Why Hire Health Insurance?
December 27, 2019
Many people consider the possibility of contracting a medical insurance that protects their health and that of their family and assures them the most comfortable, fast and efficient health care, as well as the diagnoses, treatments, analytics, tests and hospitalization at the moment in which who need it. In Spain these services are covered by public health, however, the massification of the same, waiting lists, as well as the lack of investment and maintenance of health centers and hospitals lead many to opt for a health solution private But, if you can access health services for free, why hire health insurance?
Private health VS public health
The public health that Spaniards enjoy today is in a period of reform. Co-payments, reductions in staff, decrease in the services offered and increase in waiting times when making an appointment with a doctor, and more if you are a specialist, since access to them can become a complicated task. Therefore, private healthcare, which can be accessed through health insurance, is the solution if you want to have specialized health care in addition to other services without the need for long waits.
Use of health insurance
The strong points of private healthcare depend on the user, since each confers more importance to some services than to others. Among the advantages of having hired a health insurance can be highlighted:
Speed and agility
The time you have to wait to be able to perform diagnostic tests and subsequently obtain results is an average of 8 days, while the same process in public health would take you over 47.
Emergency services
The emergency services of the health insurance allow access to specialized care without long periods in the waiting room for not being as overcrowded as public.
Hospitalization
Having a health insurance it is possible to choose in which hospital you want to be admitted and treated. And not only do you benefit, but in many cases your companions can access benefits while you are in and that, compared to many public centers where more than 2 patients live in each room and their families, in private you can access to one exclusively for you and thus be more comfortable and calm.
Primary and specialized assistance
Through a health insurance you can access a large number of specialties and, in most cases, you can do so without having to go through your GP. That way you can speed up the consultations and go to the doctor you want before a health problem.
In addition, these policies allow you to choose personally and at all times the doctor you want to see you. You can decide which center to go to and which of its professionals will attend you.
Dental care
Just as public health offers you dental services, health insurance offers you a wide range of dental health care so that your mouth is healthy. In addition, many of the treatments that you must pay in public or that you would end up doing in a private center are included, and if not, your policy can offer special prices. There are even Dental insurances that can be hired specifically or within a health insurance and that include free consultation, urgency, cleaning, x-rays and even periodoncies, among other services.
Medical treatments
Private centers usually offer innovative treatments and new health techniques to their users, and even allow them to obtain a second medical opinion or receive specialized care abroad.
Public and private health
Having a health insurance does not prevent you from accessing public health, so if for any treatment or hospitalization you want to go to a public health center you can do so. That is to say, that you hire a policy of this type does not imply that you can not access the services offered by Social Security.
Centers throughout the national territory
Even if you hire health insurance in your city, you can not only access the centers that are arranged in it, but you can go to any ambulatory or hospital in the national territory, no matter where you are. The choice of a private or other center is made by you, and you can determine it according to the speed at which it is attended, the information that is offered to you, the personal treatment you receive or the quality of its facilities.
Medical means
Another point that can lead you to hire health insurance is the training of its professionals and the technology and means available to private centers, which directly affect the quality of the services offered.
International attention
If you lack health insurance when you travel to a country in the European Union, you can access health services thanks to the European Health Card, although not in all countries it works in the same way. However, when the destination is outside the European territory if you get sick or suffer an accident you may have to face high financial charges for health care.
With a policy of this type, you can be treated regardless of where you are since insurers have agreements with international centers and offer health care outside of your country, and many times, without any additional cost. In addition, if you have to return urgently to your place of residence due to medical reasons, they can even cover the repatriation or transfer of a relative to be with you where you are hospitalized.
Positive assessment of Health insurance
The Institute for the Development and Integration of Health (IDIS) periodically publishes barometers that measure the satisfaction of private health users and reveal their strengths. According to the latest public event, 2 out of 10 emergencies are performed in private institutions, as well as 3 out of 10 surgical operations. Something that helps reduce the waiting lists of the national health system.
On the contrary, the worst value is usually its price, since all these services are obtained in exchange for the payment of a premium. However, it is possible to contract an insurance product of this type without a high cost adjusting the coverage or opting for the modality with co-payment or reimbursement.
The more time a person with medical insurance takes, the better they value their services because they know in greater depth all that private health offers. Are you going to lose all its advantages?
If you want to take out health insurance to protect your well-being and that of your family, the best way is to compare the ones offered by the different insurers.