Having an English speaking health Insurance Broker for Private Spanish Health insurance is very important for a whole host of reasons. In this blog we will outline the various pit falls of going directly to a Medical Insurance provider or going to an online supermarket to contract your Health policy.
Drawbacks of going direct to insurer
Starting with the drawbacks of going directly to insurance providers, the number one issue is the language barrier. In Spain there is really no issue to find an English Speaking sales person in any company and in the medical insurance industry, this is the case. However, once you have purchased the policy and need help, you will most likely be contacting the admin department whom speak some English but of course not fluently.
Dealing with a callcentre in event of issues
The second reason why going direct brings problems is that you are most likely going to be calling a centre. Once you have got through to the right department you will then have to explain who you are; speaking to various staff over a period of days to request and confirm tests or authorizations for example.
Authorisations and communication
The third issue when going direct is last minute hitches which often occur when requesting authorisations for tests or operations etc. On many occasions you will have emailed the request to the insurer, followed up with a call and been assured everything has been sent to the hospital. Of course now and again there might be an issue and the authorisations will not be where it needs to be. In this instance it will be highly stressful and aggravating dialling the call centre and praying that you get through to someone who will be in a good mood, efficient and willing to process your request on the spot. In most cases you will have to make the request and re arrange the test etc.
The three drawbacks outlined above do happen on a regular basis, so having a contact that you can put a face to and one point of contact to call is key. They can organise, chase and give feedback, which will give you peace of mind and reassurance that all is arranged on your behalf. Having an Insurance Broker who you trust and speaks your language should be a high priority when purchasing Health Insurance in Spain.
An intermediary makes process easier
It is of course a common misunderstanding that you will save money if you go direct to a company. This however is false as an agent or broker does not charge any extra, their commission is built into the policy and so what you pay as a direct client will be the same as what you will pay having an intermediary. Secondly, on some occasions medical insurance companies will increase your policy’s premium at it’s renewal unfairly. This does not happen often but when it does the agent or broker is there to fight your corner and can point out positive claims history and any other aspect which will convince the insurer to reduce the premium.