Wednesday, October 18, 2017

I am British and I need Private Medical Insurance for Residency in Spain

OUR BREXIT UNCERTAINTY & DECISIONS IN SPAIN

With the uncertainty of Brexit looming it is only natural that British citizens living in Spain are deciding to get their Spanish affairs in order. After all when D day arrives it is surely sensible to be an approved resident.
Who knows what regulations and costs will be levied on British Citizens who are still here without residency approval, once the UK has completed its Brexit formalities .

The majority of Brits in the Spanish coastal resorts are accepting the need to comply and Spain has in the last 18 months introduced an appointment system to deal with the increasing queues of applicants looking to obtain "Residencia" with each month the wait gets longer
The decision to which medical insurance to have is straight forward as the Spanish Authorities are telling us we must take a Private Health Insurance Policy that has No Copago (policy excess) and is near as close possible to the Spanish State Healthcare.

In Spain your medical insurance offers you the option to contribute a small or large percentage of your medical treatment cost and by doing so your premium is reduced. The higher the part payment percentage you contribute the lower the premium becomes this part payment is known as Copago.
So for most British the decision is straight forward and we obtain a Policy with No Copago to support our Residency Application. The purpose of this blog is to bring awareness about some of the situations that can and do arise when making an application for residency.

Here are a few of the situations that we have dealt with experienced by existing clients.
  1. Application refused because you cannot produce proof of payment
  2. Application refused because your policy shows too many pre-existing conditions
  3. Application refused because you have a Copago shown
  4. Application refused because you have produced a policy that expires in a month
  5. Application refused because the policy you have is restricted to  your Province

The items listed 1 to 5 are fairly common and we often get calls from clients from all provinces in Spain stressed and confused as to what to do next.

We have therefore provided some solutions
  1. In Spain you receive a Policy and it usually arrives with a Terms of Insurance contract which must be signed and returned, only when the contract is returned will the insurer take funds from the bank. So you must take with you proof of payment by way of a copy bank statement
  2. If you have a policy and it shows a page with pre-existing conditions some pedantic officers may say its not good enough as it doesn't match state health. We are aware of  a number of clients who have re-applied and presented the Policy without the exclusions page 
  3. Some clients have taken out a Policy not explaining to the agent its for residency and then presented the Authorities with a Policy that does show Copago. Sometimes a low Copago will not get noticed and they will get residency. Others have to make another appointment and upgrade the Insurance. We see many people in remoter inland towns apply and get accepted with Copago. However on the Costas of Spain this is seldom the case
  4. If your policy expires within a month or two the Authorities may raise an eyebrow (not usually) However to be sure we as an Agency produce a certificate of contractual guarantee. It simply says to the Authorities that the policy is contractually guaranteed renewal . This is also good to have if you are applying for a VISA .
  5. There are Medical Insurance Policies that only insure you for treatment in the Province you reside in. We have seen a steady stream of people who get refused because of this restriction and ask us to provide a policy insuring them for all of Spain. Avoid Localised Medical Insurance.
Private Medical Insurance works well in Spain. The premiums are anything between 40% to 60% cheaper than a UK policy. The Spanish Costas have many Private Medical Centres and Hospitals that accept Medical Insurance customers. We often see when advertising in the Social Media comments such as 'Why go private State Medical is great in Spain' 

Seems to me that many people have acclimatised  to believing a 6 to 8 week wait is acceptable?
The fact is there is nothing great about having to wait for an appointment when you are ill or are concerned about a lump or pain that you cannot explain. What is good about wanting to see a specialist and waiting 6 to 8 weeks. What is good about waiting 9 months for a Hip operation then being told the appointment is cancelled because there are no beds or that the surgeon is no longer available.
Private Medical Insurance means that if you are in need of a specialist you simply ring and obtain an appointment. If you are told nothing available at a certain clinic or hospital for 6 days then ring several others and find the specialist you need sooner. Its as simple as that.

