How to properly issue a VHI policy for individuals? What determines the cost of the VHI policy? Where can you buy a VHI policy for foreign citizens?

Greetings to the readers and visitors of the HeatherBober website! Insurance expert Denis Kuderin is in touch.

The topic of today's article is a voluntary policy health insurance(LCA). The material continues the cycle of publications on insurance and will be of interest to everyone who cares about their health and well-being.

So let's get started!

1. What is a VHI policy and what is it for?

The issues of protecting health and life are of interest to every reasonable person. Unforeseen situations can happen at any time: insurance makes it possible to prepare for them in advance and minimize damage.

The law obliges every citizen to have a compulsory insurance policy, but free medicine does not always provide high-quality and comprehensive treatment. It is a sad fact, but people try to visit municipal clinics as little as possible.

Visits to a public medical institution are associated with endless queues, low service levels, inaccurate diagnostics, and long waiting times for therapeutic procedures. As a result, patients are ready to pay even for free services in order to receive medical care faster and in the prescribed amount.

How to avoid hassle and get complete and adequate treatment? There is a way out - this is Voluntary Medical Insurance. Such insurance gives the right to better and more qualified care in private and public clinics.

- a document confirming the right of the policyholder to medical services in excess of the amount guaranteed by the state under the compulsory insurance program.

The advantage of voluntary insurance is that the client chooses a list of services for himself and chooses medical institutions in which he would like to be observed and treated.

The well-known compulsory medical insurance program is, in fact, a system of minimum guarantees, designed primarily for socially unprotected categories of citizens.

Yes, compulsory medical insurance policy is needed by every citizen. Yes, it will help in an emergency and provide life-saving assistance. But any medical services in excess of this volume, including even the elementary comfort of the patient during inpatient treatment, are not entitled to the owners of compulsory medical insurance.

The subjects of voluntary medical insurance are as follows:

• insured persons (they can be citizens of the Russian Federation, foreigners, stateless persons);
• Insurance Company with the appropriate license;
• medical institution.

VHI insurance is paid. Its cost depends on the type and volume medical services, client's age and other objective factors.

The holder of such a policy has the right to:

• medical services in private clinics;
• make an appointment by phone at any convenient time;
• out-of-order service in government agencies;
• consultations and treatment with doctors of the highest category;
• issuance of referrals for any diagnostic procedures, including expensive ones;
• spa treatment under the insurance program;
• calling a doctor at home at any time;
• inpatient treatment in conditions of increased comfort;
• quick issuance of sick leave after the end of treatment.

Example

The holder of the VHI insurance is referred to inpatient therapy. The patient has the right to demand a separate ward with all the amenities, additional care and a special observation regime. All diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are carried out for him out of turn.

However, not all categories of citizens can count on voluntary insurance. If a person already has serious illnesses, fraught with exacerbations, he will most likely be denied insurance.

For example, HIV carriers, persons registered in narcological institutions, patients with tuberculosis, venereal and oncological diseases, people with serious mental disorders will not be able to obtain a policy.

The site has detailed articles about, and.

2. How to issue a VHI policy - 5 main stages

Voluntary health insurance policies are issued by insurance companies licensed for such insurance. There are 2 options for drawing up an agreement - offline and via the Internet. With the first option, everything is clear - you come to the insurer's office, choose a program, sign a contract.

Online registration is chosen by clients who do not want to waste time on personal visits to the company. Almost all modern insurance companies provide clients with the opportunity to get a policy without leaving their home (or office).

It is enough to go to the insurer's website, leave your number or mail, and representatives of the company will immediately contact you to clarify the conditions. Then you fill out the form and the policy will be ready. It is better to pick up the document in person at the office.

And now - step by step instructions.

Stage 1. Choosing an insurance company

Dozens of insurance companies with licenses to issue VHI policies operate on the territory of the Russian Federation. Conditions and prices for insurers are different. Clients need to choose the kind of firm that best suits their needs and goals.

