Before hiring health insurance: what you should keep in mind

If we take into account the large number of cuts that have occurred in recent years in public health (among which we can mention, for example, that patients must pay more for their medications or their treatments, or that older youth 26 years old must prove a lack of income, since otherwise they would lose the health card), it is normal that the number of people who choose to contract some health insurance. Above all as a way to complement public health, and not depend on long and endless waiting lists.

As we mentioned in the article What are medical insurance? Both health insurance and health insurance consist of a contract that a person establishes with an insurance company, in which what is insured is the person's health , since it is the insurer that must cover their medical expenses according to the conditions indicated in the aforementioned contract.

There is no doubt that many are the advantages of medical insurance, given that, for example, you have the freedom to choose the medical specialist that you like best within the medical picture of the insurer, and opt for a wide variety of diagnostic tests in the most occasions without tedious waiting lists.

But if you are considering the possibility of hiring health and medical insurance, we recommend you to consider some important features and elements that you should not miss.

Things you should keep in mind before hiring your health insurance

Periods of lack: the majority of health insurance has certain periods of lack, in most cases, applied to diagnostic tests and complex treatments. This means that although you can have access to simple diagnostic tests (such as blood and urine tests, ultrasound and x-rays ...), and to medical specialists, for other cases you must wait for a certain period of time otherwise the insurer will not This service would cover you and therefore you would have to pay the expenses. The grace period may be between 3 months to 6 months, going through 8 months for delivery and 10 months for complex treatments (such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy).
Medical chart of the insurerIt is very common for many of the medical specialists working in your city to be in the medical picture of most insurers. If you are looking for a certain doctor, it is interesting that you take a look at the insurer's database (which you can easily consult through its website).
Coverages included and not included: It is common to make the mistake of hiring a medical insurance for being inexpensive without stopping to read what coverages would be included or not. The problem is then evident: after spending a few months or years, and you need to perform a certain diagnostic test, go to a consultation or you must follow a medical treatment, it turns out that it is not covered.
Beware of pre-existing conditions (or existing diseases): the pre-existences are those pathologies that the person presents before the date of the contracting of the medical insurance. The truth is that we are facing a controversial section, as there are ailments or diseases that although at the time of insurance contracting have not yet caused symptoms, the insurer could consider that it already existed previously.
Do you have diseases or pathologies already diagnosed?In the case of certain serious diseases or pathologies that have already been diagnosed prior to the contracting of the medical insurance, the person has the obligation to report them in the health questionnaire provided by the insurer. In these cases, it is the insurance company that will finally tell you whether or not those pathologies cover you, and if it covers them, the most usual thing is that you raise the price a little.
Compare, always compare: not only in relation to the prices of the different medical insurances offered by insurers, but also in their coverage and characteristics, since it can happen that for one or two euros more per month you can enjoy a more complete health insurance in the competition That is why it is very important to have patience and read the insurance contract and each and every one of its conditions.

Image | Flickr