Tick ​​insurance: what is included and whether it is worth doing

Ticks endure various diseases, including dangerous ones, such as borreliosis and encephalitis. Therefore, an insect bite should be taken seriously. Ideally, you should not even try to remove the stuck tick yourself, you need to go to the hospital. And here logical questions arise: which clinic should I go to, how much will I have to pay for the services, and is there insurance that will help save money? We understand this topic.

What services are available for free

In Russia, people can take out a compulsory health insurance policy. Contrary to misconceptions, put not only to Russians, but also to foreigners living in the country, refugees and stateless persons. CHI policy - a document that gives the right to free medical care. Conditionally free, of course, since money is transferred from the salary of each working person to the compulsory medical insurance fund every month. But the bottom line is clear: the hospital should not charge you for certain services.

And when meeting with a tick, doctors are obliged to provide assistance under the policy, and exactly:

• examine the patient and remove tick;
• examine the patient's blood if the parasite cannot be examined;
• carry out emergency immunoprophylaxis of tick-borne encephalitis;
• treat the patient if the disease develops.

Moreover, if there is a tick and it can be examined, then this will have to be done at your own expense. In a government facility, testing an arachnid for commonly transmitted diseases would cost 1-2 thousand rubles. Prices may vary from region to region, but only slightly. In paid laboratories, you can examine the parasite for the same cost, but only for the presence of tick-borne encephalitis virus and Borrelia. Advanced analysis will cost expensive. At the same time, you need to act quickly. For example, emergency prophylaxis of encephalitis should be started no later than the fourth day after being sucked in by the parasite.

WITH vaccinations against tick-borne encephalitis is more difficult. They can be free do residents of regions dangerous in terms of the spread of the disease. exact list is Rospotrebnadzor. The vaccine can also be given to those who travel to dangerous areas to work in the forest or in the field.

For a fee, the drug can be administered in public clinics, and in private institutions. It will cost an average of 1,000 rubles, but there are options and more expensive. However, before vaccination you need to visit a therapist and possibly undergo some examinations. It doesn't come cheap.

What is tick bite insurance and what does it include?

Tick ​​bite insurance assumes that the person attacked by the parasite can receive the necessary medical services, and the insurance company will pay for it. Which sounds good. But it is extremely important when buying a policy to carefully read the conditions. Notice a few things.

What services are provided under the policy

From the name of the insurance, it is obvious that it is unlikely to cover preventive vaccinations, here you still have to act on your own. But other manipulations must be taken into account. Ideally this is:

• Examination of the patient and removal of the tick.
• Diagnosis of diseases potentially carried by the bloodsucker. Moreover, both through testing the tick, and through a patient's blood test, if the parasite was not at hand. It is better if the list is not limited to encephalitis and borreliosis - in the "menu" of the arachnid, they are far from being the only ones.
• Emergency prevention of encephalitis.
• Medical assistance in case there are signs of one of the diseases that the tick transmits, including in a hospital. Payment for all procedures and medicines.
• Rehabilitation after illness. The consequences of encephalitis can be heavybecause the infection affects the brain. Sometimes there are problems with speech, the speed of reactions decreases, and so on. It is preferable to improve the situation under the supervision of specialists.

Which institutions can be contacted for help

Usually the insurance company has a list of clinics and hospitals with which it cooperates. Study it carefully. It should not be such that you have to drag yourself with a tick to the other end of the city, it is simply inconvenient. The more options to choose from in the event of an insured event, the better.

If you are going travel, it is worth looking for a policy that covers not only your region.

What is the sum insured

Even if the policy contains the widest range of services, they will still be provided within the sum insured. Therefore, it should be sufficient and quite large, taking into account that treatment and rehabilitation may be required.

For example, if we are talking about an insurance amount of 30 thousand rubles, it will only be enough to make sure that the tick is healthy and nothing threatens you. If something goes wrong, this money will not be enough. It's hard to say exactly how much. But the larger the sum insured, the better - if the other conditions of the policy are also suitable, of course.

How to interact with the insurance

Usually, before a visit to the doctor, you need to call the insurance company, coordinate the visit, and then go for examinations and treatment. And in the case of, for example, encephalitis, time is of the essence. So it's worth reading the reviews. If the company takes a long time to answer calls and is difficult to contact, this is not a good option. You should be able to resolve bureaucratic issues quickly.

If the insurance company has other communication channels, let's say a mobile application, that's good. But speed of response is paramount.

In what cases does insurance cease to be valid?

The weak point of all insurance policies is a list of reasons why cases cease to be insurance. For example, companies often refuse to pay for treatment if the patient was intoxicated at the time of treatment. But ticks attack not only the people who went out into the forest for a walk, but also those who came to kebabs. Also, insurance may cease to be valid if the policy holder himself removed the bloodsucker.

The list of such cases should be carefully studied in order to understand whether the conditions suit you. And to know what can and cannot be done to receive monetary compensation.

Is tick insurance worth it?

This question can only be answered by the person who asks it. On the one hand, there are regions where tick-borne encephalitis is quite rare. And there are people who will never in their lives bitten these parasites. On the other hand, statistics lose their meaning when it comes to a specific person who encountered a tick and contracted one of the unpleasant infections they carry. A policy for a year is inexpensive and usually costs 300-450 rubles, so the insurance will not ruin.

In general, weigh the risks and make a decision based on them.