Experienced insurers advise working with well-known insurers - large companies with an extensive client base and an equally extensive market presence.

You can use Yandex search, or you can choose a more advanced option - contact insurance broker(it is also found on the Internet). Brokers usually take commission not from the client, but from the insurance company.

Such specialists are aware of all packages of insurers and will help you choose the most suitable program.

For reliability, you should always check the company's license. The permit is issued by the federal structure of the Russian Federation - the Service insurance supervision... The license has a number and is entered in the official register.

In addition to permission, the company must have an agreement with medical institutions that will provide services when insured event.

More detailed material on this topic - in the article "".

A few words about registration of a VHI policy by foreigners. Since 2015, obtaining a policy for foreign nationals (including labor migrants) has become mandatory.

Insurance is issued for a period of 3 months. Clients from other countries have the right to choose their own insurance company. They will need a passport, registration data (plus their actual address), and a phone number.

Stage 2. Choosing an insurance program

Medical services are grouped by insurers into separate programs. To understand them without special training is not an easy task.

There are 4 main options for insurance programs:

• basic policy;
• extended;
• full;
• combined (constructor).

Basic gives the right to free specialist advice, diagnostic examination and basic types of therapy. High-tech treatment is not provided under such a program. This is the most inexpensive policy, costing from 4-5 thousand rubles.

Advanced allows you to receive all the services provided by the basic policy, plus numerous bonuses. For example, the owner of such insurance has the right to visit any doctor at a convenient time without queuing by appointment by phone.

Other services are also available: free spa treatment, massage and physiotherapy courses (in institutions with which the insurer has a contract).

A complete policy is the most expensive. It allows you to receive any medical care free of charge in almost all institutions of the Russian Federation. Some programs can even be treated in foreign clinics. The insurer covers the costs of spa treatment, emergency examinations, and any diagnostic procedures.

The combined program is compiled by the client independently. He can select the types of insurance services himself and include them in the contract.

Stage 3. Study and signing of the contract

Before signing the contract, you should carefully re-read all its points. Experts advise not to view the document diagonally, but to study it. Ultimately, the quality and volume of future assistance depends on this.

If any points confuse you or are not included in the contract, it is better to immediately inform the company representatives of your claims. Since the client pays and, as they say, "calls the tune", insurers usually willingly go to meet him. The competition among insurance companies is very high.

Stage 4. Payment for the VHI policy

Pay for the VHI policy, like others insurance services, can be in cash at the insurer's office, by bank transfer or another method offered by the company. Some firms provide installments.

Stage 5.

The original of the policy is issued at the office of the insurance company. The document does not come into force immediately after receiving it. There is a certain waiting period - about 2 weeks.

If the client is denied the provision of medical services in accordance with the contract, he has the right to file a complaint with the insurance organization or the Federal Insurance Supervision Service.

Read the material about car insurance in the article "".

3. Where to buy a VHI policy - an overview of the TOP-7 companies with the best conditions

Moving on to the companies themselves: this section contains the 7 best insurers and insurance agencies of the Russian Federation with the most favorable conditions for voluntary insurance.

1) Alpha Insurance

An insurer with many years of experience, the highest level of service and an extensive network of branches throughout Russia. Many experts advise purchasing a VHI policy here: "Alpha" offers the most thought-out and beneficial insurance programs for clients.

Among them:

• "Health Formula" - an annual program worth from 13 thousand rubles;
• "Everything is all right" (sections "Cardio" and "Gastro") - from 5.5 thousand rubles;
• “I want to become a mother” (for women planning pregnancy) - from 12.8 thousand rubles;
• "Tender age" (for children under one year old) - from 12.3 thousand rubles.

And dozens of different programs for all occasions.

2) Tinkoff Insurance

An insurance company with a developed network of offices and the ability to purchase a VHI policy online. It was founded in 2013 by the famous entrepreneur Oleg Tinkov and is a division of the Tinkoff Bank corporation.

Free consultations for clients, convenient payment options, the ability to choose a program on your own or with the help of a specialist. Ordering a VHI policy by phone.

