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Health Care and Medical Insurance in Spain

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Health Care and Medical Insurance in Spain

That said, you can occasionally "beat the system" with luck and persuasion. "

Posted by Casi Cielo

Information on expat health insurance, public and private health care in Spain, as well as and international travel medical and health insurance.

There is free universal health care in Spain. The problem is that to become an insured you have to have a social security number. To get one, you generally have to either work for a company or become self employed (in which case you’ll pay to be part of the system). That said, you can occasionally “beat the system” with luck and persuasion. An American friend of ours arrived to Spain when she was 76 years old, and managed to convince the people at the social security office to give her a number.

If your country of origin has universal health care, then you may be able to get your country to pay Spain to cover you. For the UK, this is the case for those over 60 and for some people who qualify for the invalidity benefit. You will need the appropriate form (E121 or E106).

In some cases, you may want to keep your universal health care provided by your home country if you intend to be back and forth between Spain and home. In this case it would be recommended to purchase additional health or travel insurance from a home-country insurance provider that supplements your universal health care for the duration of your stay in Spain. In Canada, for example, you will need to continue paying for your provincial health care and notify them of your extended absence from the country to ensure continued coverage. This is a requirement of getting private health or travel insurance anyway.

If you have a Certificado de Empadronamiento, you have the right to emergency care in any public hospital. Once any temporary health care from your country runs out, look into contracting Spanish health insurance.  Also see Doctors in Spain for more about your empadronamiento, getting your health care card and finding a doctor.

... you can sometimes negotiate (or avoid) the initial fee if somebody with that insurance company recommends you. "

Expat Health Insurance

Some private health insurance companies:

  • Sanitas [Spanish, English] (English-speaking agent: David Harris or Samuel Rueff)
  • Mapfre [Spanish]
  • DKV Seguros [Spanish]
  • Asisa [Spanish]

Prices for private insurance start at about 30 €/month for a 30 year-old male, plus an initial fee of 30 euros, but you can sometimes negotiate (or avoid) the initial fee if somebody with that insurance company recommends you. Note that these companies often won’t insure people over 57 years old.

In that case, you might try one of the following international insurers: Bupa International, IHI, Innovative Benefits Consultants, or HealthCare International; or try one of these brokers (who pass on quotes from various insurers, then charge the insurer if you sign): Medibroker, MEDexpat. Note: Please let the editor know if you receive particularly good or bad service from any of these companies. 

Last updated 20 06 2007

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28/Apr/2008:
cliff said:

“Ley de aseguramiento de sanidad” in VALENCIA

Government Health Warning

Circular 1/2002 from the “conselleria de sanidad” entitles British early retirees resident in the Autonomia de Valencia to free state medical care; it is still current but there is a new law (ley de aseguramiento de sanidad) coming out soon (possibly between May and September2008) which could severely limit the entitlement except for persons with little or no means.

DO NOT ASSUME THAT IN FUTURE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET FREE HEALTH CARE IN VALENCIA

28/Apr/2008:
cliff said:

Form E121.
Pensioners are entitlement to Free Health care in Spain by virtue of their form E121.
Men at age 65 and women at age 60 become entitled to a U.K. State pension and free healthcare(If they paid N.I. contributions in the UK) You need to apply for and register an E121 form. In Spain you will then be entitled to state medical care anywhere in Spain.

28/Apr/2008:
cliff said:

FORM E106

Citizens who have been working in the UK within the final 2 years before going to Spain will get an E106 form which entitles them to a Spanish state medical cover anywhere in Spain but only for a limited time, up to a max. of 30 months, after leaving the UK.
This form, is issued by the 'Overseas Benefits Dept.Newcastle and should immediately be registered with the INSS. (Spanish Social Security Office). Like the old E111 you present it with a copy, on each occasion you seek health care. Spain can then claim back from the U.K. the cost of the treatment given.

