Coronavirus and insurance coverage
On 14 March 2020, the Alarm Status for the second time in the history of Spanish democracy. The cause: the Coronavirus Covid-19, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 11 March.
According to official data from the Spanish Ministry of Health, at 12 noon on 17 March 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).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 for Covid-19 at a global level at 3.41 T3PT3T compared to 9.21 T3PT3T for SARS.
Even so, the state of alarm and (flexible) confinement makes the cities look deserted, and even though it is a exercise of responsibility, can make us feel fear. The problem is that this fear, which consciously and subconsciously alerts and protects, becomes totally irrational and has consequences that make the real situation even worse.
One of the characteristics of Covid-19 is that it is easily contagious, doubling the rate of a common flu. For this reason, it is necessary to take extreme hygiene measures and avoid contact and, above all, large crowds (below is an image with specific advice). It must be understood that the closure of schools, universities, shops, 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.
Faced with a situation like the current one, it is important to remain calm, follow the guidelines for conduct and, above all, gather truthful information, avoiding sensationalism and illogical behaviour. 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 of 26 February:
“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 Spanish authorities. health authorities by assuming the costs of caring for potentially infected patients.
(...)On this occasion, the sector will also bear the costs it incurs as a result of the situation that arises.
Insurance provides health coverage in Spain to 10.3 million people. Of this number, 8.4 million policyholders take out their protection as a complement to public health care. The remaining 1.8 million insured persons come from the mutual insurance companies for 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.
The private centres attached to the medical staff of the health insurance companies are part of the National Health System. These centres follow the protocols and guidelines established by the public authorities.
Insured persons currently attending a private health centre 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, health care centres 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 all times".”
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 health employers' association, ASPE, and the insurance employers' association that she chairs.
How does the coronavirus affect travel insurance?
As for the travel insurance, In the case of the latter, 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 coronavirus infection, y
- insurance cover for cancellation of uninitiated travel.
According to the aforementioned UNESPA communiqué “.“Travel assistance insurers, meanwhile, pay for the medical care of insured persons who have been infected by the coronavirus while travelling within the limits of 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 becomes treated by the government health authorities of each country according to the official protocols established by the WHO. If hospitalisation exceeds five days, a family member would be covered for travel and extended stay abroad.
With regard to travel cancellation cover, generally, the epidemics are expressly excluded The use of travel assistance insurance cover 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 they are professional, trade fairs, symposia, 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 professional insurance specialists, who will assess each specific situation in a personalised way 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, in PIB Group Iberia, We have almost forty years of experience, working with more than 20 insurance companies to provide services 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.