An insurance agency that provides clients with the opportunity to choose the optimal VHI program with support for insurance contracts for the entire period of their validity. Works with individuals and corporate clients.

The company works with the most reliable insurance companies and finds Better conditions insurance for individuals and legal entities. The agency offers users the most favorable conditions for health insurance. At the same time, the choice of VHI programs is free of charge. Anyone can ask questions about the design and conditions of the VHI policy by phone.

4) Family Doctor

A metropolitan company that is already working according to the standards of the medicine of the future. It has a network of clinics in Moscow to serve adult patients and children of any age.

The insurance with this medical organization is a one-year contract for the highest quality medical care. Consultations, analyzes, house calls, outpatient and inpatient therapy. Diagnostic examination of clients at any time convenient for them + free consultations after diagnosis. It is possible to pay for services in installments.

A universal insurance company with offices in almost all cities of Russia. Has been working since 1947. It has a staff of tens of thousands of professional agents and lawyers.

Among the advantages of the firm are legal support for clients, fast service, cooperation with many private and public clinical institutions. Policy order by mobile application... Among the unique products is VHI insurance in case of an accident.

The oldest in Russia insurance organization(successor to the GOSSTRAKH organization). Experience in the market - 90 years. Affordable and comfortable voluntary insurance programs for all categories of the population.

Individual and corporate VHI insurance. Guaranteed timely and qualified medical care for adult patients and children. The insurance provides a wide range of medical institutions - more than 8,000 hospitals in hundreds of cities.

7) VTB Insurance

More than 20 years on insurance market... A wide network of branches throughout Russia. Legal support for insured citizens. Quick registration of the VHI policy through the website.

Unique insurance products within the framework of the VHI - the program "Manage your health" (financial assistance for cancer), "Excellent protection", "VHI for migrants" (assistance to foreigners temporarily or permanently residing in the territory of the Russian Federation.

4. What determines the cost of the VHI policy - 5 main factors

The insurance price is determined individually. Each company has its own tariffs and programs. The level of clinics with which the insurers cooperate also differs.

Consider all the factors that affect the cost of insurance products.

Factor 1. Age and gender of the policyholder

The younger the client, the cheaper the insurance. This does not apply to children under special conditions.

For people over 30 years of age, an increase factor is used when calculating the cost. For example, for policyholders 50-55 years old, the price of the policy will increase by about 1.2-1.3 times.

Gender matters: for men, insurance will cost more, since a strong half of humanity has increased risks to health and life.

Factor 2. The scope of medical care

Obviously, the number and volume of medical services will directly affect the final cost of insurance.

If you want to include additional points in the package, then the price of the policy will inevitably increase. For example, dental services in addition to all others will increase the price by 10-15 thousand.

Factor 3. The presence of chronic diseases

Sometimes people come to a company when they already have a disease. However, the very principle of insurance implies unpredictability. If the disease already exists, the company has the right to refuse the client to sell the policy.

In order not to issue a policy to a person who may need expensive high-tech therapy, the company uses a waiting period when concluding a contract. When insuring clients with serious chronic diseases, this time can be from 3 to 6 months. Accordingly, the amount of the policy also increases.

Factor 4. Sum insured

The insurance company pays the costs of the policyholder only up to a predetermined amount. The larger it is, the higher the cost of insurance. For an additional fee, the policyholder has the right to increase the amount during the validity period of the insurance.

Factor 5. Region of residence

The price of the policy may increase if medical care is provided in another region or city. There are universal (increased cost) insurances that allow you to receive services in any locality RF.

5. What is better to choose - voluntary medical insurance or compulsory medical insurance?

The main difference between the compulsory medical insurance policy and the VHI is that the first one is issued free of charge to every citizen. Moreover, such insurance is required to receive free medical care. VHI always costs money (price range - from 5 thousand to 35 and more).