28/Apr/2008:
cliff said:

To obtain the letter in Spanish from Newcastle write stating your NI number to:-

Overseas Benefits Department

Tyneview Park,
Newcastle Upon Tyne,
NE 98 1BA
England

Mark the envelope 'Legislative letter – SPAIN.

28/Apr/2008:
cliff said:

Entitlement to Free Health care and a SIP medical card -- for British early retirees resident in in the Community of Valencia is covered by Circular1/2002 from the “Conselleria de Sanitat”

You should apply for a “tarjeta sanitaria” ( SIP medical card ) at your nearest medical centre referring to “la extensión de asistencia sanitaria a demanda según la Circular 1/2002”, You will be required to produce a passport , a recently-issued “padrón” certificate, the “legislative letter”, in Spanish, from Newcastle and to complete an application form

They send the application to:-

Direcció Territorial de Sanitat València
Av.Gran Vía Fernando el Católico, 74
46008 - Valencia
Tel.: 96 386 89 00 - Fax: 96 386 89 06


Direcció Territorial de Sanitat Alacant
C/Girona, 26
03001 Alicante
Tel: 965 938022 y 965 938099


Direcció Territorial de sanitat Castelló
Pl.Huerto Sogueros, 12
12001 - Castellón de La Plana
Tel.:96 435 80 00 - Fax 96 423 94 91

08/Apr/2008:
elcoral said:

Hi. My wife and I are plannining to move to Murcia in the very near future we are the same age but she will reach U.K state pensionable age at 60 years and 9 months whereas I will have to wait until I am 65 years old. I assume that my wife will qualify for free healthcare upon reaching 60 years and 9 months, and I am told that when she qualifies, that I too will be able to claim free healthcare. Can anyone confirm this?

01/Mar/2008:
Washington said:

You may find this site very useful.
http://www.ukgovabusesexpats.co.uk. Under health care. I am 55 have been here 4 years and under the agreement have a SIP card and get free healthcare. I pay a part cost for the prescription. You have to get the letter from Newcastle which states you are not entitled to Healthcare in the UK (which you are not if you live in Spain as your main residence) It talks about Valencia but I understand Murcia and other places have adopted the policy.

19/Feb/2008:
SueWarner said:

Hi My name is Sue Warner and I have been an agent for Sanitas on the Costa Del Sol for over 3 years.
I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Please visit my website and see the page called Cover, this will explain what cover you are entitled to if any.

14/Feb/2008:
Jim Miami said:

This is useful, but I would like more clarification, i.e. I haved lived in Spain since November 2000, and was employed with a spanish contract until October 2006. Currently I possess a Spanish ID, and have been receiving unemployment benefit from the social security here in Spain after losing my job through reorganisation. I am on chronic medication for a heart condition, and drugs currently cost me >€50 per month. Questions, if I present the farmacia with my E121 OR 106, can I get best of both worlds, i.e. free drugs, and hospital treatment by virtue of my Spanish ID now that I have turned 60?

08/Aug/2007:
Washington said:

In the valencia and Alicante area you can obtain your SIP card by requesting the letter from Newcastle which states that you are no longer entitled to UK healthcare. This you present along with an application for SIP card (which is obtained from the doctors) to the doctors and your SIP card arrives in about two weeks so there is no need for private medical insurance. Everyone has to fill the form in and I think you have to be a resident but not sure. We are residents and I was 52 when we obtained the cards and my husband was 62.

22/Jun/2006:
basied said:

Thank you "summersinspain" for your info. Re your children being covered, do they also live in Spain with you or at their own home(s) or do you mean they are covered when they visit you? Also does this mean you are not covered in the UK National Health if one returns to the UK for treatment? Thanks again.

21/Jun/2006:
summersinspain said:

When we moved to Spain (Nerja in the Malaga province to be precise), my husband was 70 and a UK pensioner making him eligible for free health care in an EU member country. When we applied for our Residencia, and application for a social security card was made at the same time. Apparently the application for residency was sufficient to trigger the social security card. Although I am not a pensioner I am covered by my husband's social security card and so are our children. As a result all our prescriptions and medical treatment are free, and so far the service has been excellent!

