medical care they need when they need it,” said Alison Hill, the chief executive officer of the Argus Group. “At Argus Health, we are pleased to be able to waive the pre-existing condition limit for all our group health clients, regardless of their medical history. It’s all part of the Argus ‘Our Interest is You’ philosophy of putting the needs of our clients first.”

• To learn more about Argus Health plans, call 298-0888 or visit www.argus.bm.