People have told me that even though I'm an EU citizen I need a private health insurance in order to become an Ordinary Resident of Malta.
I've been googling away without finding recommendations or prices, so I clicked on the ad/sponsor link Expatriate health insurance Malta at the bottom of our forum Health care page.
HAPPY TO SAY, everything seems to have worked out fine. The company sent me an email, I called them up, and 15 minutes (and a brief telephone interview about my health) later I'm insured. The salesman on the phone, David, was bright, polite and no matter what I brought up he instantly knew what I was talking about.
15 minutes after our conversation I received an email with an attached signed declaration that my medical expenses are covered by Bupa International. The salesman said that this letter is what the Maltese immigration authorities want to see. If, contrary to his expectations, the government does not accept this declaration I can get a full refund from Bupa.
They have a number of offers.
Among them:
£229/month for full medical cover.
£142/month for cover of hospital expenses but not doctor visits.
And if you are prepared to pay part of the hospital bill yourself, you can lower this much further.
I opted for the cheapest possible cover: For £40/month I have to pay all visits to doctors and specialists myself, and if I have to go to hospital I have to pay the first £5,000 myself for the first visit. After that I don't have to pay anything.
The insurance covers medical expenses all over the world except USA. I'll take a separate travel insurance when going there, as cover for USA would close to triple the price.
£5,000 is a big sum to pay when hospitalized. But then again I'm saving £1,200/year in cover by agreeing to this. I don't want any administration fees on top of my minor medical expenses. What I want is to be insured against complete medical and financial disaster, and I want a paper that will allow me to move to Malta.
Hope this can help others, and if you have comments or experiences, please post here.
Oak