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Full medical health care

Posted: Mon Jun 8, 2020 5:23pm
9 replies398 views3 members subscribed
Debz1963

Posts: 9

Location: Camposol

Joined: 25 May 2020

Hi, please can anyone advice on best companies for full medical insurance please 😀

Will60

Posted: Mon Jun 8, 2020 8:01pm

Will60

Helpful member

Posts: 317

315 helpful points

Joined: 10 Feb 2020

Posted: Mon Jun 8, 2020 8:01pm

If you gain Residency, your PHI will, in time, become your only source of healthcare. So accessibility and quality are the important factors (not just cost).

My wife and I have our health insurance with DKV. My wife became seriously ill last year, and DKV have been absolutely fantastic. 

BUT we have had to travel to obtain treatment and tests, mostly to the Quiron Hospital in Murcia. We have also used (I think) 8 other medical facilities in Murcia, Elche and Torrevieja. 

This seems to be quite normal. We have met numerous other people "doing the rounds" - each having different insurers.

Into the detail .... insurers may quote the various clinics and hospitals that they use, but in reality, they pick and choose exactly what services they contract for at which hospital. So if your insurer's brochure says that they use (say) Quiron or Imed hospitals/clinics, the city you have to go to depends on the medical service you need.   

We use a GP in our village (not the health centre) and she acts as the gateway into the DKV system - and she is very good at it. 

Our local GP works with DKV (which may be why our local insurance broker recommended DKV). So it seems that the most important thing is to have an insurer who works with your local GP.


Debz1963

Posted: Mon Jun 8, 2020 8:12pm

Debz1963

Original Poster

Posts: 9

Location: Camposol

Joined: 25 May 2020

Posted: Mon Jun 8, 2020 8:12pm

Will60 wrote on Mon Jun 8, 2020 8:01pm:

If you gain Residency, your PHI will, in time, become your only source of healthcare. So accessibility and quality are the important factors (not just cost).

My wife and I have our health insurance with DKV. My wife became seriously ill last year, and DKV have been absolutely fantastic. 

BUT we have had to travel to obtain treatment and tests, mostly to the Quiron Hospital in Murcia. We have also used (I think) 8 other medical facilities in Murcia, Elche and Torrevieja. 

This seems to be quite normal. We have met numerous other people "doing the rounds" - each having different insurers.

Into the detail .... insurers may quote the various clinics and hospitals that they use, but in reality, they pick and choose exactly what services they contract for at which hospital. So if your insurer's brochure says that they use (say) Quiron or Imed hospitals/clinics, the city you have to go to depends on the medical service you need.   

We use a GP in our village (not the health centre) and she acts as the gateway into the DKV system - and she is very good at it. 

Our local GP works with DKV (which may be why our local insurance broker recommended DKV). So it seems that the most important thing is to have an insurer who works with your local GP.


Thank you very much, I didn’t consider this. Much appreciated 😀

PhilTox

Posted: Mon Jun 8, 2020 11:12pm

PhilTox

Helpful member

Posts: 544

489 helpful points

Location: Camposol

Joined: 1 Oct 2018

Posted: Mon Jun 8, 2020 11:12pm

Will60 wrote on Mon Jun 8, 2020 8:01pm:

If you gain Residency, your PHI will, in time, become your only source of healthcare. So accessibility and quality are the important factors (not just cost).

My wife and I have our health insurance with DKV. My wife became seriously ill last year, and DKV have been absolutely fantastic. 

BUT we have had to travel to obtain treatment and tests, mostly to the Quiron Hospital in Murcia. We have also used (I think) 8 other medical facilities in Murcia, Elche and Torrevieja. 

This seems to be quite normal. We have met numerous other people "doing the rounds" - each having different insurers.

Into the detail .... insurers may quote the various clinics and hospitals that they use, but in reality, they pick and choose exactly what services they contract for at which hospital. So if your insurer's brochure says that they use (say) Quiron or Imed hospitals/clinics, the city you have to go to depends on the medical service you need.   

We use a GP in our village (not the health centre) and she acts as the gateway into the DKV system - and she is very good at it. 

Our local GP works with DKV (which may be why our local insurance broker recommended DKV). So it seems that the most important thing is to have an insurer who works with your local GP.


Not entirely true, you need full medical cover to achive residencia, once you have a full year of residency under your belt you should be eligible to join the Spanish health system under the "convenio especial", with a monthly contribution,  something like 60€ a month if under 65, double or so for 65 and over, this covers you for pre-existing conditions as well. Once of UK pension age and have an S1 form you are then covered under the Spanish system for free, as the rules stand at the moment. Going through all this with our solicitor at the moment and this is the current information from her.  Currently with ASSA and they are refusing to pay for my wife's treatment.

Debz1963

Posted: Tue Jun 9, 2020 9:04am

Debz1963

Original Poster

Posts: 9

Location: Camposol

Joined: 25 May 2020

Posted: Tue Jun 9, 2020 9:04am

PhilTox wrote on Mon Jun 8, 2020 11:12pm:

Not entirely true, you need full medical cover to achive residencia, once you have a full year of residency under your belt you should be eligible to join the Spanish health system under the "convenio especial", with a monthly contribution,  something like 60€ a month if under 65, double o...

...r so for 65 and over, this covers you for pre-existing conditions as well. Once of UK pension age and have an S1 form you are then covered under the Spanish system for free, as the rules stand at the moment. Going through all this with our solicitor at the moment and this is the current information from her.  Currently with ASSA and they are refusing to pay for my wife's treatment.