Under compulsory medical insurance, assistance can be obtained only in state (municipal) clinics. That is, a person will have to stand in lines, wait for an appointment, show up strictly at the appointed time and experience all the other "delights" of free medicine. Moreover, not all types of necessary services are included in the CHI program.

Example

The patient needs advanced diagnostics using expensive equipment - scanning with an MRI machine.

Regular insurance is unlikely to allow the patient to go through the procedure quickly and free of charge: they will have to pay for services out of their own pocket or wait in line for several weeks, or even months. VHI policy will allow you to undergo diagnostics on the day of treatment.

There are certainly positive aspects in compulsory medical insurance:

• receiving assistance regardless of social status, income level and age;
• independent choice of an insurance company and clinic;
• unlimited duration of insurance;
• no service fees.

Another important nuance: there are no uniform standards for diagnostics and treatment in the regions of the Russian Federation. Municipal clinics themselves set the rules for servicing patients with "compulsory" policies. Complaints to insurance companies or to the CHI Fund cannot fundamentally change the situation.

The VHI policy allows you to avoid queues, unprofessionalism and other inconveniences. Such a document saves time and hassle.

The citizen himself chooses the insurance program, and the clinic, and the list of services: his chances of effective therapy increase many times over. The attitude of the staff is also changing: clients with a VHI policy are served at the highest level.

Insurers believe that the main obstacle to the development of VHI in Russia is the lack of clinical institutions capable of providing truly high-quality medical services. Fortunately, the number of such institutions is gradually increasing. The number of people choosing more reliable and complete protection of their health and well-being is also increasing.

In the table, the differences between compulsory medical insurance and voluntary medical insurance are presented in a visual form:

№	Comparison criteria	OMS	VHI
1	Price	Free insurance	From 5000 and above
2	Validity	No time limits	The period of validity of the standard program is 1 year
3	List of services	Only necessary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures	Any examinations and therapeutic measures prescribed by a doctor
4	Quality of service	Mediocre	High
5	Status of Clinical Institutions	State and municipal clinics	Private and public clinics with an increased level of comfort

The site has separate publications on the topics "

As you know, in Russia today, things with free medicine are far from being as good as many would like, and that is why recently many people have begun to think about getting themselves a VHI policy. What it is and whether it makes sense, is of interest to many people today. It is with these questions that we will understand in this article.

What it is?

Many people today take the VHI policy literally as a salvation. What it is? This is voluntary medical insurance, which is one of the most optimal options for medical support in case of emergency for expectant mothers who are currently on maternity leave, freelancers, as well as for people who are going to get insurance against cancer.

Any citizen of Russia has the right to be provided with compulsory medical services. Formally, with this policy, it will be possible to consult a doctor of a district polyclinic absolutely free of charge, to carry out all kinds of magnetic resonance imaging, as well as to carry out various simple operations.

However, there are a fairly large number of such situations in which compulsory insurance becomes irrelevant, and it is much better if a person has a VHI policy. What it is? For example, the desire to be treated without all kinds of queues, in a comfortable environment and at the same time with a minimum of financial costs. Also, for example, if a freelancer loses his ability to work, then he will not have any compensation. There are many other situations when compulsory insurance is practically useless.

For this reason, in addition to compulsory insurance, a VHI policy is taken. What does this mean for the insured person? The most effective medical care in most emergency situations.

Accidents and illnesses

A VHI policy for individuals is the most optimal if a person:

• is actively involved in sports;
• has a job with a high risk of injury;
• works in the field of freelancing;
• has outstanding loans;
• drives a car.

How does such a policy work?

A person independently chooses situations that can be covered by such insurance. First of all, it is worth noting the fact that the VHI policy for foreign citizens, and for citizens of the Russian Federation, is much cheaper than the rest. The extended version of the policy also provides for a fairly large number of diseases, including a variety of critical illnesses, cancer, heart attack, stroke and others, while some compensation is provided for each day of hospitalization.

If a person who has documents on the diagnosis, determination of disability or completed treatment comes to the insurance company, he will be paid the amount corresponding to the concluded agreement, and in this case there is no difference whether a VHI policy was issued for foreign citizens or for Russian citizens.

