Podiatry and Foot Care with Sanitas
Having your feet done and having a foot problem treated are two different things. Your policy treats them differently too, and the line between them catches people out.
The distinction that decides whether you are covered
This is the part people get wrong, so it is worth being blunt about it.
Chiropody is the part of podiatry that Sanitas does pay for: having hard skin or calluses removed and toenail problems treated by a chiropodist, up to 12 sessions per person per year (10 on Top Quantum). Beyond that limit, a general tidy-up is a personal expense.
Other foot problems are not covered as podiatry, because Sanitas covers chiropody only. For something like plantar fasciitis, a bunion, a wound that will not heal, nerve pain or gait problems causing knee or back trouble, ask us which specialist your plan covers before you book.
Where exactly the line falls depends on your plan, so if you are booking for something borderline, ask the clinic before the appointment rather than after.
Diabetes and feet
If you are diabetic, foot care stops being cosmetic and becomes essential. Reduced sensation means you can injure a foot without feeling it, and reduced circulation means it heals slowly. A regular podiatry check is one of the genuinely high-value things a diabetic person can do, but Sanitas covers chiropody only, up to 12 sessions a year, so ask us which specialist your plan covers for diabetic foot problems.
Orthotics and insoles
Custom insoles are a common outcome of a podiatry appointment, particularly for foot, knee or back pain caused by how you walk. The consultation and the assessment are covered. The insoles themselves usually are not, because they count as an appliance rather than treatment. Expect to pay for them, and ask the price before they are made.
Where the podiatrists are
998 clinics across 50 provinces, with 1,263 named specialists between them – and you can book any of them yourself, without a referral.
- Madrid – 127 clinics, 226 podiatrists
- Barcelona – 116 clinics, 168 podiatrists
- Seville – 60 clinics, 82 podiatrists
- Malaga – 57 clinics, 73 podiatrists
- Valencia – 49 clinics, 76 podiatrists
- A Coruna – 36 clinics, 42 podiatrists
- Tarragona – 32 clinics, 26 podiatrists
Podiatry is well spread, because it needs a room and a chair rather than a hospital.
Language at the appointment
Foot appointments are among the easier ones to get through without much shared language. Ask us and we will check who is near you and what languages they work in.
What you pay
Chiropody sessions, up to 12 a year (10 on Top Quantum), cost nothing at the desk on a plan without co-payments, and €3 a session on Accede, Avanza, Optima and Unico. Any session beyond the limit, and anything else, you pay for either way, though network clinics generally charge policyholders less.
Find a podiatrist near you
Browse podiatrists in the Sanitas directory – by province, with addresses, phone numbers and a map.
