# Update on our Health card Application



## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

Hello All,

An update on our current position.

We are pensioners & applied for our Spanish health card, via the INSS, 5 weeks ago. At the time, we were informed of a potential 6 week wait - pending their Head office "rubber stamping" our application.... our papers were all in order.....why the delay ????

To date, we have heard nothing. However, I phoned the British consulate, last week & explained our situation. 

I was told that their intervention would only be appropriate - if - the delay was causing medical need....For 
example, regular UK prescriptions running out, etc.... As this was the case, I was advised to fax them a copy
of our INSS - Stamped SI & copies of our Residencia . The S1 was accepted, not so the Residencia copies - they were too small......another try - they were too dark.......

We will try again tomorrow & keep you updated on the progress & hopefully, our 'mistakes' will help others......


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

Reply to myself - coz , no one else has bothered !!

I would like to hear from newbies to Spain, in the same position.

Where are they ??


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

To continue.......

I received another call from the Consulate, this morning.....our 3rd faxed copies of Residencia are again unacceptable - too dark.

I have been supplied with an email address - they will now accept an attachment :fingerscrossed:


I am fast losing the will to live.....a dangerous sentiment from someone with no health care..


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Allie-P said:


> To continue.......
> 
> I received another call from the Consulate, this morning.....our 3rd faxed copies of Residencia are again unacceptable - too dark.
> 
> ...


Hi Allie,

If you recall, I did warn you of this ..... I'm not being smug, but this all happened to me.

Yes, email is best and is what I used. You can preview the scanned documents and make sure that they are OK before sending them.

After 6 years, we now have cards but our children are still on temporary ones. In June we have to go through it all again!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Allie-P said:


> To continue.......
> 
> I received another call from the Consulate, this morning.....our 3rd faxed copies of Residencia are again unacceptable - too dark.
> 
> ...


Keep on chugging!!
Thanks for the up dates because although there aren't many posts on the thread your experiences are useful to others


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## Nomad_uk (Oct 23, 2012)

After only 6 months here, I received my letter from the DSSI yesterday confirming that I AND TWO MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY are now covered for illness by Social Security here. I had to go via Newcastle, and in the phone call to a very obliging lady there, I was told that if I was ill before the certificate came through, I just had to call them - not the consulate - and they would sort everything out.
I stress the 'two members of my family' because my partner and her son are not only non-E.U citizens but are also unknown to the DSSI!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I applied for health care as a retired person four years ago. I took the necessary documents from Swansea or Newcastle or wherever, can't remember where, received a Soc. Seg. number from the local office on the spot and received my card in the post within a month.

My partner applied two years ago and was given a Seg. Soc. number at the office, as was I. She has yet to receive her card in spite of making another application.

In the past few months I have had an awful lot of GP visits, prescriptions and hospital appointments to see consultants. The care I have received has been simply outstanding in every respect. I received a call at 21.00 hours this evening from the CdS Hospital Marbella informing me of my next appointment. Great service.


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## ericban (Oct 18, 2012)

*We will be joining your plight in the next few days*

Hi,

We only got our residency cards on Wednesday. We attempted to get on the Padron yesterday but were refused as the landlord had not put his tax information on the rental agreement (god knows what that means, it isn't mentioned anywhere on the FCO website). This is now in hand, and we will hopefully be on the Padron next week enabling us to apply for our Spanish Healthcare SIP.

I have spent around 20 minutes on the phone over the last couple of days talking with the Overseas Healthcare Team based in Newcastle. My obvious concern being that I am a 49 year old War Pensioner carrying several injuries from my service and on painkilling medication. (My very accommodating doctor in the UK gave me 6 months worth prior to leaving, which I am half way through).

I highlighted that they told me that from the date of issue of our S1 forms we were no longer covered for any treatment or medication in the UK and our EHIC Cards were invalid, they agreed.

So I asked that until I have jumped through all the hoops or Residency, Padron, SIP and its epic registration period who was going to provide or pay for any medical treatment or care. I spent 5 minutes on hold while the guy I was talking to sought confirmation from his supervisor, and was told in no uncertain terms to "Pay for it yourself, then claim it back from the INSS once your paperwork is completed that end".