When is such insurance most relevant?

It is best to consider voluntary insurance if a person:

• does not have an insurance contract with his employer, and at the same time does not want to undergo treatment in his district clinic;
• spends a fairly large amount annually Money to provide medical care, if this amount is comparable to the price of the VHI policy;
• has a family and at the same time has to pay for the treatment of his parents or relatives;
• is engaged in sports that carry serious risks of injury.

How does this insurance work?

The VHI policy for individuals in the majority of cases guarantees the same as compulsory insurance, but it will already be possible to undergo treatment in specialized medical institutions with an increased level of comfort. It should be noted that such institutions can be various private or public clinics with single rooms. In Russia, it is customary for employers to issue such policies for especially valuable employees, but other people often prefer to issue a policy for VHI Sogaz and other companies on an individual basis, despite the fact that insurance companies provide much fewer offers compared to corporate ones.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, such a policy includes calling a doctor at home, outpatient care, all kinds of instrumental and laboratory tests, as well as vaccination and calling an ambulance. The inclusion of hospitalization or dental care is mainly carried out at an additional cost.

How much does it cost and what does it give?

For example, the Rosgosstrakh VHI policy costs from 27 to more than 130 thousand rubles annually, while the cost will directly depend on the person's age, gender, health status, any individual characteristics, work, as well as on the list of types of assistance provided ... It is worth noting the fact that often the cost of a family policy is cheaper compared to the price of an individual policy.

The place of receiving medical care will also depend directly on the conditions under which the policy was issued. It is often more expensive to go directly to the clinic compared to how much it will cost to apply through an insurance company. Thus, companies try to keep under control what kind of help a person asked for and how much the corresponding bill was issued by the clinic, since many clinics are cheating. Many people who issued the Alfastrakhovanie VHI policy often mention this moment in their reviews.

Features of the work of insurance

If we talk about treatment in a hospital, then after the occurrence of an insured event, you just need to call the insurance company first. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the registration of inpatient care is carried out through a commercial ambulance. The insurers have a formal contract with a large variety of private companies dealing with emergency medical care, as a result of which both their own and partner dispatch services understand which is the best way to call the team and who will get there the fastest. In the event that the ambulance understands that a really urgent hospitalization is needed, then the doctor calls the insurance company, and then it is already determined where the patient needs to be taken.

In the event that a specialized ambulance service does not work in the city, hospitalization is carried out with the help of the municipal service. In this case, the patient is initially sent to the hospital to which the state ambulance is obliged to take him, after which the person can already call his insurance company and report hospitalization. In the overwhelming majority of cases, responsible companies work with any municipal hospitals located in each region. That is why, after the doctor's call, the insurer says that it accepts the case, pays for it and, accordingly, evens out the conditions for the client's stay (for example, transfers him to a ward with a small number of beds).

Attachment to a specific clinic

Often, insurance companies offer their clients to initially secure a certain clinic in order to subsequently receive the fastest and highest quality medical support. Such a program is most optimal for people who:

• spend a lot of money annually to provide medical care;
• have their own family;
• trust only a specific clinic, or the clinic is located in the immediate vicinity of the house.

It also happens that such a VMI policy is issued for migrants.

How does such a program work?

An annual contract is concluded with a specific clinic, while the basic program provides outpatient care, the ability to call a doctor at home, hospitalization and dental care if the clinic has appropriate services and a hospital. How to get this type of VHI policy? Agree with your insurance company, but first you need to make sure that in principle they provide such services to their clients.

It is worth noting that such programs are mostly cheaper compared to other VHI policies, but the disadvantage here is the possibility that certain services may not be available in the specified clinic.

Voluntary health insurance is accompanied by the issuance of an appropriate policy, as well as compulsory. It is drawn up by citizens who wish to receive Additional services to provide qualified assistance, while avoiding queues and large expenses. VHI often acts as one of the elements of the corporate culture of the enterprise, which forms policies for its employees. What the document includes, it will be possible to figure it out by examining a sample VHI policy for individuals.

