Hi all,

As I posted in introductions, I’ll be moving to Barcelona in late Oct as my husband has a job out there. I’m very excited, but wondered if you could help with this query…

As I understand (and please correct me if I’m wrong!), once we are paying social security contributions, we’ll be covered by Spanish national healthcare. Until this time, we need private medical insurance. My husband’s company have advised him to have this for the first month while they sort out the paperwork, so I’ll need the same for at least this length of time while I look for a job.

I have been taking Citalopram (anti-depressant) since about March this year, and will need to continue taking it for at least the first few months of our time in Barcelona. When I do come off it, I’ll need to do so gradually to minimise withdrawal effects. All the private health insurance policies I’ve looked at don’t cover existing health conditions and some of them don’t cover mental health conditions either, so my question is how can I make sure I get access to my medication when we first move? I will obviously get as much as I can from my GP in the UK before we leave, but I believe that once we leave, I’m no longer entitled to NHS care here? Can I continue to use the NHS until I do have a job in Spain? When I am sorted and covered by the Spanish healthcare system, does anyone have any experience of receiving anti-depressants?

Hope that makes sense, and thanks in advance for any advice!

I feel you would need to speak first with the NHS authorities in the U.K. , probably via your G.P.
Next, check with the private insurance company which is going to provide you with initial cover in Spain, whether they will provide you with cover for a pre-existing condition. 

Anything else is guesswork.

Patricia

Thanks Patricia, I will definitely speak to my GP but not sure how clued up he’ll be!
All the private insurance companies I’ve looked at so far, and I’ve looked at quite a few, exclude pre-existing medical conditions, but if I actually speak to someone there I might be able to include cover for an extra cost.

From my experiences here in Spain their mental health system stinks!!!

Going to bcna:

If you have private health insurance here in Spain you can visit a doctor/psychiatrist and obtain a prescription for your medication, assuming that you cannot have enough with you from the U.K. to keep you going over the first months in Spain.  There are excellent psychologists in Spain, should you also wish to consult with one, and private health insurance will usually cover the cost of the consultation.

More than 4 million Spaniards are depression sufferers, so the condition is not exactly unknown in Spain!

See this link:

http://www.lukor.com/not-por/0910/06134334.htm

There are excellent clinics in Barcelona and I am sure you will be able to access the health care you require.

Best wishes
Patricia

G2B… If you are over 50??? Then these people have lots of pre-existing conditions they will cover with no extra premium:
http://www.staysure.co.uk/home  However, this is a travel policy as far as I know and only meant for hols… (But worth asking them if they do private med ins for Spain too.) Is your stay permanant/over 6 months and you will be registering as Resident etc?

As for the quality of care in the state system. It is bad enough with minor issues (and major ones sometimes!) and unless you SPEAK FLUENT SPANISH it is doubtful you will get good care. (My doc tried to put me on anti-depressents - Fluxotina for a long time - just because I was being bullied at work??? IMO they seem to dish out pills rather than tackle the issue in other ways here.  I would take on board what Kazzy says too - as she obviously has experience of this also?)
RE-reading your post - if it is just a repeat prescription you need until you come off it - should be no problem at all!!!!  (If you are not in State system by the time you need it - just go to a Pay as you go Dr - or the one one your private med ins - and I am sure they will write you a script too!!! PS - Some drugs cheaper over the counter here. SS prescriptions are subsidized, but you need to be fully in the system, and I did read there are new rules on how much you can have per month now - and you end up paying over X amount?? But please read elsewhere on forums about this as these are new changes.)

Good luck with the move 😊

I don’t think we can generalize about the public health system.  Experiences tend to be subjective.

Personally I feel that it is wise, regardless, to obtain private health insurance.  the outlay, which is not overly excessive makes it worth while.  If someone does not speak Spanish then it may well be difficult to hold a conversation with a doctor or nurse who speaks only Spanish.  As with public health services in other countries one may have to wait before getting to see a consultant.  This is not peculiar to Spain.  Hence many people do take out private health insurance.

Prescription of anti-depressants is widespread, not just in Spain.  Therapy is expensive, there are not that many therapists, and there could be a long wait for an appointment, unless you can go privately for therapy.  That is always an option.  And I know that in the U.K. and Ireland on the public health service you may have to wait a month for a first appointment with a therapist, and you will definitely not be seen once a week, let alone more often!

However, the OP’s post is about getting a prescription in Spain for a few months.

I feel that before coming to Spain, and given that the OP’s husband is coming out to a job which is waiting for him, the company employing him could be approached (their HR person?) to sort out these issues for them both, and/or advise.  Maybe the company has a group private insurance scheme?

Patricia

GtB:

I found this site, which may help you as regards health insurance:

http://www.mind.org.uk/help/social_factors/money_services_explained/insurance#help_feedback

Thank you all for the helpful replies 😊
I am having some 1-1 CBT therapy here before we leave, so hopefully that will help with the thinking side of things, and it’ll just be the medication I’ll need in Spain. How do the pay as you go Drs work - how much is it?

susanspain - I’m not over 50 but thanks for the thought 😊

NHS mental health care is pretty crap too - I’ve been waiting for this CBT since April!!

Patricia - thank you very much for the Mind link. I’ll definitely take a look. Do you have private health insurance permanently in Spain? Which provider do you use?

GTB:

It might be useful to look at Sanitas/BUPA for health care in Spain. 

Patricia

G2B,
Good luck with the CBT. Hope it works out 😊
Re private health insurance co’s here in Spain - there are many - find a good one though as they vary alot (there is a post somewhere that gives a list of the top ones.) My friend swears by Medifact.
As Campana said in a previous reply here - even many of the Spanish (who are already covered by the state system), opt for private insurance as well to cut out the waiting.  (Some of the private schemes also have their own hospitals - Eg Xanit.) I would personally avoid AXA and Bupa due to high costs. But up to you.

RE costs… This can be anything from Eu70 pcm, per person. (It is cheaper the younger you are and the less health issues you have.) A ‘family’ membership (up to 4 people?) can work out cheaper at say Eu150 pcm (but I think you are only 2?) 
Please read the small print, as some of these policies will not let you claim for X,Y, Z until 6 months after the policy has been running, and of course your pre-existing condition needs to be covered in the premium.

As for PAYG private docs. This can range from Eu40 per consultation (ours covers up to 3 visits for same ailment on this - he is great - but of course has a long waiting list!!)... Plus you will have to pay extra for prescriptions, scans and anything else privately (but for eg an ecograph/ultrasound is around Eu50 at one of the many walk in private clinics.) But you do have to shop around!  (I have heard of some docs charging over Eu100 for just 20 mins!!)

Hope all goes well with the move and you are soon enjoying life in BCN. 😊

Susan
PPS - There are some health policies that are cheaper on paper as their cover is minimal. You then also have access to specialists at a ‘reduced cost’.. but in my experience these prices are inflated before you even take off the discount. (Eg our policy said I could have the ultrasound at 30% off Eu99 - and I had to travel over 20km to the clinic where their appointed scheme was in place. I found the same in my own town at Eu50 with no discount!)

I might add that many many people in the U.K. have private cover with BUPA U.K.

They are still, in my opinion, the best there is.  Like everything else in life, you get what you pay for!

I would still look into the possibility of private insurance in Barcelona in the event the company where your husband will be working has some kind of group scheme going. 
Generally a company abroad to which someone is going to work will provide information on these matters.