Top Considerations for Expats When Choosing Medical Insurance for Pregnancy

Medical insurance is a huge factor for most expats when they’re planning for and making their move abroad happen. Whether it be routine checkups, options for dental or family members or even coverage for pre- and post-natal care, doing your research pays off.

Medical care related to pregnancy and childbirth in Spain is broken down into the private and public sector, with advantages and drawbacks to each. And if you’re looking to start a family or perhaps grow it, you’ll need to consider medical insurance for pregnancy as you shop around for your best fit care.

What should I look for in medical insurance for pregnancy plans?

First and foremost, check major insurance companies for maternity coverage inclusions. Your plan should cover all stages of your pregnancy, including prenatal monitoring and checkups, diagnostic and routine pregnancy tests, labor and delivery and any post-natal care. Even if there is not family history with complications, such as cesarean sections or pre-eclampsia or premature birth, carefully check your desired plan. Some keywords follow:

• High-risk pregnancies, which may be defined by the age of the mother, multiple fetuses, pre-existing conditions or family history.
• Coverage for complications in pregnancy or labor and delivery, as well as recovery.
• Diagnosis, care and recovery if you are not centrally located in an area with an extensive hospital system.
• Postnatal and pediatric care, should you choose to include your newborn on your insurance plan. Remember that both you and the baby will need care after delivery – your plan may even include in-home visits, postpartum pelvic floor rehabilitation and mental health counseling.
  
  

If you suspect you may also need any fertility screenings or even fertility treatments prior to getting pregnant, inquire about coverage and waiting periods for these sought after treatments.

Another big concern for medical insurance for pregnancy is waiting periods. Prior to getting pregnant or even initiating fertility diagnosis and treatment, you may find that many insurance plans have what’s known as a periodo de carencia. This is a pre-established period in which several or all treatments are not covered by insurance. This waiting period is usually nine months or more for pregnancy-related coverage. If you're already pregnant, you may need to look for an insurer that offers coverage without a waiting period or pay out of pocket for all tests, vaccines, doctor visits and other care – and this includes labor and delivery.

Consider, too, whether or not you have a choice of hospitals and clinics within your network. While this is typically the case with private health insurance providers in Spain, the clinic down the road may not be part of the network. In general, larger insurance networks will have a large cuadro médico, or a list of doctors, specialists and clinics that you can choose from. What’s more, you do not have to stay locked into the same doctor any longer than you wish. The same goes for global coverage, in the event that you travel frequently.

Direct Billing vs. Reimbursement might be on your list, so inquire about how you would be expected to pay for services you procure and what that looks like for claims, if applicable. Again, if you plan to travel internationally, you should ask about the process in other countries.

Of course, it’s always smart to compare costs and premiums, including deductibles and co-pays. Some plans may offer maternity tests and coverage at an additional cost.

If you are searching for expat health coverage that meets visa and/or residency requirements, check first with our nearest consulate. In most cases, you must comply with local regulations to obtain a visa or residency card; in Spain, those obtaining health insurance for a visa must have non-deductible plans that also cover repatriation to their country of origin.

Other considerations

Every case is different, and everyone’s health needs are, too. Make a mental list of the other considerations you might need when obtaining health care in Spain – pregnant or not. Some ideas include:

• Coverage for frequent travelers, including travel insurance and health insurance in Spain, Europe or beyond.
• Ease of adding your newest bundle of joy to your health insurance bundle and covering their needs, too.
• Limitations by age for signing up for health insurance.
  

Contracting health insurance for pregnancy in Spain

Health insurance in Spain is a large industry, and plans are customizable according to an individual’s needs. When you contract one of Caser’s health insurance plans, you’ll have access to round-the-clock care with more than 45,000 professionals in the most advanced clinical settings. You’ll also have a specialized patient portal in which you can use Caser’s Tele Doc app to receive diagnostic tests and prescriptions – and a myriad of other advantages!

Here's a quick breakdown of maternity coverage by plan:

• Médica: for sporadic use and with co-pays for some or all diagnostic tests and treatments. Of note is access to pregnancy and childbirth professionals, infertility study and pregnancy monitoring. You’ll have IUD treatment and implantation included, as well as a birth preparation program and pelvic floor rehabilitation.
• Integral: Everything included in Médica, plus maternity hospitalization and advanced pre-and post-natal care. This plan also includes assisted reproduction and up to three attempts. If you intend to add other family members, including children, Integral could be for you.
• Adapta: Featuring no co-pays plus everything mentioned in the Médica and Integral plans.
• Prestigio: the most comprehensive plan with the option of reimbursement.
  
  

Start by getting a health insurance quote and adding in the services you anticipate you’ll need now and in the future. You’ll be asked to provide some of your personal details and intended usages of your insurance plan. In under one minute, you’ll receive a personalized quote!

The Takeaway: my experience being pregnant and delivering in Spain

My husband and I received the news that we were expecting in 2016, and I was already insured with Caser Expat Insurance. While I transitioned between the public and the private sectors in both Andalucía and the Comunidad de Madrid, I kept coming back to the private hospitals and doctors for a few reasons: wait times were less, I felt looked after by my specialists and I could walk to the hospital from home or work (in fact, I walked while laboring!). As a pregnant woman, the health of your baby – and, indeed, your own – are always on your mind, so knowing that I had full coverage was paramount to focusing on a healthy pregnancy.