Plan of Is Health More Advantageous than a Private Doctor?

Is a Health Plan More Advantageous than a Private Doctor?

Even more so after the COVID-19 pandemic, health insurance plans have become a routine part of the lives of thousands of Brazilians. In 2020, more than 560,000 new members joined this system.

However, the question remains whether it's worth it to purchase a health plan. After all, another monthly payment has arrived and you can't remember the last time you needed to see a doctor. It's times like these that we reflect on the real need for a health plan.

This way, we'll help you clarify the advantages and disadvantages of health insurance compared to private care. Keep reading!

Health plan versus private consultation

To understand which is the best choice, we need to know the characteristics and main differences between a health plan and private care.

Regarding the health plan, the beneficiary is entitled to partial or full coverage for medical care, such as treatments, consultations, exams, and surgeries. However, the type of coverage will vary depending on the type of plan purchased.

Additionally, you will be required to pay a monthly fee, and in some cases you will also have to pay a co-participation fee.

With private care, although you don't have to pay a monthly fee, you need to have prior financial planning so that if something unexpected happens, you can cover your medical expenses. This can often be costly. If you don't have an emergency fund, your only option will be to resort to public care.

Pay monthly fees or invest?

In this context, many people question the benefits of health plans. Perhaps, wouldn't it be more advantageous to invest the money that would otherwise be spent on monthly premiums in a daily liquidity investment?

In theory, this could be more economical, but we can't ignore the cost of medical procedures. They can quickly deplete your savings, and ultimately, you'll end up spending more than you would if you were paying your health insurance premiums.

This is especially true for more serious emergencies, which involve hospitalization, surgery, and medication, which can cost thousands of reais. Therefore, even with an emergency fund, you may have to resort to the SUS (Brazilian Unified Health System), which, despite being one of the best public health services in the world, cannot meet all the demand and is still precarious in some aspects.

Therefore, taking out a health plan may end up being cheaper in the long run than investing the money.

Importance of precaution

It's easy to question the usefulness of health insurance when you're not sick. But we know that things can change suddenly. It's in these moments, when dealing with an urgent or emergency situation, that we realize the need for health insurance.

That's why "prevention is better than cure." A health plan allows you to feel secure in the worst of times. Although it's an expense and often ends up taking up a large portion of your monthly income, it's an expense that protects one of your most precious assets: your health.

Health is a box of surprises

A health plan is like car insurance: you buy it to protect yourself from adversity. If you only consider the monthly payment, the cost can end up being very high, especially if you don't use it much. However, by analyzing everything the health plan offers, we can see that, in the end, it's not that expensive.

Health Insurance is More Advantageous than Private Doctor

For example, let's say you need an endocrinologist appointment because you suspect you have breast cancer. In addition to the consultation, which could cost around R$1,400, you'll also need to pay for a series of tests, which will likely cost around R$1,400,000 to R$1,400,000 each.

Furthermore, a daily stay in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) can reach R$1,400,000 (approximately R$2,000), and according to one study, breast cancer treatment costs R$1,130 in the first stage, rising to R$55,000 (approximately R$5,000) in the third stage. Can you imagine paying these expenses?

Of course, no one thinks they might need this type of treatment one day, but you never know what tomorrow will bring. No matter how healthy your habits are, new viruses and diseases always emerge that can surprise us. COVID-19 is here to prove us wrong. So, without health insurance, you either pay all the costs or resort to... SUS. But remember that waiting for some services may not be an option for some people.

Look for cheaper alternatives

Therefore, considering all these factors, health insurance is more financially worthwhile than private medical care. After all, any serious illness can deplete all your savings and often lead to debt.

However, there are alternatives that can reduce monthly costs. For example, some companies offer free or discounted health insurance plans. Furthermore, there are many excellent value plans; just do some research and you'll surely find a health plan that suits your needs and needs.

At the same time, there are companies that offer private services at a lower price than usual, such as Doutor123, Consulta do Bem and VidaClass, which allow you to find doctors who charge from R$ 60 to R$ 220 per consultation, and popular clinics, such as Cia da Consulta and Labi Exames in São Paulo, whose prices generally vary between R$ 50 and R$ 150.

Thus, with simpler structures and less investment in hotels, they are able to reach a part of the population that cannot afford to pay the monthly fee for a health plan or private care, but wishes to continue receiving care from private institutions.