Sorry to hear this 😓. Hope it gets resolved soon.

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PhilTox

Posted: Tue Jun 9, 2020 9:48am

PhilTox

Helpful member

Posts: 544

489 helpful points

Location: Camposol

Joined: 1 Oct 2018

Posted: Tue Jun 9, 2020 9:48am

Debz1963 wrote on Tue Jun 9, 2020 9:04am:

Sorry to hear this 😓. Hope it gets resolved soon.

Thank you. 

Be warned though, the medical insurers will wriggle out of paying at any chance (same for any insurance company I guess) in our case my wife's problem manifested 6 months into our policy but as it was not an acute issue but rather  a  hitherto undetected chronic condition they claimed it pre-existing and washed their hands of us.🤬🤬 Just had to write the cost of 1 year of medical cover each as the fee to get our residencia😔 

On a small plus side what we have had to pay for private scans etc is cheaper than bad old UK. 

Doing some simple maths shows the cost of the convenio will still be less than UK NI contributions if we had not upped sticks early and were still working, so not all bad.

Will60

Posted: Tue Jun 9, 2020 10:55am

Will60

Helpful member

Posts: 317

315 helpful points

Joined: 10 Feb 2020

Posted: Tue Jun 9, 2020 10:55am

PhilTox wrote on Tue Jun 9, 2020 9:48am:

Thank you. 

Be warned though, the medical insurers will wriggle out of paying at any chance (same for any insurance company I guess) in our case my wife's problem manifested 6 months into our policy but as it was not an acute issue but rather  a  hitherto undetected chronic condition they claimed i...

...t pre-existing and washed their hands of us.🤬🤬 Just had to write the cost of 1 year of medical cover each as the fee to get our residencia😔 

On a small plus side what we have had to pay for private scans etc is cheaper than bad old UK. 

Doing some simple maths shows the cost of the convenio will still be less than UK NI contributions if we had not upped sticks early and were still working, so not all bad.

That rings a bell. 

My wife happened to discover her problem just after we had paid our second annual subscription. We went to our GP. The suspicion was cancer (subsequently diagnosed and treated). The first thing our GP asked was "how long have you had this insurance policy" ?

So some ailments have qualifying periods. 

In our case, the Convenio Especial is about the same price as our PHI, but our PHI includes interpreting services. 


ironwheels

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 10:29am

Posts: 67

36 helpful points

Location: Balsicas

Joined: 17 Aug 2019

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 10:29am

PhilTox wrote on Tue Jun 9, 2020 9:48am:

Thank you. 

Be warned though, the medical insurers will wriggle out of paying at any chance (same for any insurance company I guess) in our case my wife's problem manifested 6 months into our policy but as it was not an acute issue but rather  a  hitherto undetected chronic condition they claimed i...

...t pre-existing and washed their hands of us.🤬🤬 Just had to write the cost of 1 year of medical cover each as the fee to get our residencia😔 

On a small plus side what we have had to pay for private scans etc is cheaper than bad old UK. 

Doing some simple maths shows the cost of the convenio will still be less than UK NI contributions if we had not upped sticks early and were still working, so not all bad.

Hi Phil ,I also had a problem with DKV on my wifes condition.She developed a heart problem and they said it was pre existing .It wasnt ,she had never had a heart condition before so I got hold of her medical records from the UK and showed them to the heart specialist and he informed DKV and they had to accept and cover her. Just thought that this might help if you could do the same. best regards Bob.

PhilTox

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:34am

PhilTox

Helpful member

Posts: 544

489 helpful points

Location: Camposol

Joined: 1 Oct 2018

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:34am

ironwheels wrote on Sun Jun 14, 2020 10:29am:

Hi Phil ,I also had a problem with DKV on my wifes condition.She developed a heart problem and they said it was pre existing .It wasnt ,she had never had a heart condition before so I got hold of her medical records from the UK and showed them to the heart specialist and he informed DKV and they ...

...had to accept and cover her. Just thought that this might help if you could do the same. best regards Bob.

Thanks Bob, believe me, we tried to get them to see sense. Without tests on taking out the policy how could an internal condition (unrelated to any declared exceptions) be excluded? Might just as well have saved our breath. The agent in PdM was  very helpful in trying to get them to change their mind but she couldn't budge the bean-counters minds. As a final insult to injury just had a phone from ASSA head office pleading not to cancel our policies and too accept a discount on next year's premium, needless to say told them what they could do with it. 

ironwheels

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 12:07pm

Posts: 67

36 helpful points

Location: Balsicas

Joined: 17 Aug 2019

Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 12:07pm

PhilTox wrote on Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:34am:

Thanks Bob, believe me, we tried to get them to see sense. Without tests on taking out the policy how could an internal condition (unrelated to any declared exceptions) be excluded? Might just as well have saved our breath. The agent in PdM was  very helpful in trying to get them to change t...

...heir mind but she couldn't budge the bean-counters minds. As a final insult to injury just had a phone from ASSA head office pleading not to cancel our policies and too accept a discount on next year's premium, needless to say told them what they could do with it. 

I dont blame you Phil,after all they are just insurance companies and they will try their hardest not to pay out but  will gladly accept your money, as they say Dick Turpin had the decency to wear a mask (rather fitting in these times lol). stay safe ,Bob.

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