A health policy is insurance that protects you in the event of health problems that you solve by contacting private healthcare, by choice, or by obligation.
Not very common until a few decades ago, now more and more people stipulate it, mainly due to public health shortcomings.
The range of health policies on the market is truly immense, which means choosing a health plan can be difficult. Knowing certain details before comparing an individual, couple, or family health plan can make it easier. For this, we have decided to list here useful tips to do so.
1- Discover the different types of health insurance
The first thing you need to know is that there are different types of health policies, each suitable to cover certain needs:
· Classic health policy: it is insurance that helps you in the event of illness or injury, covering diagnostic tests, treatments, hospital admissions, and the purchase of related drugs.
· Accident policy: in this case, the plan will cover only expenses relating to diagnostics and treatment in the event of an accident.
· Homecare policy: insurance that pays the costs of home care you need if, for example, you have had an accident or got sick.
· Permanent Disability Policy: This insurance protects you by paying compensation if you suffer a non-temporary disability.
· Dental policy: Most traditional policies do not provide for the payment of dental care. This is why some companies offer specific insurance for mouth health-related expenses.
· Travel health insurance: a time-limited policy that covers you when you are abroad.
2- Take into consideration your work and your lifestyle
As you have certainly understood by reading the list above, choosing the right policy for you has a lot to do with your job, habits, and lifestyle.If the more “classic” type of policy suits more or less everyone, the other cases concern more specific needs.
For example, if you live alone, away from your family, or if you and your partner both work, a home care policy, especially as you get older, maybe for you.
On the other hand, the occurrence that worries you the most is that of an accident, perhaps because you do a risky job, play sports where you can easily get hurt, or even simply spend a lot of time driving; the accident policy is for you.
3- Choose a policy suitable for your age
Insurance companies always place age limits on taking out their health policies. If you are over 55, therefore, you will need to carefully check the maximum age provided by the insurance you have chosen.
Fortunately, in recent years many insurance policies for older people have emerged, and it is not strange to find a policy for retirees, or at least for over 65, in the catalog of all the main insurance companies.
These insurances provide, in addition to reimbursement in the event of examinations and hospitalization, also home assistance during convalescence.
4- Consider additional services
In some cases, a policy may offer more than just coverage for care costs; but it can also provide you with other services.
An example is a legal coverage in the event of damage sustained by incorrect or negligent medical treatment.
Ask yourself which ones you may need and which ones you don’t.
5- Don’t forget that a health policy doesn’t cover everything
Don’t forget that even the broadest policy won’t cover all of your health-related expenses, however. The policies generally do not cover:
· Expenses for the treatment of pre-existing medical problems at the time of stipulation.
· Those due to the abuse of alcohol, drugs, and psychotropic drugs, even in the event of accidents caused by these substances.
· Dental expenses, unless otherwise specified.
· Expenses for aesthetic interventions.
· Those for diets and nutritional advice.
· Contraceptives and voluntary abortions.
6- The premium is variable and depends on many factors
The premium of a health policy can vary greatly depending on who requests it. This happens because it is calculated based on several factors, which have to do with your age, lifestyle, work you do, state of health, and so on.
For these reasons, therefore, each contractor will receive a different and personalized quote.
7- Talk to your doctor before stipulation
When taking out health insurance, you will need to provide a lot of information about your health status.
It is important that you are absolutely honest and accurate with the data you report because if you provide incorrect information, the company could terminate your policy, or in any case, problems could emerge, perhaps at the time of need.
8- Pay attention to the ceiling
All health policies have a ceiling, and obviously, the higher this is, the more expensive they are.
But how high must this ceiling be? In the event of a serious accident or illness, health care costs can rise very quickly, especially in the case of long hospitalizations, surgery, the need to use special machinery, and so on.
A ceiling of a few tens of thousands of euros may not be enough.
9- Watch out for prepaid expenses
Some insurers plan to anticipate the expense due to health facilities, which the companies then reimburse.
It goes without saying that this formula can predict that you are forced to shell out a large sum of money upfront, only to have it returned to you later. Ask yourself if you can afford such an expense.
10- An important factor: assistance
Your insurance’s assistance service must be efficient and always reachable, give you the serenity you need, and intervene promptly in emergencies.
Better to make sure that your company’s service is up to your needs and knows how to guide you in the most delicate moments.
