What are the periods of lack in health insurance
The Medical insurance private are a very good option if you want to complement public health, either because you prefer to go to the doctor's office without first going through the doctor, or because you want to get a certain diagnostic test without tedious waiting lists. Whatever the reason, the option is interesting if you can afford it, and if, above all, health insurance has broad coverage and services.
Explained in a simple way, and as we mentioned in the article in which we asked ourselves: What are medical insurance? A health insurance is one in which a person signs a contract with an insurance company, in which he is insured the health of the person, so that the insurer is committed to cover the medical expenses of the patient. In return, the client (or patient) must pay a certain monthly amount, and depending on the type of insurance that is, also some amounts determined according to the expenses that are produced (copayments).
But as we indicated in the article Before hiring a health insurance: what you should keep in mind, before hiring health insurance it is very important to analyze its characteristics, coverage and price. Among the characteristics to be taken into account is the one known as lack period. About him we speak to you on this occasion.
What is a grace period?
It consists of a period of time during which the insured is not entitled to certain benefits that derive from insurance, so that a pass passes or elapses that period of lack, you can start using the insurance with absolute and total normality.
This grace period begins from the moment in which the contracted health insurance policy comes into force, and usually ranges from 3 months for simple medical treatments up to 12 months for some complex medical treatments and diagnostic tests (such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, transplants, diagnosis of sterility or infertility ...).
However, the person can have access to simple diagnostic tests (such as blood and urine tests, ultrasound and x-rays ...), and to medical specialists, almost in most health insurance.
What is the purpose of the grace periods?
Its objective is to control fraud, and prevent a certain client who has been previously diagnosed with a serious illness from taking out private health insurance with the aim of accessing complex medical treatments as a priority.
When would the grace period for health insurance not apply?
Deficiency periods do not apply in cases of accidents or life-threatening illnesses, which have occurred and been diagnosed after the date of entry into force of the policy.
Also if you already have health insurance contracted with the competition, and you decide to hire in a new company. In many cases, the new insurer respects the grace period of the previous one.
On the other hand, on certain occasions insurers can launch advertising campaigns and offers that encourage people to take out their medical insurance, enjoying discounts and interesting promotions. One of the most common is to suspend the grace periods for new insured who hire insurance in a certain period of time.
Coverages and treatments subject to grace periods
We can establish a set of medical treatments and specialties that, in most medical insurance, are usually subject to certain periods of deprivation. They are the following:
- Ambulatory surgical interventions (3 months) and non-ambulatory surgical procedures (6 months).
- Hospitalizations (6 months).
- Pregnancy and childbirth (between 8 to 12 months).
- Assisted reproduction treatments (between 6 to 8 months).
- Transplants (12 months).
- Chemotherapy and radiotherapy (between 10 to 12 months).
- Complex diagnostic tests, such as TAC (between 6 to 10 months).
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