There are several types of health insurance and among them is the co-payment. In order to adapt to the needs of a type of user who does not go to the doctor very often, but who wants to have private, fast and high quality coverage, insurers created the co-payment. With it, both the company and the client finance a part.
What is it? With a co-payment in health insurance, the user must pay a small amount of money each time he or she uses medical services. The person who has taken out this coverage will have to pay an amount (usually ranging from 1 euro to 100 euros for the most sophisticated services) for each visit. This amount will be added at the time or in the following month to the premium monthly, thus generating what is known as a co-payment.
Price of co-payments in health insurance
Obviously, the co-payment is not the same for an ordinary medical consultation - which usually does not exceed 20 euros - as it is for a diagnostic test or hospitalisation with surgery, which is usually the most expensive co-payment.
In any case, it all depends on the company and the premium chosen.
Then, is it better to have health insurance with or without co-payment? The answer depends on the circumstances of each person. That's why PIB Group Iberia offers for your health insurance in Zaragoza different possibilities such as:
- outpatient insurance (only covers specialists and diagnostic tests),
- the medical policy without co-payment and
- full reimbursement insurance (allows you to choose the doctor and clinic of your choice, not only those contracted by the company).
In addition, we also consider this type of co-payment, since, in certain cases, it can be advantageous for the user.
When is it advisable to have health insurance with a co-payment?
It is usually cheaper only for people who are generally in good health and who do not visit the doctor very often. This health insurance with co-payment is common for families with several children or for young people..
It should be borne in mind that the lower the premium, i.e. the fixed amount we pay each month, the higher the price for the services. And vice versa. It is therefore advisable to study this point carefully with your insurance broker and compare different companies. The aim? That the costs established by the company The insurance policy should be balanced with the monthly premium to be paid, so that you can find the insurance that best suits your needs.
In any case, co-payment is not usually the best option for people who visit the clinic frequently. Therefore, not all are advantages and there are some disadvantages that always depend on the profile of each patient. Here are some of the pros and cons:
Advantages and disadvantages of co-payment
1. Price
The price of the co-payment premium is lower than that of a no co-payment premium, which includes the full cost of the contracted medical services.
Therefore, we can say that a health insurance with co-payment is cheaper in general, unless you go to the doctor regularly or make regular use of specialised care. In these cases, it is advisable to consider other types of coverage as they are likely to be more advantageous to the user than co-payment.
2. Awareness of use
As is often stated by both insurers and users, having a co-payment makes them aware of the cost of a medical consultation. This means that the people who contract it only go to the doctor when it is necessary and benefits both their pockets and the insurance companies themselves.
In any case, we emphasise that there may be people who need to visit the doctor more frequently, so it is preferable for them to consider other options.
3. Lower generic premium increase
With co-payments, thanks to cost sharing, the dreaded generic premium increase is usually much lower. In any case, at PIB Group Iberia we work in all modalities with group policies, trying to minimise premium increases from one year to the next.
So much for our advice on co-payment. As we have stressed, it is not the only option, nor is it always the most advantageous one. depends on the individual's state of health and the number of times he or she uses the doctor.. If you are thinking of taking out health insurance, do not hesitate to contact us so that we can discuss all the options in detail and advise you on your choice.