There are too many people in Spain thinking they can get away with Medical Treatment on a 90 day EHIC card or by renewing an annual travel insurance. These are options designed for first instance treatment. Under these options there is no long term cancer treatment or ongoing Diabetes care or 12 months of rehabiltation after a serious accident. The EHIC may last a year or some issued are 2 years but again they are for 90 days away at any one time

You may have been pressured into Medical Insurance because of Spain's regulations but once you have it in place make sure you take full advantage.

With the right policy go and get regularly screened. Book your preventative check ups and treatments at your convenience so Living the Spanish dream for you and your family really does become a happy reality.

For medical insurance in Spain it is often a good idea to go through an Agency who will be there to assist you with ongoing support . Most insurers have Call Centres that we all find frustrating so often better to call a good agent and speak with them first.

Also be aware that Medical Insurance through your Spanish Bank is often not like for like as Banks tend to offer a modality policy issued by the same insurer but where cover has been restricted.
For instance a DKV Insurance Policy through a broker or agent or Direct with DKV is usually more comprehensive than the slimmed down version sold by a Spanish Bank. Your Bank will claim that its a similar policy  and time and time again we speak to people who have the Bank Policy that have been refused a certain treatment or have been capped on expenditure

Please feel free to contact Tailor Made Healthcare to talk through your situation. We assist 100's of Expats from all areas of Spain every month and our support to our Policy holders continues beyond the point of sale.
If you would like a QUOTATION then Click this Link below and answer a few short questions   Click Here "GET A QUOTE LINK"

Article Written by

Francis Payne
Tailor Made Healthcare Solutions Spain
www.tailormadehealthcarespain.org
tel. 0034 956 777 905



Friday, March 24, 2017

Which Medical Insurance do I need to apply for Residency in Spain ????

Which Medical Insurance do I need when applying for Residency in Spain
For QUICK QUOTE click here to go to our Tailor Made Healthcare Website
As an agent for Private Healthcare Insurance its a question we get asked daily. However the answer is not an easy one to provide due to the differing requirements in different towns and provinces across Spain. Every day we provide Private Medical Insurance Quotations to Expats who are looking to apply for Residency who hope to ensure that they are more secure in Spain by the time Brexit has happened.
In Spain there are various levels of Medical Insurance policy options. Often the cover is the same cover with 4 or even 6 options that enable you to take up Healthcare Insurance with lower premiums. These options are referred to as Copago. This means that you take out an insurance and go for medical treatment but part pay for the treatment. The higher the part payment the cheaper your policy becomes.
People who rarely use the Doctor may feel that they will save money by paying a high copago and if you are rarely going then premiums can be reduced by upto 60% in this way. The majority of British Expats we deal with are in early retirement and coming to an age where preventative screening is important and therefore knowing that they will use the Private Healthcare system take out a policy with a NO COPAGO option. Essentially they walk into the approved Medical Centre hand over their card with no payments to make.
So lets get back to finding a Health Insurance Policy that will get you approved for residency. The simplest answer we can give is to tell people that a policy with NO copago payments is the definite solution. However we are aware that people retiring have budgets and will need to save costs where possible. So what we have been doing is recording information from people who apply for Spanish residency using a Copago insurance and noting which areas and what levels of Copago get refused or approved. Based on this we have been able to suggest a route toward getting residency with a Copago Policy. We know that the highest Copago insurance often get refused as the Authorities feel that the contribution is simply too high. Our approach recently where budget is important factor for a client is to arrange a mid range Copago Healthcare Insurance application. We advise the client that they apply for the residency on this basis and then in the event they are refused that they recontact us and we upgrade the policy to the higher level. There is a policy where the copago part payments are extremely small between 2,50 and 3,75 that can save between 10 and 18 euros a month when compared to the Policy with zero copago.
Many of our clients have informed us that they were approved with a Copago Policy . Its frustrating for us not to be able to get a clear cut answer from the Authorities but it does seem that it also depends on how carefully they scrutinize the policy document. We have had several clients who have been told that the amount of Copago would not qualify them and it had to be a policy with no part payment and these clients have returned at a later date with a different officer attending them only to be passed using the same insurance policy.
So our suggestion is to take out a policy you feel you can afford as if refused you are always able to upgrade the insurance and obtain a second appointment and re-apply for your residencia in Spain.
Francis Payne (Mr)
Tailor Made Healthcare Solutions Spain, Bloque E, Portal 3, Puerto Sotogrande, Cadiz 11310, Spain. tel. 0034 956 790 320
WEB SITE LINK www.tailormadehealthcarespain.org Go to our web page click on QUICK QUOTE

