Medical insurance in Turkey

Health is the most important aspect of our life with you. That is why a foreigner moving to Turkey is always worried about local health insurance. The İMMOALANYA company is pleased to provide you with the most relevant information about life in Turkey, so today we will analyze the topic of health insurance for foreigners. So, a foreigner who bought real estate in Turkey and wants to move to this wonderful country can count on several types of insurance.

-These are private compulsory insurance,

-private voluntary insurance,

-and government insurance.

A foreigner moving to Turkey for permanent residence in the first year of his / her residence can only rely on private health insurance – compulsory and voluntary Compulsory health insurance is required for all foreigners between the ages of 18 and 65 who apply for a residence permit. That is, if you want to get a residence permit in Turkey for 1 or 2 years – take out health insurance for 1 or 2 years, respectively. This law has existed for several years and is strictly enforced by the migration service. Insurances not issued by a Turkish insurance company are not accepted for consideration.

The law does not apply to minors and persons over 65. At the same time, you can take out such insurance for children if you wish. For persons over 65, no insurance company will issue a policy. What is covered by such health insurance: - outpatient treatment – 60% coverage. For example, if an appointment with a doctor costs 100 liras, then you will pay 40 liras, and 60 liras will be paid by your insurance company. The limit for outpatient treatment is 2000 lira per year. – inpatient treatment – 100% coverage.This insurance will not cover doctor's appointments and examinations related to chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, cardiology, gastritis, etc.), dental care, pregnancy management, ophthalmology, any routine examinations and procedures. – that is, with this insurance you can go to the hospital in the event of an acute illness or accident. The cost of insurance depends on your age. The amount can vary from 150 Turkish Lira to 1000 Turkish Lira per year (25 – 165 Euro).

When taking out insurance, it is advisable to ask the insurance company with which hospitals in your area of ​​residence they have an agreement. Many insurance companies issue a list of hospitals where their insurance will be valid. If you want health insurance with wider coverage, then after obtaining a residence permit, you can conclude a voluntary health insurance contract.

Voluntary insurance is issued by large insurance companies in Turkey, which have contracts with all major medical institutions in the country – AXA, MAPFRE, ALLİANZ, AKSİGORTA and others. – You can choose the limit for outpatient treatment in such insurance. Amounts from 3000 to 6000 per year. – The share of coverage for outpatient treatment in voluntary health insurance is 80% (that is, out of 100 liras you will pay only 20, the rest is an insurance company), for inpatient treatment – 100%. – The coverage includes the possibility of a therapeutic check-up once a year, as well as – Possibility of undergoing physiotherapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, dialysis sessions as prescribed by a doctor.

 You can add limits for dentistry, ophthalmology, pregnancy management and more, depending on your wishes. The cost of such insurance depends, again, on your age. For example, for a person aged 45, this insurance will cost about 3,500 lira per year (570 Euro). The more wide coverage you choose, the more expensive your insurance will be.

 State health insurance is a popular issue lately due to the fact that many carry parents over 65 with them and the issue of their medical care is acute. Private insurance, neither compulsory nor voluntary, is not available for this age. There is only one way out – state insurance. Foreigners have the right to obtain state health insurance after 1 year of residence in Turkey with a residence permit. That is, 1 year has passed since the registration of the residence permit – you can go to the insurance department (SGK) and take out insurance. This insurance is called in Turkish – BAĞKUR.

 The main differences between state health insurance and voluntary: - insurance is issued for the family: spouses, minor children, parents. You do not need to take out insurance for each family member separately. – insurance premiums are made on a monthly basis – today the monthly insurance premium is 850 liras (10200 liras per year – 1.600 euros). If the payment is delayed, the insurance will be suspended and you will not be able to receive medical care until the payment is paid to the insurance department. – under such insurance, you have the right to free medical care in public medical institutions in Turkey

Medical care in private hospitals is 80% covered (20% you pay yourself) – state insurance covers all types of diseases, including chronic diseases, scheduled examinations, etc. – Partial coverage (up to 80%) applies to drugs prescribed by a doctor, which means that you will not pay the full cost of the drugs prescribed to you.