Question
I was just told by a Spanish health insurance provider that the ICU in Spain can cost between 5 and 10 thousand euros per day. Does anyone on here know if this is an accurate assessment? I just want to be sure I am dealing with honest people as the insurance he is quoting me is about 1500 euros per month for my family of four with two people with pre-existing conditions. I don’t mind paying if that is an honest price, and he is being honest about the ICU bit.
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“This is not an honest price. New contracts without pre-existing conditions in 2 best insurance companies as of December 2023 in Madrid: – Sanitas: 72 euro per month per person – Adeslas: 65 euros per month per person. For my mom of 67 years old with pre-existing conditions I pay 110 euros per month with Mapfre (it’s cheaper than Sanitas/Adeslas).
This is full insurance without additional payments, including ICU and basic dentist services. Your tops for 4 people should be 400 euro. Talk to another agent, or better call Sanitas directly, they have English speaking agents.”
“You need to fill in the medical questionnaire either in writing or by phone. Of course you could lie. But don’t know what would happen after the company identifies that.”
“If you don’t declare pre-existing conditions and they find out your coverage will be void. Happened to a friend when he was admitted to a hospital. Nothing was covered.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t believe that price. I know medical insurance is expensive in the US. So someone thought they could get the same price from people who weren’t familiar with local prices.”
“I paid 250€ for a visit to the ICU and two specialist appointments incl three x-rays a couple of years ago.”
“Per month, for my family of 4 I pay €405 per month. Your quote seems over the top high.”
“Honestly this also seems really high to me… we pay €150 a month for a family of 3 with preexisting health conditions.”
“I suggest you check asisa or adeslas, they are the cheapest ones and they cover everything. That insurance company is trying to mug you 100%.”
“Yep. I have ASISA & it’s €50/m with 0 additional costs. Was just admitted & didn’t even get a bill.”
“Yeah you just have to disclose. Other companies rejected me but ASISA accepted me ????????♀️.”
“They don’t ask you for pre existing conditions, they cover everything.”
“Goodness, the sharks are sure in the water! I’m so glad you turned to Spainguru’s Facebook group for advice. For perspective, we paid 125€ per person to Adeslas, based on age, when we continued our full cover insurance over summers in between school years. (This was summer 2020-summer 2022. At the time, Adeslas was providing the health insurance for Auxiliaries de Conversación in Galicia, so we paid zero during the school year.)
I’m pretty sure our son’s was 50€ per month. So total 300€ per month for our family of three. And typically, with pre-existing conditions, a company will do an exclusion of six months to a year for coverage of that specific condition. I’ve never heard of a company that will cover pre-existing conditions for a super high premium, I suppose it’s possible, but I don’t think that would be considered ethical, or even legal under Spanish law.
You would just seek treatment for anything not covered by your private insurance and pay out of pocket. OOP costs are much lower than what we are used to in the US.
A friend had major preventive surgery and paid OOP for it, as her private insurance would not cover something that it considered elective. She paid 10K€ all in, which included the surgery as well as several days recovery time in a private hospital.”
“We are a family of 4 and pay 250 euros a month for Adeslas Plena Plus.”
“Family of three with Adeslas paying 195 per month. Didn’t have to declare any conditions either just asked about any surgery or hospital admissions in the last 12 months I think. Either way shouldn’t be more than 65 per person – maybe double at most if you’re elderly or have conditions. So max 130 per person? 1500 a month is insanity.”
“I’ve never been in that position of actually going to the hospital for an emergency without an insurance, but most people have told me this May be an image of hospital and text that says ‘Non-European Visitors Non-Europeans requiring a visa for visiting or living in Spain will most likely have to prove they have adequate medical insurance before they are granted entry to the country.
It is, therefore, highly unlikely that a legal non- European visitor to Spain isn’t covered by at least some sort of healthcare provision. Nevertheless, all Spanish state hospitals are required to provide vital primary healthcare to any patient who is admitted to hospital with life-threatening injuries or illness, regardless of their ability to pay.'”
“Free healthcare isn’t available to non-Spanish citizens who don’t contribute. Yes, A&E departments will treat you — but then they’ll send you the bill if you aren’t entitled to free treatment.”
“I have private health insurance with DKV—and am not covered by public healthcare b/c not a citizen—and DKV told me if I go to (or get taken to) a public hospital they won’t cover the fee. I had read this here or in another forum: Someone got into an accident (maybe they were left unconscious?), a well meaning bystander called 112, a public ambulance came and took them to a public hospital, and they got stuck with a big bill because they had private insurance.”
Conclusion
The discussion within the Facebook group provided a range of perspectives on the costs of ICU care and health insurance premiums in Spain, reflecting significant variance in what members consider reasonable and fair pricing.
The majority opinion suggests that the initial quote of €1,500 per month is excessively high, with many members sharing their experiences of obtaining comprehensive coverage for much less.
The consensus is that shopping around and directly contacting insurance companies can yield more reasonable rates, and there’s a notable emphasis on being cautious of overcharging and the importance of understanding the specific coverage details and exclusions related to pre-existing conditions.