This is completely unacceptable to me, as I am unable to work due to my injuries in service, so where am I supposed to earn the money to pay for any possible expensive treatment (ie, getting run over crossing the road/having a heart attack. You get the picture. lol!), and secondly the UK government is already paying the Spanish Government to cover my and my family members treatment from the commencement date of the S1 (according to the Overseas Healthcare Team, hence the standard cancellation of UK treatment and my EHIC immediately upon issue of the S1).

So, it appears that after my chat with the amiable and understanding guy from Newcastle (seriously he was) that we are on our own and will need to be wrapped up in cotton wool with our fingers crosses for no disasters for the next couple of months at least.

Does anyone on here have a (legal) way around this temporary lack of Medical Cover?

Private cover is out of the question as my pre-existing conditions leave just about nothing else that could go wrong, lol, and the cost would surely be astronomical.

I am sure I saw a post on here when I first joined that you could get a temporary SIP card using your EHIC while the SIP was being sorted out, but have been unable to find it. 

Any other Legal and Creative Ideas for temporary medical cover are welcome. 

I will follow your case with interest, as you are numerous steps ahead of us already. I will of course update you if we get any further with answers on temporary cover.

EB


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

Hi Ericban,

According to the Consulate - each INSS follows different procedures !! ....You might be lucky 

We haven't received our daily call from them, today - so, hopefully, my Residencia attachment was approved.....

What happens next ? ....I will phone them, next week, as the 6 weeks waiting time is up, on Tuesday.

In your case, contact the Consulate immediately, once you are advised , by the INSS, of a waiting time.

You would surely fulfill their, ' Urgent need ' criteria.


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

Hi Ericban,

According to the Consulate - each INSS follows different procedures !! ....You might be lucky 

We haven't received our daily call from them, today - so, hopefully, my Residencia attachment was approved.....

What happens next ? ....I will phone them, next week, as the 6 weeks waiting time is up, on Tuesday.

In your case, contact the Consulate immediately, if advised of a waiting time.

You would surely fulfill their, ' Urgent need ' criteria.


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

We are currently have temporary health care cover until September of this year. As my OH works in the UK and pays NI, we have annually applied for an S1 form and gone through all sorts of hoops to get the cover (by the time it comes through, it's virtually time to start the application process again!) We don't get a card, just a bit of paper which apparently we have to produce if we use the service (luckily we have never had to use it so far).
Anyway, I have just secured a full time job starting Monday with a permanent contract. What is the procedure for getting our SIP cards??? Presumably, I can have my OH and kids covered as my dependents??


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

lynn said:


> We are currently have temporary health care cover until September of this year. As my OH works in the UK and pays NI, we have annually applied for an S1 form and gone through all sorts of hoops to get the cover (by the time it comes through, it's virtually time to start the application process again!) We don't get a card, just a bit of paper which apparently we have to produce if we use the service (luckily we have never had to use it so far).
> Anyway, I have just secured a full time job starting Monday with a permanent contract. What is the procedure for getting our SIP cards??? Presumably, I can have my OH and kids covered as my dependents??


:clap2:

congrats on the job!!

If you're on contract, you'll get a SS number - make sure your children are listed as dependants - not sure about your OH - is he registered as resident?


oh - & the only way you¡ll get a SIP is if you move to Valencia  - it's just what we call them here - you need to get _tarjetas sanitarias_


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> :clap2:
> 
> congrats on the job!!
> 
> ...


I got the SS number this morning from the TGSS office. Do I take that and the contract and all the other paperwork for myself and kids (and OH) to the INSS office??

Oh, and thanks for the congrats... I'm pretty chuffed myself. Getting a fulfilling job with a proper contract is like searching for hens teeth as you know, so I'm very fortunate


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

lynn said:


> I got the SS number this morning from the TGSS office. Do I take that and the contract and all the other paperwork for myself and kids (and OH) to the INSS office??
> 
> Oh, and thanks for the congrats... I'm pretty chuffed myself. Getting a fulfilling job with a proper contract is like searching for hens teeth as you know, so I'm very fortunate


yes - take all of that & then some - you might actually need the kids' birth certs too - & perhaps even apostilled


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

Evening to all,

Update on our perpetual, pensioner Tarjeta de Sanitaria quest........