What does it look like

There is no strict form for this form, each insurance company has the right to establish its own format. However, there is a list of information that is necessarily contained in it. The absence of such data may result in the invalidity of the policy. The mandatory information included in the document includes:

1. Insurance validity period. Here, in addition to the date, month and year, it is obligatory to include the minutes and hours from which the insurance period begins and ends.
2. The name of the insurance company.
3. The name of the program installed under a specific policy.
4. Full name of the insured person with the date of birth, passport details and residence address.
5. The amount of the insurance premium paid by him.
6. The amount for which the citizen is insured.

At the end of the form, the policyholder puts his signature and seal. The owner of the policy is affixing a visa next to it. In addition to it, there is a receipt confirming the payment of the registration fee.

Voluntary health insurance is becoming more and more popular in our country. The presence of such a policy allows the insured to receive qualified medical care free of charge.

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What it is

The VHI policy is a document that gives the insured person the right to receive a certain range of medical services in clinics and hospitals.

Insurance companies usually only work with legal entities offering various insurance programs and types of policies.

VHI policies are of several types:

• base;
• full;
• extended;
• "constructor".

Basic policy

The basic policy entitles the insured person to receive an initial free consultation with specialists, as well as an examination by a therapist. With this policy, you can get a sick leave, as well as a secondary examination of the necessary doctors.

Sometimes such a valid voluntary health insurance policy gives you the right to have your teeth cleaned and receive the necessary dental treatment.

The provision of emergency medical care is not included in the list of services for this type of policy.

This policy option is the cheapest; you can apply to some state and municipal medical institutions with it.

Extended policy

With this policy, you can get not only the services provided for by the basic policy, but also additional ones. With such a policy, the insured person can visit all the necessary doctors within a limited constituent entity of the federation or municipality.

Emergency medical care is partially reimbursed by the insurance company. With such a policy, its owner can receive free spa treatment once a year.

If necessary, you can take a massage course only in those medical institutions with which the insurance company has a contract for the provision of such services.

Full policy

This policy is the most expensive. It allows you to receive any medical care throughout our country for free. In some cases, treatment is provided in clinics in other countries.
The insurance company covers the client's expenses for the necessary sanatorium treatment, emergency and scheduled examinations, as well as the necessary research and examinations.

Massages and other preventive measures are also an insured event.

The cost of such a policy can reach several tens of thousands of rubles for an annual service. No wonder - sum insured, in some cases, can reach several million rubles.

"Constructor" for the policy

Many insurance companies provide their clients with such a service as a "constructor" for the policy. The essence of this service lies in the fact that the client himself "collects" a set of medical services he needs.

The cost of the policy and the insured amount depend on this. You can, for example, choose only dental care or tests with a therapist's examination.

Then it will be impossible for this policy to be treated in sanatoriums, or to attend massage sessions.

Difference between collective and individual insurance

As already mentioned, insurance companies work, most often, with legal entities. Therefore, it is very difficult to find an insurer who will insure an individual on an individual basis.

For the insurance company itself, in technical terms, there is no difference between collective and individual insurance. But when insuring an individual, the risk of an insured event is too high, and, consequently, losses for the insured.

The collective insurance agreement increases the competitiveness of the employer in the labor market. Providing a VHI policy to your employees speaks of the employer's concern.

In addition, part of the insurance is compensated to the employer - 6% of the wages fund can be written off when taxing profits.

The conclusion of a collective agreement for several individuals is much more profitable for the insurance companies themselves. Therefore, an individual policy is more expensive than a collective policy for each individual employee.

If there is a VHI policy, the insured person has the right to apply for help only upon the occurrence of an insured event. This applies to both individual policies and collective ones.

What does a VHI insurance policy give

VHI insurance policy is:

• the opportunity to receive medical care in private clinics;
• if there is a VHI policy, the insured person is accepted out of turn. If there are indications for hospitalization, such a patient is placed in conditions of increased comfort.