Friday, February 17, 2017

Earn extra income in Spain - No work necessary - A simple web page referral from your website offering Private Healthcare in Spain

Earn commission promoting Private Healthcare Medical Insurance in Spain
Earn commission with a simple link on your web page. Tailor Made Healthcare Solutions Spain provide you with your unique link offering your clients a quotation for private Healthcare Insurance. You will not be required to lift a finger and your web page clients will be invited to complete a Quick Quote form specifically tagged to your account.
At no time will Tailor Made Healthcare Solutions request any payment or funds from your client. Our medical insurance is arranged directly with one of Spain's top 4 insurers and the insurer will only take a payment once a policy goes live. Your clients on entering the 'Private Healthcare' tab on your web page will be offered the following process.
1. Your Clients or web surfers on your page Click on your unique Healthcare Spain QUOTE form.
2. On Completion of the online form you receive an automated notification copy.
3. Tailor Made Healthcare Solutions provide the client with a quote & confirm to you QUOTE SENT.
4. You are notified by email when the client accepts the quotation and request a proposal form.
5. Once a proposal is accepted by the insurer a policy is dispatched, you are notified.
6. Client on receipt of policy signs docs returns them in prepaid envelope to insurer who on receipt draws first direct debit.
7. Tailor Made Healthcare Solutions notifies you client has gone live and sets up Commission payment to you
There are potentially hundreds of people living in or moving to Spain that visit your website. You will agree that many are browsers who decide not to pursue your product or service. We are hoping that our Private Healthcare link will be seen and used by your clients and by these browsers whose eyes may also be drawn to OUR / YOUR 'Private Healthcare Spain' page or button. That person by pushing the link sets off an automated process to earn you extra income.
We are offering you a simple process and will pay you 20% of the commission. We are targetting expats in Spain or moving to Spain. So if your website has access to this target market then we would love to hear from you.
Tailor Made Healthcare Solutions will also provide you with a personal letter of recommendation from one of Spains leading Medical Insurers confirming that Tailor Made are a bona fide Healthcare Insurance provider.We are an agency keen to build good relations with people we work with. You may have your own existing clients, friends or family that would be interested in a healthcare quote. If this is the case you can email us directly or test the system and get them to complete the process we have set out above. Either way we are keen for new expat business and the majority of our existing clients enjoy the fact that we are English Agents providing Spanish medical insurance.
If you would like to learn more then we would be happy to discuss in more detail and look forward to creating a good working relationship. Keep in mind we do all the work and will supply you with the web page information and links which should only take your iT people a few minutes to arrange.
For more information please contact Francis Payne(Mr) tel. 956 790 320 or email enquiries@tailormadehealthcarespain.org www.tailormadehealthcarespain.org Address. BloqueE, Portal 3 Suite 113, Puerto Sotogrande Cadiz 11310
Tel. (0034) 956 790 320

Thursday, February 2, 2017

Our change of Healthcare insurance on moving to Spain

Our Healthcare experience moving from UK to Spain
To obtain a QUICK QUOTE click on this link QUICK QUOTE
If you're moving to Spain it's worth obtaining a medical insurance quote from a Spanish Health Insurer. When I moved to Spain I arrived with my BUPA cover in place after they informed me the policy was worldwide.
On arrival in Spain my daughter was ill and because of this I checked the policy in more detail, only to find that cover worldwide was restricted to 120 days abroad. I reported this to BUPA as their error, after all I had made it very clear I was moving to live in Spain permanently.