The 6 weeks waiting time, quoted by the INSS, was complete, yesterday - no letter received & I had run out of my UK prescribed medication.

We went to our local Health centre, complete with stamped SI etc, for advice..... they registered us, there & then - minus this letter we were told to wait for !!

We now have A4 confirmation of entitlement to access the Spanish state health system........they will be sending our cards in due course. ( or, so they say !)

Total confusion- why were we told to wait for " the letter" ??..... Do we now notify the INSS ?? .

The Consulate - after early promise - were completely ineffectual, telling me to return to the INSS. 

Hopefully, this will help others - although, every Region follows different procedures !!

I would like to hear about any recent, similar/dissimilar experiences...


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## lynn (Sep 25, 2008)

Allie-P said:


> Evening to all,
> 
> Update on our perpetual, pensioner Tarjeta de Sanitaria quest........
> 
> ...


Anecdotally, I heard from a colleague yesterday who lives in Fuengirola, who said don't bother with the Fuengirola INSS office but go straight to the Malaga office. They reckon that way you get dealt with directly and it's sorted much much quicker... I've got to get my new cards now I've started work so might give this a go


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Allie-P said:


> Evening to all,
> 
> Update on our perpetual, pensioner Tarjeta de Sanitaria quest........
> 
> ...


That's all that is ever done here . Once you have the stamped form , or have been registered & given 'entitlement to healthcare' form you just go to local health centre where you are registered straight away & come out with the form stating that, & until what date (here anyway , as cards are renewed every 4 years) & that is sufficient until the cards arrive. Mine arrived in 3 weeks & the wife's took nearly 6 months !


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## ericban (Oct 18, 2012)

Hi gus-lopez

"or have been registered & given 'entitlement to healthcare' form" 

Does that statement from you post mean registered and given a healthcare form from the INSS Office to take to the Health Centre?

Regards
EB


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

ericban said:


> Hi gus-lopez
> 
> "or have been registered & given 'entitlement to healthcare' form"
> 
> ...



The INSS do not give you a healthcare form - they stamp your S1 & return it to you. They retain a copy of the S1 plus copies of other relevant documentation, which is sent to their Head office for an official decision to be made.


In our case , an official decision from the Head office ( Malaga ) was not received. We registered by completing a health care form at the local Health Centre & showing them the INSS stamped SI - plus the same documentation originally submitted to the INSS. 

We were told by the INSS that we were unable to register with the Health Centre, until the official permission letter from Malaga was received.

This was not the case....


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

gus-lopez said:


> That's all that is ever done here . Once you have the stamped form , or have been registered & given 'entitlement to healthcare' form you just go to local health centre where you are registered straight away & come out with the form stating that, & until what date (here anyway , as cards are renewed every 4 years) & that is sufficient until the cards arrive. Mine arrived in 3 weeks & the wife's took nearly 6 months !




Apparently, every Region is different - the Consulate confirmed this.......

Murcia obviously does it better, Andalucia seem to employ delaying tactics.

In the end, we were able to do it - your way


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

lynn said:


> Anecdotally, I heard from a colleague yesterday who lives in Fuengirola, who said don't bother with the Fuengirola INSS office but go straight to the Malaga office. They reckon that way you get dealt with directly and it's sorted much much quicker... I've got to get my new cards now I've started work so might give this a go




Congratulations on the job 

You may well be right - but there was a posting on here, recently, saying that Malaga was the cause of the delay, not Fuengirola !!


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

The INSS do give you a 'right to healthcare' form to take to the medical centre if you apply using the solicitud de reconocimiento form as an applicant registered before 24th april 2012 , & entitled to healthcare the same as a Spanish national.


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

Mission accomplished.......

Husband collected our, " Right to healthcare " letters from the INSS, today. He explained that we had been waiting for 7 weeks - they formulated them there & then !!


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