When we consider contracting private health insurance we must take into account some aspects, such as coverage, deficiencies, and exclusions, to choose the one that best suits our needs. In today’s article, we are going to talk about everything we need to know before hiring for health insurance.
The number of people who consider taking out private health insurance as a complement to public health grows every year, as well as the supply of insurance companies. Given the wide variety of options available to us, hiring private health insurance, a priori, does not seem like an easy task.
How to buy health insurance and choose the right one?
To choose the health insurance that suits our needs, we must take into account important aspects that will give us information, both about what it offers us and what each policy limits us. These are the most important aspects that we should know before hiring health insurance:
The type of insurance
The first aspect that we must assess before hiring health insurance is the type of insurance to be hired. Is insurance with a copayment, in which the monthly premium is lower but we pay a fee for each service received, or without a copayment, where the premium is higher but includes all services, is better for us? Depending on the frequency with which we go to the doctor, one type or another of insurance may suit us. There is also reimbursement insurance, a modality within medical policies that allows us to access the private doctors and health centers that we want, paying the entire visit but later recovering part of the amount of the invoice.
The coverages included and their limits
Health mutuals offer us different types of insurance, depending on the coverage included. Before contracting medical insurance, we must carefully analyze the ones that best suit our needs, because although generally, medical insurance includes coverage of the main specialties, such as general medicine, gynecology, and obstetrics, pediatrics, nursing, rehabilitation, etc., not all companies offer the same or in the same way. On the other hand, does it cover hospitalization? What diagnostic tests and what type of dental coverage include? Therefore, another of the things we must do before hiring health insurance is to check well that the ones that interest us most are included and know the limitations in terms of the number of sessions, the economic amount …
It is important to be very clear about what our insurance offers us and not be dazzled by attractive offers that do not meet our needs.
The medical chart
The medical staff of a company is made up of the doctors or health centers associated with that company. If we are interested in a specialist or a specific center, it is useful to know whether or not it is included so that you do not have to opt for a policy with reimbursement or assume the cost of the consultation yourself.
In this sense, it is also important to know what services and emergency centers the insurer offers and if home care is included.
The lacks
Before contracting health insurance, it is necessary to know what the grace periods are for the various medical benefits. To prevent a person from taking out health insurance just to undergo some medical test, treatment, or surgery and then withdraw, health insurers establish grace periods for certain services. That is, a waiting time to access them once the policy comes into force. The most common are those that affect pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, which are usually between six and ten months. If we plan to use some insurance benefits immediately, we must know whether or not it will be possible for us.
Exclusions
The exclusions of health insurance are the assumptions (illnesses, diagnoses, treatments, or physical conditions) that the insurers will not cover in any case, so we must know if the policy includes these assumptions and what they are. They are common in health insurance and are specified in the policy contract.
Previous illness coverage
It is usual for the health insurance company to request that you answer a questionnaire about your current health status and medical history. Certain chronic diseases, pathologies, or previous injuries that the policyholder presents before contracting the insurance may not be included in the policy or that doing so costs us an extra in the premium. It is what is called “ pre-existing diseases ” and we must take into account, if we have them, whether or not they are covered before deciding to buy health insurance.
Age limits
Some insurers increase the price of the policy after a certain age (approximately 65 years), so it is important to take this point into account for the future.
Geographic coverage
The last point on how to hire the appropriate health insurance would be to assess the geographical coverage of the insurance. As a general rule, health mutuals offer national health coverage. However, to avoid surprises, it is convenient to check that our health insurance covers us outside of our autonomous community or, even, abroad, a very interesting aspect if you usually travel.