Bupa then put me in touch with Sanitas their partner in Spain who offered me a new Bupa-Sanitas insurance for 2 adults and 2 children 390 euros a month. This was 150 cheaper than the UK premium I had been paying, so at the time was I happy.

Within 18 months after too many authorization problems and delays in getting authorizations I left Bupa Sanitas and joined DKV Seguros taking up their Integral Elite Policy which insured all four of us for 250 euros a month. The change was a good one and as a family we have been happy for last 8 years with premiums rising with age and occasionally with inflation.

Since then as you can see from this article I became an agent for DKV and now sell medical insurance mainly to Expats living or moving to Spain. In that time a lot of expats who struggle with making themselves understood have transferred their existing DKV policy to our agency where we provide support.

Spain is a great place to live and retire. The sheer volume of European expats requiring health insurance has meant that competition is fierce and premiums can be a lot cheaper than insuring in the UK. Also because you cannot insure a pre-existing condition with any insurer its worth knowing that treatment & surgery etc is a lot cheaper if you have to pay for it yourself.
A trip to any of the Costa del Sol Private Hospitals will confirm there are a lot more people using Spanish private health facilities on a daily basis. Higher volumes have resulted in lower medical cost charges which ultimately have reflected in lower premiums across the board. Most insurers also offer what is known in Spain as Copago where you can reduce the premium further by contributing a small amount of the treatment cost each time you attend, a system that works well for low users.
Tailor Made Health Solutions Spain will provide you with an affordable Quote and an excellent health cover policy with initial summary of cover in English.
Our insurer is widely accepted by the majority of medical centres across Spain and has one of the largest medical networks of all the insurers.
To obtain a QUICK QUOTE click on this link QUICK QUOTE
Francis Payne
Tailor Made Health Solutions Spain
www.tailormadehealthcarespain.org

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Funeral & Repatriation cover. Family protection insurance for expats in Spain

Family Protection Insurance
Lay me to rest in my place of birth
If you die in Spain how will my family cope is Repatriation the best solution
If you die in Spain consider the logistics for your loved. When a person dies in Spain the burial cremation is normally required within several days of death. This insurance makes great sense for the expat living in Spain particularly where relatives do not speak Spanish. Just like a wedding planner this Insurance Company provide a service where they plan and arrange your funeral whether you want it thousands of miles away in Spain or in the country where your family live. Under this cover the Insurers experts listen to the arrangements required by the loved ones then completely organize everything from undertakers to crematorium or burial and even the travel arrangements for repatriation to include travel for the remaining spouse. The insurer will also provide legal advice to the family with regard to your estate tax and registering death etc. This cover is a lot cheaper than most people imagine and can be paid monthly or in one lump sum. This policy costs the same whether you funeral is in Spain or with repatriation to the homeland.
Click this link for quick quote Funeral Expenses Quote here
We will take care of you and yours when you need it most.

A family funeral service
Repatriation for foreign residents, at no additional cost. Cremation or burial in country you choose. Transfer to any national cemetery. Additional allowance for exceptional burial expenses. All covers from the first day.
Specialists in taking care of yours
Personal accompaniment in the actions derived from the death. Face-to-face bereavement service. Legal and legal counseling service. Medical expenses abroad of up to 15.000EUR.
Included services
Free online testament. Access to DKV Health and Wellness Club with all the advantages and discounts in medical services. Nutritional counseling service.
Additional Pack Plus
Coverage of pet deaths. Family legal protection. Home assistance in case of immobilization by medical prescription.
For more information and a quotation please click on this QUICK QUOTE FORM
A summary of cover will be sent to you accompanying the no obligation quotation. Payments can be made monthly or in one lump sum payment and cover becomes instant once proposal has been accepted and payment made. At no time will Tailor Made Health solutions ask for a payment. All finances are paid direct to the Insurer once cover approval has been obtained.
Tailor Made Health Solutions Spain.
Tel.0034 956 790 320
www.tailormadehealthcarespain.org
Click this Link for QUICK QUOTE

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