Why you should beware of many Spanish Bank Insurance policies

Beware of Medical Insurance with a Spanish Bank

Posted on 15 October, 2018 at 10:00

Beware of Spanish Banks and their medical insurance deals.

In Spain there are many Banks and Expat organizations who offer Spanish Medical Insurance via some of the big name Insurers.

We need to be aware that these Insurances are usually the same price or maybe a few euros cheaper per annum than buying it direct from the insurance company , but they do not normally offer the same cover as you would receive were you to insure direct with the Insurance Company.

Caixa Bank offer Caser Insurance, then Sabadell bank offer DKV medical insurance and a few large expat brokers offer similar big name Insurances via Sanitas, Assa Assisa Mapfre Axa. All the insurers will provide a trimmed down version of their insurance and leave the seller to put their own prices on the policy..

SO WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED BEWARE

These large Organizations approach an insurance company promise the Insurer high volume of sales and negotiate a lower price policy and then negotiate it even lower by removing or reducing the cover. They create exclusions exceptions price caps and all the nasties we do not want to find in an insurance policy. Having reduced the cover substantially they then proceed to sell often never mentioning that its not the same product .

These type of  policies are called modality insurances. In these insurances physiotherapy maybe reduced to 30 sessions a year, heaven help you if you need rehabiltation after a serious accident requiring 120 physios in a year, Donor Tissues & Organs maybe excluded yet the policy mentions Surgery for organ transplant is included. You proceed thinking this clause includes the donor tissue or organ.

With the DKV Medical Insurance we sell there is NO COST LIMIT on treatment. You are treated until rehabilitated. The Sabadell bank DKV policy caps expenditure at 237.000,00 euros a very big difference to taking the DKV policy through our agency for unlimited cover.

If you are offered a cheaper cost for the same insurer it is almost definately a modality insurance lacking in cover as the Insurance Companies will not permit their fully comprehensive policy to be undersold for any reason

There are many people who have made the assumption that because its the same Insurance Company that they are getting like for like for 30 euros a year cheaper. Buyer beware........

Why not call Tailor Made Healthcare Solutions and chat with us regarding medical policies in general   www.tailormadehealthcarespain.org 

10 GOOD REASONS TO CHOOSE DKV INTEGRAL MEDICAL INSURANCE
Posted on 1 November, 2018 at 7:20
November Policies will be 20% less for upto 13 months. Then 2020 will be 15% lower and 2021 10% lower, 2022 5% lower

 

This is why this DKV Insurance is Spains most comprehensive and best value policy

1. No upfront payments - DKV settle direct with Hospital/Medical centre

2. No claim forms

3. Medical Cover without Limits - Treated until rehabilitated

( The most important clause to look for in medical insurance as 98% of insurers cannot match this in Spain)

4. Choice of DKV affiliated medical centres 1800 across Spain

5. Basic Dentistry

6. Travel Assistance & Accident & Emergency upto 20.000,00€ when outside of Spain

7. The Elite Option without Copago recommended policy Residency applications

8. Under this policy - Not happy with Doctor Specialist then get a second opinion

9. Includes all the main preventative Medical checks and cancer screening- wellman well woman checks

10. Choices -Not happy waiting a week phone other centres ,Specialists or Doctors and get seen sooner

DKV INTEGRAL POLICY RATED SPAINS NO.1 MEDICAL POLICY FOR COMPREHENSIVE COVER

Tailor Made Healthcare Solutions are an English Agency for Spanish Medical Insurance offices located in Spain

www.tailormadehealthcarespain.org

Free Healthcare for all in Spain

Since the Decree was issued we have spoken to 100's of customers who have tried and failed
Within the last 6 months we have spoken to many people who have tried to obtain the Free Spanish Healthcare and been turned away. Some have tried several times and others have employed lawyers or Spanish gestors to assist in the process. 

This week we sold a medical insurance policy to a customer in Almeria a registered resident of Spain who was convinced that in Almeria there would not be an issue. However, he tells us that he made three attempts spending several days going from office to office to no avail. Finally he went to a Spanish law firm and asked them to assist. They wrote letters, attended meetings, yet 1200€ in fees later, the lawyer informed him that he would not be entitled in the near future. The explanation was that the Provincial Health Authority  whilst knowing that the Decree was in place insisted that there was a higher law relating to Spain’s Social Security requirements and regulations which meant that they were only obliged to offer Free Healthcare to Pensioners, Disabled, Homeless, Destitute and illegal immigrants with no home.

This client aged 53 finally took out Private Medical Insurance for 43,99€ per month

Another client tells us that  having received approval at their local village medical centre, they then had cause to go to a Spanish State hospital on an Emergency resulting in a 10 day stay. At the end of that stay he was given a payment demand for 8.500,00€. The hospital informed him that the medical centre had been incorrect in accepting his application as he had no S1 (S1 reciprocal medical care arrangement between governments) and was not paying social security in Spain.
Each week we speak to people who share the same experiences of being refused, yet on Social Media when Private Healthcare is mentioned a string of posts appear telling people not to pay for healthcare because it is free. The majority who make these claims  are pensioners on the S1 who are entitled to reciprocal medical care and are simply repeating what they have read without experiencing the reality. Slowly for most, the realization is dawning that the promised free healthcare is not going to be available to all any time soon and people must not take a chance with their health.

On Facebook in recent weeks I have challenged 2 people claiming they have the free Spanish State Healthcare yet when challenged it turns out they have been living in Spain dependent on the EHIC card for medical attention. Both admitted they were never aware that the EHIC is only for emergency temporary medical assistance ending 90 days after you arrive in Spain. Interestingly both ladies believed their husbands, who insisted to each of them that they did not need medical insurance as they were fully covered with a European Health Card. These days if you attend a Hospital and need costly medical attention the Health Authority will require evidence of your arrival date and if you are getting treatment beyond the 90 days of arriving, they now raise an invoice.

A friend of mine on a 3 month caravan trip to Alicante collapsed 2 years ago and went to the State Hospital with his EHIC card. He was in a coma for 10 days and they found a tumour on his brain. At the time he was admitted, he had been in Spain for 60 days. The care he received was wonderful but when he reached his 90 days in Spain he was advised ongoing care would be at his cost. He stayed another 10 days until he was well enough for a car journey home. The 10 days cost 5.600,00€ Unfortunately my friend passed away 6 months later. This is a good example of how the EHIC works for genuine holiday makers and will not work for long term dwellers in Spain

In Spain you can arrange some very low cost health insurance by volunteering to pay a small excess each time you visit a Doctor or Specialist so forexample a 60 year old can have a very comprehensive policy for as little as 48€ per month

Francis Payne

Tailor Made Healthcare Solutions Spain

The English Agency for Spanish Medical Insurance

www.tailormadehealthcarespain.org