Health insurance: what it is, how it works, and what it covers

When medical expenses threaten to shake the family budget, health insurance can become a providential aid. Instead of paying for these unexpected expenses out of pocket, the insured takes out insurance or is promptly reimbursed for the expenses incurred.

When medical expenses threaten to shake the family budget, health insurance can become a providential aid. Instead of paying for these unexpected expenses out of pocket, the insured takes out insurance or is promptly reimbursed for the expenses incurred.

The only precaution before taking out the policy is to check which expenses receive insurance coverage and which medical treatments remain the responsibility of the insured.

What is Health Insurance?

Health insurance is an optional policy that helps the policyholder whenever he has to face private healthcare costs. Taking out a health policy is essential in those countries where there is no state health system.

Although in Italy most of the health services are paid for by the State, unfortunately the waits are often very long and sometimes the patient does not receive an efficient service. In these cases it becomes necessary to resort to private healthcare , even if it can have prohibitive costs. It is precisely in these cases that the health policy proves to be very useful.

Each health insurance is different from the other and while some provide for direct payment by the insurance company, others only provide for a refund and therefore the policyholder must pay in advance. Some policies also intervene in the event of disability, with an indemnity that is paid when the disability exceeds 26%.

What coverage is provided by health insurance?

Before taking out the policy, it must be taken into account that not all medical expenses are covered. What does small business health insurance cover? In general, the insured person, on the basis of the policy underwritten, can receive a pre-established sum for each day of hospitalization and convalescence, to deal with the impossibility of going to work.

Medical expenses related to an accident or illness are also covered by the insurance, including costs for rehabilitation, physiotherapy, diagnostic tests and the purchase of medicines during hospitalisation.

Cosmetic surgery operations and in general those that are necessary to remove physical defects remain outside the insurance coverage . Reimbursements are also not provided for dietary treatments, voluntary non-therapeutic abortions and for treatments related to mental illnesses. It is very rare for dental expenses to receive insurance coverage, except for minor treatments, such as scaling of tartar.

In which cases is it worth taking out health insurance?

Several reasons may make a health policy necessary, such as avoiding long waits to access visits from the NHS, which in any case always require the payment of the ticket. Thanks to health insurance, if you need a specialist service, you can get it more quickly and also choose the professional or structure you prefer.

If unexpected health care costs can be a problem, but you still want to take care of your well-being in the best way, the health policy allows you to receive the best care , without putting a strain on the family budget.