Sanitas vs Asisa: Which Insurance is Better For Expats
Moving to Spain as a non-EU expat is an exciting venture, but it also requires careful planning, especially regarding healthcare.
For non-EU expats, proof of paid insurance for a full year is mandatory for visa applications. However, choosing between leading health insurance providers, Asisa and Sanitas, can be challenging.
But don’t worry! I’m here to help you make an informed decision by comparing these two providers.
So, let’s get started.
Requirements For Expats Visa in Spain
Securing a Spanish visa necessitates health insurance that meets certain essential criteria. Both Sanitas and Asisa fulfill all the necessary requirements:
Presence in Spain: Both have a significant presence in Spain, ensuring extensive access to healthcare services nationwide.
Unlimited Financial Coverage: Both offer comprehensive coverage for emergencies, consultations, diagnostic tests, surgeries (both inpatient and outpatient), and hospitalizations without financial limits, ensuring thorough healthcare protection.
No Co-payments or Deductibles: Accessing healthcare services is straightforward and free of additional costs, as there are no co-payments or deductibles involved.
No Waiting Periods: There are no waiting periods, allowing immediate access to medical services when needed.
Repatriation Services: Both providers include the repatriation of remains to the individual's home country in their coverage, offering complete and compassionate care in unforeseen circumstances. (Included in Asisa and Sanitas Health Plan For International Students)
Sanitas vs Asisa Side-by-Side Comparaison
Overview of Companies
Sanitas
Key aspects: Sanitas includes over 54,000 medical professionals and almost 1,200 medical centers across Spain. This facilitates easy access to healthcare services for nomads wherever they are located.
Asisa
Key aspects: The company serves 2.9 million policyholders and operates an extensive network across Spain including 300 hospitals, 36 medical centers, and 18 hospitals. Furthermore, there are over 50,000 healthcare professionals providing care across these facilities.
Basic Coverage
Sanitas
Full coverage: The Sanitas insurance for expats offers complete coverage for:
Emergencies
Preventive medical check-ups
Paediatrics
Consultations
Diagnosis
Obstetric-gynecological nursing
Speech, and language therapy
Hospital care (surgical intervention, childbirth, clinical psychology, etc).
Asisa
Full coverage: The offered coverage encompasses:
Primary medicine
Emergencies and ambulances
Medical specialties
Diagnostic tests
Special treatments
Hospitalization and ICU
Odonto-stomatology
Rehab and physical therapy, and much more.
Types of Insurance
Sanitas
Sanitas offers different types of insurance plans to cater to the requirements of expats. These include:
Sanitas Health Plan Classic: The HPC plan offers comprehensive medical assistance via a personalized swipe card. Furthermore, it provides direct billing which eliminates upfront payments, with optional reimbursement for services outside the medical network with coverage limits up to €300,000.
Sanitas Mas Salud: This plan is favored by expatriates for its flexibility and comprehensive coverage. Moreover, for those enrolled in Sanitas' Mas Salud plan, there is an enhancement called Dental 21 cover. This addition allows them to access the Milennium Dental Centers without any additional subscription.
Sanitas Premium 500.000: Designed to suit expatriates who may need medical care both in and outside Spain, it offers extensive medical coverage including international benefits. It’s suitable for work visa holders who travel as part of their job or for non-lucrative visa holders who often go back to their home countries.
Sanitas Blua: This plan is cutting-edge, offering digital health services such as video consultations. It is a great option for tech-savvy nomads and those with a student visa. It provides flexibility and immediate access to health services, which is crucial for students and young professionals adapting to life in the country.
Sanitas Health Plan For International Students: Specifically tailored to meet the needs of international students, this plan covers all requirements for a student visa. It is applicable for expats aged between 18 and 30.
Sanitas Mas 90.000: Offering a high coverage limit, this type of Sanitas insurance is for those expats who need broader health services. Precisely, it covers all family members under a single policy.
Asisa
Asisa's Expat Insurance Plan is designed to meet all Spanish consulate requirements for visas and NIE applications or renewals, providing comprehensive coverage that mirrors the public health system. This includes emergencies, consultations, diagnostic tests, surgeries, and hospitalizations.
The plan offers significant financial benefits with no copayments or deductibles and provides unlimited economic coverage within Spain. Policyholders also benefit from immediate coverage with no waiting periods and include repatriation of remains.
Dental Coverage
Sanitas
Sanitas offers a specific plan tailored for dental services, known as Sanitas Dental. This plan is available to all, including nomads. Policyholders can access over 180 Milennium Dental Centers for high-quality dental care and convenience. Also, there are no waiting times.
Services: The plan offers comprehensive dental coverage that includes:
Preventive dentistry
Various surgical procedures
Conservative and cosmetic dentistry
Pediatric dentistry
Prostheses, periodontics, orthodontics, implantology, and more.
Furthermore, services like temporomandibular joint pathology and high-tech diagnostic imaging are also included.
Asisa
Asisa expat insurance offers dental coverage as an integrated part of its health insurance plans. However, it is not as comprehensive as that offered by Sanitas.
Services: The insurance only includes basic dental care services like:
Routine check-ups
Preventive care
Simple extractions
Annual dental cleaning.
Travel Assistance
Sanitas
Sanitas offers emergency overseas travel assistance with coverage up to a maximum of €12,000 per person per year for medical care needed within 90 consecutive days from the start of the trip.
Services: It covers doctors' fees, prescribed medications over €3, hospitalization costs, and ambulance services requested by a doctor for local journeys.
Unique offerings: The travel assistance feature of Sanitas also covers emergency dental fees. However, this excludes endodontics, aesthetic reconstructions, oral cleaning, prostheses, crowns, and implants, which are covered up to €241 per insured.
Asisa
Asisa offers comprehensive travel assistance to expatriates, covering a wide range of services to ensure safety and support while abroad.
During each trip, you will be covered for up to €25,000 in medical expenses, and have access to a 24/7 emergency helpline and repatriation services if necessary.
Services: This includes medical, pharmaceutical, and hospitalization expenses, as well as emergency dental treatment. They also provide healthcare transportation, medical repatriation, and cover expenses for returning home after hospital discharge.
Unique offerings: Special services of the Asisa expat plan include sending a specialist abroad, advance payments for hospitalization, and travel expenses for a companion.
Age Coverage
Sanitas
Age coverage: Sanitas offers insurance plans for expatriates with a standard age limit of 75 years. For those aged 76 and above, an initial one-off surcharge applies when contracting the plan. Once enrolled, there is no upper age limit for maintaining the health coverage
Asisa
Age coverage: Asisa's health insurance for expatriates provides coverage for individuals up to the age of 65. Once insured, there is no upper age limit for maintaining health coverage as long as the policy remains active.
Medical Cost
Both Sanitas and Asisa only cover medication costs during hospital stays. Medications prescribed outside of hospital stays are not included in their expatriate health insurance plans.
Final Recommendations
Sanitas
Sanitas provides broader age coverage up to 75 years, extensive reimbursement options for international treatments, and strong dental coverage. So, I’ll recommend it for expats who travel frequently and need flexible plans that include comprehensive dental services and reimbursement options for treatments outside Spain.
Asisa
On the other hand, Asisa is ideal for expats up to the age of 69, offering robust travel assistance with up to €25,000 in medical expenses per trip and comprehensive coverage without co-payments.
Therefore, I would recommend it to those who prefer higher immediate coverage per trip and whose destinations fall within Asisa's covered regions, as well as those who seek extensive local medical services.
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