When treatment abroad becomes an opportunity

The number of patients who decide to be treated outside our country increases every year. They seek help for various reasons – incl. when possible therapeutic options are exhausted or simply want to obtain a second, independent medical opinion.

In Poland, compared to Western European countries, the treatment of some diseases is limited. In particular, this applies to the treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, transplantation and neurosurgical procedures.

The difficult situation in Poland may be experienced by, among others, people whose only chance of recovery is an organ transplant. Although we have some of the best transplant specialists in the world in our country, long waiting lists and a small number of transplant centers encourage patients to seek help in private clinics abroad. [1] [2]

The limitations of the Polish health care system are also visible in the treatment of neoplastic diseases. For example, according to the report of the Alivia oncology foundation, almost half of the oncological drugs registered in the last 15 years and recommended by the European Society of Clinical Oncology (ESMO) are not available to Poles, and only 29 out of 132 therapies can be used by oncologists for save patients’ lives in accordance with international guidelines. [3]

Sometimes difficulties can also be checked by the oncological diagnosis itself, especially now, in the peri-pandemic period. This is illustrated by the waiting time for lung cancer tests – instead of the 28 days during which the diagnosis process should be completed, patients often wait up to seven months. [4]

How to apply for treatment abroad?

The National Health Fund does not finance treatment outside Poland as part of clinical trials, experimental treatment and treatment that is not among the services guaranteed in Poland. In order to obtain financing for treatment abroad from the National Health Fund, it is necessary to obtain the consent of the head of the provincial branch of the National Health Fund (in case of long waiting) or the president of the National Health Fund (if the guaranteed service is not provided in Poland). Importantly, as you can read on the National Health Fund website, the costs of foreign therapy will be reimbursed only up to the amount that such treatment would cost in Poland. [5]

We know that a serious illness can be one of the most difficult experiences in life, both for the sick person and for the family. It is natural that we want to have access to the most effective methods of treatment, surgeries, hospitals and the best doctors from around the world, but most often it is associated with very high costs. In this case, the solution may be insurance in the event of treatment abroad, such as, for example, We care without borders from Nationale-Nederlanden Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń na Życie SA

We care without borders is an additional agreement to life insurance from Nationale-Nederlanden Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń na Życie SA, which enables treatment in medical facilities around the world in the event of diagnosis:

1. Cancer (malignant neoplasm, e.g. leukemia, sarcoma and lymphoma, neoplasms in situ, precancerous changes in the form of severe dysplasia) 
2. Cardiovascular disease requiring surgery (coronary bypass surgery, replacement or repair of a heart valve) 
3. Disease requiring intracranial and spinal cord-specific neurosurgery (brain surgery, benign spinal tumor surgery)
4. Disease that requires a transplant (living donor organ transplant, bone marrow transplant) 

Why is it worth choosing this insurance? What does the insurer provide?

1. Second medical opinion – if you receive a diagnosis from a doctor in Poland, the case will also be consulted with a doctor from a foreign medical center and a second medical opinion will be prepared on this basis. 
2. Organization and coverage of treatment costs abroad – the insurer will arrange the best possible treatment in the selected facility and cover the costs (including the interpreter) in total up to EUR 2 million during the insurance coverage period. 
3. Money for each day of hospital stay – the insured person will receive EUR 100 for each day of hospital stay (for a maximum of 60 days) to cover additional expenses related to the stay abroad. 
4. Further treatment and reimbursement for drugs – if it is necessary to continue treatment in the country, the insurer will arrange further treatment, examinations and medical consultations after returning from abroad. He will also return money for the purchase of drugs – up to 50 in total. euro (taking into account the limit of 2 million euro for the entire duration of the insurance cover and all benefits included therein).

As part of the insurance, the patient also receives access to virtual consultations with specialists – to make sure that the diagnosis or suspicion of the disease is correct. In addition, clients covered by this insurance can use the Patient Guide service, which is a source of knowledge on how to deal with the disease (including treatment methods, how to keep active everyday life, taking care of yourself, and the possibility of obtaining external financial support). .

Insurance coverage in the case of the Ochrony + insurance may cover every person between the age of 18 and 65 (under the age of 66), and in the case of the Way for the Future and Protection of Tomorrow insurance, insurance coverage may be provided to anyone between the ages of 18 and 65. and children after the age of 1. Importantly, the use of benefits under the We care without borders agreement is possible if the insured person lived in Poland at the time of concluding the agreement, on the day of diagnosing the disease and at the time of reporting the event.