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HEALTH INSURANCE: CHANGE OF INSURANCE COMPANY
You may decide to change your private health insurance in Spain for many reasons. For example, financially: its cost has increased significantly for the new year, or you suddenly realized that your friends are paying significantly less money for the same set of services. Or maybe, on the contrary, your financial capabilities have increased, and you have the opportunity to switch to a better policy with greater coverage? It often happens that you are not at all satisfied with the quality and/or level of service of the company providing you with medical insurance (for example, a long wait for authorization for procedures, etc., etc.) or the intermediary who issued the policy for you.
So, you are thinking about changing your insurance company. Many questions immediately arise. In what cases is the transition impossible? How to renew insurance in a timely and correct manner (gain in price without losing in quality)? In our article we will tell you about the intricacies of changing an insurance company in Spain. So, what you need to pay attention to when renewing your policy.
Deadlines
Typically, a health insurance policy provides for automatic annual renewal. The renewal date can be tied to the calendar year (the policy is renewed on January 1) or to the date the insurance was originally issued (the policy is renewed on the same day that it is issued).
In order to switch to a new insurance company, you must notify your current insurance company that you do not want to renew your policy at least one month before the renewal date, otherwise the policy will be renewed and you will have a financial obligation to pay it for the next year. In this case, the notification must be sent in writing, accompanied by a copy of a document confirming the identity of the policy holder.
Pathologies that arose before re-registration
The procedure involves filling out a health questionnaire (either on paper or over the phone by an insurance company employee). Based on the information provided, the insurance company will decide whether it will accept the client for full service, or whether restrictions will be imposed on pathologies that arose before the policy was issued (complete exclusion from coverage, or temporary deductibles).
If your health does not raise any questions, you can change your health insurance at least every year. However, if the client has serious, life-threatening illnesses, insurance companies may, in principle, not accept him for service. In the presence of certain pathologies, it is advisable not to change the insurance company. Because of this, it is important to ensure that your new policy will provide you with the coverage you need before canceling your existing insurance. As a rule, insurance companies are not inclined to treat diseases that arose before the policy was issued, but this does not mean that any pathology will fall under the exception. Companies evaluate each specific case individually, which is why it is important to fill out the questionnaire correctly. What happens if the pathology is known to the client, but is not stated in the questionnaire? If during the process of servicing the policy it is revealed that a pathology was diagnosed earlier, but was hidden when taking out insurance, the insurance company has the right to exclude service for this disease, up to (in the case of concealing something serious) until the insurance contract is terminated.
Waiting periods
When you take out private health insurance in Spain, some services (in particular hospitalization and non-life-threatening surgery) are subject to waiting periods. The waiting period is a fixed period of time from the moment the contract is concluded during which insurance does not cover the costs of these services.
If you have had a health insurance policy with similar coverage for more than a year, most waiting periods may be waived. To cancel them, you must provide a copy of the current policy, as well as the latest confirmation of payment.
Important! The waiting period for childbirth always remains and, as a rule, it is 8 months. This means that if one of the insured is currently in a difficult situation and the current policy covers childbirth, then, in principle, it is better to wait to change the insurance company.
Coverage type
When comparing different health insurance options, you need to look not only at the price, but also at the coverage package provided. If you need comprehensive health insurance, make sure that the policy does not include restrictions on hospitalization. Also, check whether additional payments are provided for seeking medical help or whether the policy provides services without any additional payments. In case you need a policy to extend your residence, it is important to make sure that the coverage meets the Extranjería requirements.
We remind you that health insurance may only provide the opportunity to be treated in clinics collaborating with the insurance company (Cuadro médico), or, in addition to the agreed centers, to contact any medical institutionden in Spain.
Watch the live broadcast about the change of insurance company - https://youtu.be/NLlEraHK0UQ?si=zYGbspfyjPptYMBR
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