The UNIQA Life voluntary medical-insurance programmes we offer — “Za nasheto zdrave” with territorial cover in Bulgaria, and “Zdrave i tsennost”, “Zdrave i tsennost Select” and “Zdrave i tsennost Select Plus” with cover in Europe (including Bulgaria) or worldwide — can be issued only from the first day of the following month. For example, if today is 15 September, the policy can be issued from 1 October, not earlier.
Voluntary medical insurance includes a waiting period, also called a deferral period. This is a fixed period immediately after the insurance contract is concluded during which the insurer is not liable for an insured event, even though the contract is already in force. If you visit a doctor or develop a health problem during that period, you pay the costs yourself, even if you have already concluded the contract and paid the premium.
Why is there a waiting period?
The main purpose is to prevent abuse. A waiting period means that a person cannot take out insurance only after learning that they are ill or need expensive treatment, in order to shift the cost to the insurer immediately.
How long is the waiting period?
The general waiting period is 60 days. It starts on the policy start date, or on the date a newly insured person is added, provided that the first premium due under the contract was paid before that date. If the premium was not paid before the policy start date, the waiting period starts at 24:00 on the date the first premium is paid.
Some covers, such as pregnancy monitoring or childbirth, have a waiting period longer than 60 days. Always read the insurance terms carefully.
There is an exception: the general waiting period does not apply to treatment made necessary by an accident. The insurance terms contain further conditions, so please read them carefully.
When an employer insures a large group of employees, insurers may waive the waiting period as a benefit. This must always be confirmed in advance, as the required group size can vary. You can find the current insurance terms for these programmes on our Insurance Documents page.
Does the waiting period apply when the policy is renewed?
A new waiting period does not apply when an insurance contract continues into the next insurance period, when an expired fixed-term contract is renewed, or when a terminated contract is reinstated, provided that fewer than 30 days have passed between its expiry or termination and the continuation, renewal or reinstatement.