However, there are also some disadvantages:

• you can apply only to those clinics and hospitals that have entered into an agreement with the insurance company;
• the high cost of an individual policy - if you pay for treatment in private clinics, there is no difference;
• medical assistance is provided free of charge only if it is an insured event and is included in the VHI program.

How does it work

The insurance company undertakes not only to provide the client with qualified assistance, but also to protect his interests. Each client has its own manager, who solves organizational issues. Also, each client "has" his own doctor - a curator who solves medical issues.

When an insured event occurs, the client has the right to receive assistance under the VHI program. These services are provided to him free of charge.

If during treatment it is necessary to do additional tests or consult with doctors, this is no longer compensated by the insurance company.

Choosing a policy

To choose an insurance company, you must first of all familiarize yourself with the information about the company itself. To do this, you need to compare the ratings of companies and approximate cost VHI policy. The rating table of insurance companies is below. For a table comparing the cost of VHI policies of various companies, see the end of the article.

Then you need to choose an insurance program. This can be done with the help of the manager.

You need to build on the set of services that a particular person needs. This can be dental or emergency care for accident case, and maybe a full range of medical services.

When choosing a company, consider the following:

Your health condition and age... If you are over 30 years old, then the increase rates are applied. If you are from fifty to fifty-five years old, then the coefficient of increase can be 1.2. This means that the base cost of the VHI policy will increase by 1.2 times.

Use of the policy

How to make payments on the VHI policy to be made?

In the event of an insured event, the insured person must contact by phone or in another way with the doctor - curator and manager, and follow their instructions.

The doctor-curator will tell you which clinic is better to contact, and the manager will take over the preparation of the necessary papers and documents. The client only needs to seek help from an accredited medical institution.

How to get a VHI (voluntary health insurance) policy

To obtain a VHI policy, you must contact the selected insurance company and conclude an insurance contract for a specific program.

You can find out where and how to get a voluntary health insurance policy either by phone or on the website of the selected insurance company.

The manager of this company will help you choose a program and conclude an agreement. He will also inform the client where to get the policy.

You must have with you:

• any document that proves identity;
• a medical questionnaire if you are insured as an individual;
• insurance application for the company in which you intend to insure.

Advantages and disadvantages in comparison with the compulsory medical insurance policy

The main disadvantage of the compulsory medical insurance policy is that it is accepted for free only in state and municipal clinics. To get to a doctor in such medical institutions, you need to stand in line for an appointment, and then for an appointment.

Under the health insurance policy, VHI accepts patients out of turn. And this is the main advantage of the VHI policy over the compulsory medical insurance.

The second disadvantage of compulsory medical insurance is unqualified medical care. Often in government clinics, you can face unprofessionalism and arrogant attitude. In private clinics, where they accept under the VHI program, you will not find this.

There is only one disadvantage of the VHI policy before the compulsory medical insurance - it is paid. To receive full medical care at any time and in any place, you need to pay several tens of thousands of rubles. Of course, not everyone can afford this.

Comparison of policies of insurance companies

To compare the cost of VHI policies of various companies, see the table:

On the website of each insurance company there is a calculator that allows you to roughly calculate the cost of the policy.

The help that we receive in state polyclinics under the policy of compulsory medical insurance (CHI) does not always suit us: we may not like the quality of the services provided (the deficit of budgetary funding affects), their quantity (you must have heard the phrase at least once: but behind this service, contact a paid clinic), in the end, we just may not like the occasional rudeness and negligence of the staff. To help those who no longer count on high-quality free medical care, paid ...

In this article, we will talk about voluntary health insurance (VHI) and what its pros and cons.

Medical insurance in Russia

Medical insurance is a form of social protection of citizens' interests in health protection, which is expressed in the event of an insured event in a guarantee of payment for medical care at the expense of the funds accumulated by the insurer.

Since 1993, medical insurance in Russia has existed in two forms: compulsory and voluntary.

