Mitzyboy

I know this has been done before but I wanted up to date recommendations as I'm about to buy some.

For those of you that have private care could you recommend who you use, which cover you have, and a contact / web site

I know I'm being lazy but, hey, thats what this site for isn't it?

Many thanks in advance

(I've tried getting quotes on the Sanitas site but it just doesn't seem to want to play? Are they good value?)

Beachcomber

We have been with Sanitas since they took over our original insurer, Union Previsora, in the late 1980s:

http://www.sanitas.es/websanitas/ing/index.html

I have checked the quoting service and it works for me although we get a discount for paying annually up front.

Solarwhizz

Been with Sanitas.es for 4 years, allowed transfer from UK(BUPA), lowest cost provider we found by at least 20%, Classic gave same level of cover as we had with BUPA

Mitzyboy

Solarwiz / Beachcomber

I read through the Sanitas regulations for Classic which to all intents and purposes say its full cover for outpatients and hospitalisation & surgery. As you've obviously been using that system is that correct, and are there financial limits as there don't seem to be any mentioned like in most private policies. Seems to be 113 euros a month including dentistry which is good value imho.

Solarwhizz

I dont know of any except if you are outside Spain, when it is a 10,000€ limit for emergency cover. The dental is only for preventative, which in my experience is pretty much non existent, Hygiene and inspections( I dont use it anymore as the dentist registered with Sanitas near me the two I have tried just want to extract any problems!!

Mitzyboy

Whoaaa .... thanks for that, I might just leave the dental then

MnM

We are signed up with Aresa and are quite happy so far.

http://www.aresa.es/eng/index.asp

Mitzyboy

Went to the local health centre to register last week. No one there to take our papers, and due to my inability to speak enough spanish yet I had to come away without lodging them.

Went to a private clinic today to arrange a medical as I haven't had one for a while and am about to start serious cycling again.

Doctor immediately took a page of notes, did ECG, full exam, ultra sound (which included examining every one of my internal organs with pictures coming up on a screen) on the spot. Even in the UK that would have taken a good week to arrange, and this was over and done with in 45 minutes!!! Impressive!

(I'm healthier than he is btw apparantly)

ScotinSpain

Agree fully with Solarwhizz. We had Sanitas dental cover for the first two years, but found this particular part ot the service useless, even if you could find a local dentist, and you have to pay for most treatments. but not 6 monthly check ups.

I have found their medical service excellent although I have a friend who used her own specialist as against Sanitas' one (with their prior written consent) and had to fight to get even the agreed percentage back.

I suggest you seriously consider the medical side, but 'ditch the dentist'

Mitzyboy

By agreed percentage, I assume you mean they would only pay a percentage because it was her own specialist, not part of the group. Within their group network its 100% isn't it?

Chiclanagir

How much did he charge?

Mitzyboy

60 euros for the consultation but I think he charges a little more for the Ultrasound scan, not paid yet

To be honest I was considering having one of the BUPA ones before we left the UK and they are £350-£500 depending on what you have done

ScotinSpain

They paid mine Mitzyboy, except for about 3 Euros for something and 1 Euro for something else I forget the exact details. And I was in for two weeks for a major operation.............ugh!

Beachcomber

We don't have dental cover because, as other contributors have said, its not really worth it and the dentist I like going to doesn't work with health insurance anyway.

The only limitation I have come across with Sanitas is that they don't pay for out-patient medicine. We could go to the local ambulatorio and get a social security doctor to issue a prescription but I would rather pay a couple of euros for a bottle of pills when the occasion arises than spend two or three hours queuing up to see a doctor just for that. Anyway, it seems a bit of a cheek!

Both my wife and myself have regular routine medical check-ups which are covered by the insurance. I have no idea how much they would cost otherwise because we don't even get the bill. We just sign a form and the clinic gets paid directly by Sanitas.

The only thing we get charged for, curiously, is €3 for each form that we have to sign. This is to pay for administrative costs.

Fred James

I think that is pretty normal for private insurances.

Where it can really catch you out is if you are on self administered chemotherapy - this may not be covered and is very expensive.