Check whether commercial cover is needed
Commercial cover matters when you do not qualify for Slovak public insurance and no other applicable system pays your expenses. An unemployed adult with family-reunification residence may need it. Residence purpose alone is not decisive: age, work, foreign insurance and family status also matter.
Distinguish Union poisťovňa’s commercial products from Union zdravotná poisťovňa’s public insurance. Similar names do not mean identical cover. A standard travel policy may not suit long-term residence or satisfy the police’s insurance-evidence requirements.
Compare terms, not just the annual premium
Request the current general and special terms and product information document. Compare outpatient visits, tests, hospital care, medicines, dentistry, prevention, pregnancy and childbirth. Check category limits, deductibles, territory, duration and start date. The marketing term “comprehensive” does not replace these details.
Union’s product page illustrates the difference: SIMPLE focuses on necessary treatment for injury, sudden illness or pain; SAFETY offers broader cover. This is a comparison example, not an endorsement. Your premium and acceptance depend on a current insurer quote. Historic €300 or €600 annual estimates are not 2026 tariffs.
Existing conditions and pregnancy
Complete the medical questionnaire accurately. Ask specifically about pre-existing diagnoses, ongoing treatment, waiting periods and exclusions. For an existing or planned pregnancy, obtain written confirmation covering antenatal care, birth, complications and the newborn. Childbirth is not excluded by every commercial policy; product terms decide.
Using your policy
Save the policy number and assistance contacts on your phone. Before a planned appointment, check the provider, authorisation requirements and payment arrangement. The insurer may pay directly or reimburse you after payment. Commercial-policy provider lists can differ from public-insurance directories.
For a life-threatening emergency call 155 or 112, then notify assistance within your contract’s deadline. Keep reports, itemised invoices, payment evidence and prescriptions. Judge foreign-issued policies by Slovak territorial cover, long-term-residence eligibility, limits and payment arrangements rather than the issuing country.
Renewal and moving to public cover
Set a renewal reminder and check for gaps between contracts. When starting work or business, confirm the public-coverage start first. Then arrange commercial-policy termination and any premium refund under its terms; these are not uniform across insurers.