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Coronavirus and insurance coverage
On March 14, 2020, a State of Alarm was declared State of Alarm for the second time in the history of Spanish democracy. The cause: the Coronavirus or Covid-19, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11.
According to official data from the Spanish Ministry of Health, at 12 noon on March 17, 2020, there were 11,178 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Spain, 58,425 in Europe and 173,344 in the world (7.074 deaths) and everything seems to indicate that these figures will continue to rise for a few more months, making Covid-19 the most mediatic and most feared virus in our recent history, despite the fact that the mortality rate recorded is not as high as in previous coronaviruses such as SARS, standing at 3.4% for Covid-19 globally, compared to 9.2% for SARS.
Even so, the state of alarm and (flexible) confinement makes the cities look deserted, and even though it is an exercise in exercise of responsibility, it can make us feel fear. The problem is that this fear, which consciously and subconsciously alerts and protects, becomes totally irrational and brings consequences that make the real situation even worse.
One of the characteristics of Covid-19 is its ease of contagion, doubling the rate of a common flu. That is why it is necessary to maximize hygiene measures and avoid contact and especially large crowds (below we leave an image with specific advice). We must understand that the closure of schools, universities, stores, the suspension of events of such magnitude as Las Fallas in Valencia, or Easter at national level, the cancellation of concerts, competitions, festivals, the closure of access to other countries such as the United States and now the State of Alarm, and the closure of borders, is a fundamental measure to prevent this contagion.
In a situation like the current one, it is important to remain calm, follow the guidelines of conduct and, above all, gather truthful information, avoiding sensationalism and illogical behavior. However, the fear of contagion exists and one of the recurring doubts is the coverage of private insurance in such cases.
If I get coronavirus, will my health insurance cover me?
The Insurance Business Association, UNESPA, stated in a communiqué dated February 26:
“The Spanish insurance industry declares its firm and unequivocal collaboration with the measures to control the spread of the coronavirus in Spain established by the health authorities by assuming the costs derived from the care of possible infected patients.
(…)On this occasion, the sector will also assume the corresponding costs derived from the situation generated.
Insurance provides health coverage in Spain to 10.3 million people. Of this number, 8.4 million policyholders contract their protection as a complement to public health care. The remaining 1.8 million policyholders come from the mutual insurance companies of civil servants in the Central State Administration, who have the option of covering their health care through agreements with private insurers under conditions similar to those provided by the public health services.
Private centers attached to the medical staffs of health insurance companies are part of the National Health System. These centers follow the protocols and guidelines established by the public authorities.
The insured who currently go to a private health center of the insurers’ medical lists are being treated as normal. The arrival of the coronavirus in Spain is a national public health issue. For this reason, healthcare centers have the obligation to inform the health authorities of any possible cases they detect and, from there, to follow the guidelines set by the public authorities at any given time.
https://www.unespa.es/notasdeprensa/colaboracion-seguro-autoridades-controlar-coronavirus/
This statement is still valid after the WHO’s designation of Covid-19 as a pandemic, and even in the event of it being considered a national epidemic in Spain, as stated by the President of UNESPA, Pilar González de Frutos, after the meeting between the private healthcare employers “association, ASPE, and the insurance employers” association she presides.
How does the coronavirus affect travel insurance?
With regard to travel insurance, a distinction must be made between two scenarios:
- On the one hand, the provision of health care in the event of a possible Covid-19 possible infection with the Covid-19 coronavirus, y
- insurance coverage for non-initiated trip cancellation.
According to the aforementioned UNESPA press release “.Travel assistance insurers, meanwhile, cover the medical care received by insured persons who have been infected by the coronavirus during a trip within the limits set by the contract. The assistance policies also cover the travel, accommodation and living expenses of at least one person accompanying the patient”.
This means that there is coverage for emergencies, but in the event of a diagnosis of Covid-19 infection, the patient will be treated by the governmental health authorities in each country. treated by the governmental health authorities of each country according to the official according to the official protocols established by the WHO. If hospitalization exceeds five days, a family member would be covered for travel and extended stay abroad.
With regard to trip cancellation coverage, epidemics are generally expressly excluded. epidemics are expressly excluded from coverage of coverage in travel assistance insurance as it is a way of limiting the liability of insurers for situations beyond their control.
This generally applies in the same way for cancellations of events, whether professional, trade fairs, symposiums, conferences, etc., or leisure events, concerts, shows or similar.
However, check your policy before drawing any foregone conclusions.
For these and other related questions, the best thing to do is to turn to professionals specialized in insurance matters, where they will personally assess each specific situation in order to adapt it to each need in the best possible way. We are being asked about the coverage of car insurance, life insurance,… in this situation. If you have any questions, we are at your disposal.
We, at PIB Group Iberiahave almost forty years of experience, working with more than 20 insurance companies to provide service to companies, institutions and individuals. So if you have any questions, we will be happy to help you.
In the face of uncertainty, be sure.
www.https://pibgroupiberia.com/
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