Cancer and health insurance in Portugal: domestic and international cover explained

Why cancer cover is the first question to ask

Cancer treatment is long and expensive. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted drugs can run for months or years. A policy that looks generous for routine care can run out of capital part-way through treatment.

So the useful question is not whether a policy covers cancer, but how much it pays, from when, for which history and in which country.

How Portuguese domestic health insurance handles cancer

Domestic policies pay for cancer treatment up to the capital of each cover, mainly within Portugal. Four points decide how well a policy will serve you:

• Capital. Hospitalisation and outpatient covers have annual limits. Some plans add a specific serious-illness capital on top, which matters most for long treatments.
• Waiting periods. Serious-illness covers usually start only after a waiting period of several months. A diagnosis inside that period is not covered.
• Pre-existing conditions. Portuguese insurers generally exclude any condition you had before the policy started. A previous cancer, or symptoms already under investigation, will normally not be covered.
• Age and eligibility. Most domestic insurers accept new members only up to 65. Every insured person needs a Portuguese address and a Portuguese tax number (NIF).

Two insurers we work with take different approaches to these limits: MGEN on pre-existing conditions, and Médis on capital.

MGEN: pre-existing conditions covered after 365 days

MGEN is the exception in the Portuguese market. It does not exclude pre-existing conditions: it applies a 365-day waiting period, after which they are covered. This matters for anyone with a cancer history, or with a condition that could later be linked to cancer.

• No medical questionnaire when you join.
• No upper age limit to join, which makes MGEN the main domestic option for clients over 65.
• Two or more insured people from the same household. MGEN is not available for a single person.
• Portuguese NIF and address for every insured person, with proof of address.

The 365 days run from the start of the policy. Starting early is the best protection.

Médis: a high capital for serious illness

Médis is one of the strongest domestic options when capital is the priority. Its top option adds a Serious Illness (Doenças Graves) cover of €1,000,000, which includes cancer, on top of the hospitalisation and outpatient covers.

• €1,000,000 Serious Illness capital in the top option.
• 180-day waiting period for the Serious Illness cover.
• Oncology support services, including prostheses and orthoses, psychological support and home nursing.
• Unlimited second medical opinion.
• Pre-existing conditions are excluded, as with most Portuguese insurers.

Médis suits healthy clients under 65 who want a large reserve of capital for a serious diagnosis. We place Médis through our agency agreement with Zurich.

International health insurance: treatment wherever you are

International plans are designed for people who live outside their country of nationality, move between countries, or want the freedom to be treated outside Portugal. A diagnosis does not have to change where you live or which oncologist you choose.

• Cigna Global. Cancer care is part of the core cover on Silver, Gold and Platinum and is paid in full. Silver has an annual limit of US$1,000,000; Platinum carries the highest annual limit, without a fixed cap. It is also the plan we use for US citizens living outside the United States.
• Allianz Care. Hospital treatment is built into every plan, and cancer screenings are covered across the range. A Europe-only area of cover sits alongside the worldwide options.

Three points work differently from domestic insurance. You choose an area of cover, and treatment is covered anywhere inside it. Pre-existing conditions are assessed by medical underwriting: the insurer may cover, exclude or load them. And a Portuguese address is not required.

Which solution fits your situation

Five questions to ask before you buy

1. What is the total capital available for cancer treatment each year, and is there a separate serious-illness capital?
2. How long is the waiting period before cancer is covered?
3. How are my existing conditions and my medical history treated?
4. Can I be treated outside Portugal, and under what conditions?
5. Are oncology medication, follow-up scans and outpatient therapy covered in the same way as hospital stays?

The answers sit in the policy conditions, not in the premium. That is where a broker earns their place.

How Adler & Rochefort helps

We select proposals for their cover, capitals and claims service, never for the lowest premium. When the risk is cancer, that choice decides how well you are protected.

As an EU-regulated broker registered with the Portuguese supervisor (ASF), we work with several domestic and international insurers. We compare their conditions for your age, history and plans, and explain the differences in writing.