20/Jun/2006:
basied said:

If I move to Spain at age 65 do I receive Spanish health treatment and if so what do I have to do (forms etc) to qualify. Also do I still need Private cover and can anyone recommend companies as some will not cover over 65's.
I have found two Property companies that offer deals to over 55's including health facilities but although they look attractive there are restrictions such as they are leases and only the purchase price is returned if you vacate the property. Also under 55's cannot stay there if I am not there. Anyone know of anything offering health facilities with the property without these restrictions?
Many thanks.
Basied

15/Jun/2006:
Caj said:

Hi AnnTS,

I am not sure about your Humana coverage but I do know that the medicare will NOT cover you outside of the country. I also am American and married a British citizen and have been living in England (soon to move to Spain) and when I moved here I dropped my medicare deduction on my SS(and received the increase from that on my check each month) as they do not cover me outside the USA. Looks like if I move to Spain once I register as a resident then I will be covered for public medical, and I have heard very good things about that. Check with Humana and I am sure they will advise you.

14/Jun/2006:
Caj said:

Great site I have learned a lot prior to us moving to Spain. We hope to move (from England) in the next few months (hopefully by the end of the year). We will be moving to the Costa del Sol area. Probably Torrox Costa area.

Two questions:

1. Any expats from England living in that area or can anyone tell us more about that area?

2. My husband and I are both retired but neither have reached 60 as yet, so have been reading a lot regarding medical. But I do have a question if we register as residence in Spain will our prescriptions be covered also as they are in England?

Again thanks for the great site and look forward to participating.

Caj

25/May/2006:
ripley said:

My husband and I are moving to Spain - inland andalucia later this year. I am a diabetic and am wondering how I will fare for treatment, can anyone advise me if they have the same condition. Also we are going to apply for E 106 before leaving - what is the procedure for registering with a doctor. There is one in our small village. Do I just walk in and register?

23/May/2006:
MichelleTA said:

Hi everyone.

I'm planning to move to Spain as a non-EU American expat, so I won't be legal. I'm planning to stay indefinitely, so does it make sense for me to buy some personal health insurance while I'm back home?

Thanks for any advice.

17/May/2006:
chezed19 said:

Hi.
I am moving to spain in june and i was wondering if anybody knows of any health insurers which cover pregancy without having to wait 12months or something. thanks

16/May/2006:
AnneTS said:

My American son married a Spanish citizen. They have a 2yr old son who's American and they returned to Barcelona this past November. I am considering moving there also in a year or so, as a Retiree. I'm on Social Security and I don't know if my insurance, Humana Tricare Prime/Tricare For Life (I'm the separated spouse of a retired military man) and American Medicare will cover me if I move there. Does anyone know the answers to my questions?

04/May/2006:
The Expatriator said:

Hi Stephen,
She could register with city council (called empadronarse) as discussed in our moving section to qualify for public health care while in Spain. Also, private medical insurance for expats with any of the providers advertised is generally much cheaper than normal American premiums (as I've seen).

This can be a major problem for Americans in general, as you'll probably have to continue paying your premiums back home to ensure they don't drastically increase when you return home.

You should just stay in Spain! wink

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On Health Care and Medical Insurance in Spain, cliff said:

"“Ley de aseguramiento de sanidad” in VALENCIA

Government Health Warning

Circular 1/2002 from the “conselleria de sanidad” entitles British early retirees resident in the Autonomia de Valencia to free state medical care; it is still current but there is a new law (ley de…


On Health Care and Medical Insurance in Spain, cliff said:

"Form E121.
Pensioners are entitlement to Free Health care in Spain by virtue of their form E121.
Men at age 65 and women at age 60 become entitled to a U.K. State pension and free healthcare(If they paid N.I. contributions in the UK) You need to apply…


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