Compulsory health insurance (MHI) is part of the state social insurance system and gives all Russians the opportunity to receive free medical care, regardless of gender, age and social status.

Voluntary health insurance (VHI) allows you to receive not only medical services included in the compulsory medical insurance guaranteed by the state, but also various additional programs, moreover, in medical institutions with an increased level of comfort, at the expense of insurance companies.

Voluntary medical insurance

There are many types of VHI on the health insurance market. Typically, insurers offer insurance programs (with an appropriate range of services) such as:

• outpatient and polyclinic service;
• inpatient medical care, including hospitalization and surgery;
• emergency;
• dentistry;
• home doctor services;
• exclusive programs that may include telephone consultation with a specialist and home delivery of medication.

In addition, special voluntary health insurance programs operate for pregnant women and children.

How to get a VHI policy?

A VHI contract can be drawn up directly at the medical institution of your choice or in an insurance company, the VHI program of which seems to you the most optimal. You can pay for the services of the insurer in any convenient way: in cash, Bank transaction, using electronic payment systems. In some insurance companies, you can pay monthly or in installments.

Important! The VHI policy does not enter into force immediately after receiving it in your hands. The waiting period for document activation usually takes 7-14 days.

What determines the cost of the policy?

The cost of a VHI policy depends on many factors, including:

• age and gender of the policyholder, the presence of chronic diseases;
• the volume of medical care (the number of examinations in the clinic in the agreed period of time, the range of services and the number of specialists providing them). So, dental services on average increase the price of the policy by 10-15 thousand rubles;
• the amount of the insured amount;
• region of residence of the patient;
• the ability to call a specialist at home;
• the possibility of inpatient examination or treatment in the clinic;
• the number of clinics to which you can apply for VHI.

Important! Usually a family health insurance policy is cheaper.

Advantages and disadvantages of VHI

The VHI policy has a number of indisputable advantages:

1. Holders of the VHI policy receive additional medical services in excess of the established compulsory health insurance.
2. VHI programs provide more comfortable treatment conditions compared to the CHI program (modern medical equipment, the ability to make an appointment with a specialist without a mandatory visit to a therapist, no queues, attentive attitude of the staff).
3. Buying a VHI program is cheaper than visiting a private clinic without a policy on a case-by-case basis and paying for medical services upon delivery, since the insurance company provides the clinic with a large flow of patients and receives from it wholesale discounts on the price of medical services, while the patient himself pays the insurance company a fixed price for the VHI policy.
4. Flexibility. So, at the conclusion complex agreement, which includes all types of medical services, the client of the insurance company can select individually for himself all the necessary types of medical services.

However, VHI also has disadvantages:

1. First, the price. If a citizen gets a compulsory medical insurance policy free of charge, he will need to pay for VHI. Not everyone in our country is ready to do this due to the low level of welfare.
2. The VHI agreement usually includes a number of restrictions. For example, some categories of citizens cannot use VHI programs(terminally ill people, the elderly, people suffering from serious illnesses such as HIV), there are exceptions from insurance cases that are not covered by insurance, patients are serviced under VHI only in certain medical institutions, etc.
3. Thirdly, there is a risk of imposing services on the citizen that he does not need. It is becoming more profitable for doctors to invite patients for repeated appointments and send them to unnecessary procedures, tests and examinations (the insurance company pays for it, and this has a positive effect on doctors' salaries).
4. The VHI policy is valid for a limited time (as a rule, a year), then it must be renewed (in contrast to the indefinite compulsory medical insurance policy).

As you can see, the VHI policy is a rather useful acquisition. Moreover, in addition to the above advantages, it allows you to get social tax deduction... So, if you receive income taxed at a rate of 13%, you can file your tax return and add to your personal budget.

In accordance with article 219 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, you have the right to apply a social tax deduction in the amount of paid insurance premiums under a voluntary medical insurance agreement, and not only your own, but also under a voluntary medical insurance agreement issued by you for your loved ones.