Why two quotes have different prices

The factors that make a price vary

Eight elements explain most of the gaps between two proposals. The exact terms always depend on the contract.

• The benefits included — Hospitalisation only, routine care, maternity, dental, optical, evacuation, repatriation: each item added widens the protection and weighs on the price. A proposal that looks cheaper may simply leave out an item you need.
• The deductible — The deductible is the part of the costs that stays with you before the insurer reimburses. The higher it is, the lower the price can be, but the more costs you advance when care is needed.
• The caps — A coverage cap is the maximum amount reimbursed, per item, per event or per year. Two benefits with the same name can have very different caps.
• The coverage zone — The coverage zone designates the countries where care is covered. Including or excluding certain destinations (for example the United States or Canada) clearly changes the proposal. See the guide Coverage zone: how to choose it well.
• The waiting period — The waiting period is the time after taking out the contract during which some care is not yet reimbursed. It varies by item, notably for maternity or dental.
• The exclusions — Exclusions list the situations or care that are not covered, for example certain pre-existing conditions. A discreet exclusion can remove much of the value of a benefit.
• Age and country conditions — Age when taking out the contract, age limits at renewal, country of residence or length of stay can change the proposal, or even access to certain plans.
• Direct payment — With direct payment, the insurer pays the care provider directly. Without it, you advance the costs and then claim reimbursement: this advance does not appear in the price, but it counts in real use.

On top of these come the make-up of the family and the options chosen. That is why the same profile can receive very different proposals.

Comparing two proposals on a consistent basis

Before looking at the price, line up the comparison rows. Checklist:

• Compare for the same people (ages, family make-up), the same country of residence and the same period.
• Check that the same items are covered: hospitalisation, routine care, evacuation, repatriation, maternity if relevant.
• Set the same coverage zone side by side, or note the gap between the two precisely.
• Align the deductibles, and ask what will remain at your expense when care is needed.
• Note the caps item by item, and their periodicity (per event, per year).
• Note the waiting periods and the exclusions, especially regarding pre-existing conditions.
• Check how costs are handled: direct payment or advance of costs, and the steps required.
• Ask for the policy terms of each proposal, not just a brochure.

Once these rows are aligned, the remaining price gap has a readable explanation, and the decision is about what really protects you.

Illustrative table: two fictional proposals side by side

The table below shows how to set two proposals side by side, with the same comparison rows. The values are deliberately qualitative and invented for the example: they represent no insurer, no offer and no price.

Fictional example, for teaching purposes only: it does not correspond to any real offer

Reading: in this invented example, proposal A has a lower premium, but it covers fewer items, leaves more costs to the insured person and does not follow a move outside its zone. It is not "worse": it answers a different need. Only a row-by-row comparison shows which one fits a given situation.