Question on private health insurance vs vountary NI contributions...

Hi guys...

recently moved over to Malta, and my g-friend should follow shortly...

i am in on the self-sufficiency level (as EU passport holder), and have some form of private health insurance soas to pass the test :-)  and obviously be covered for 12 months at a decent level... one can never know what can happen...

my question is this;
if (or when) my (EU) g-friend moves over also on self-sufficiency but will effectively be dependant on me, i am wondering whether its a good idea to do the voluntary NI payments or not ?
i mean with that (after 3 yrs ?? of contributions) one is also eligible for malta pension further down the track, so it would all accumulate... based on health stuff alone, perhaps its better to buy the highest private cover for like 1,000 euro/yr than place that amount into vountary NI contributions just to be covered by the "public health" system... however, sometimes private health doesnt cover past ailments and with the NI there is the pension element involved...

just wondering... anyone else come across this type of situation or scenario ?

if so, please share ur experiences :-))

ps... i do understand that for self-sufficiency she will already have to have at least the basic level of private health insurance... but i would rather it was a higher level to cover almost everything (at least for the first year), and that is why it would end up being either one of the following; lowest level of private health to past the test+NI contributions so that her pensions contributions continue somewhere and she is in the public health system if needed, OR higher level of private health insurance only...