Health and prevention: the best investment

What this episode is about

Prevention is the most affordable kind of healthcare: a problem found early is usually easier to treat. But if treatment is needed, a family needs access, choice and a clear view of the cost.

This episode looks at how to organise prevention and cover, so that a health problem does not catch you unprepared.

Key points

• Your personal doctor is the first step. Under GESY, your personal doctor refers you to specialists and tests. A regular check-up with them is the basis of prevention.
• Know how GESY works. Referrals, co-payments, your choice of provider and waiting times all shape your experience.
• Private cover adds to GESY, it does not replace it. It can give you more choice of hospital and doctor, treatment abroad, or cover for things GESY does not include. Exactly what it covers depends on the policy.
• Get cover while you are healthy. Conditions you already have when you apply may be excluded or raise the premium, and waiting periods often apply.
• Read the parts that matter. Annual limit, excess, co-insurance, exclusions, waiting periods, pre-approval process and renewal terms.
• Health is also income. A serious illness can keep you away from work. Check whether your cover looks after your income too, not just your hospital bills.

Questions to think about

• Are you registered with a personal doctor under GESY, and when did you last have a general check-up?
• If you needed treatment that GESY does not cover, how would you pay for it?
• Does your policy have an excess, and how much is it?
• Are you covered for treatment outside Cyprus?
• If you could not work for a few months, what would happen to your income?

These notes are general information, not personal insurance, tax or investment advice. For your own situation, talk to an insurance advisor.

Where to go next