# oving to spain , under retirement age - website - must have private medical insurance



## taximania (Sep 17, 2010)

Hi all , i was just reading the san miguel de salinas website and i found this -

Under Spanish Residency laws it is a requirement that you have private medical insurance if you intend to live here permanently. You may however register with our Health Centre for initial and emergency treatment and to do so you will require the following documents: 

Have i really missunderstood the whole system , i thought spain was pretty much the same as the uk and provided free health care , if someone could put me right that would be great.

The same website says to register in spain you need a letter from newcastle saying you no longer qualify for free uk healthcare ?
thanks in advance .

sue


----------



## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

I think there may be some slight confusion. When you come to spain you do not sutomatically get "spanish NHS" healthcare. The EHIC card is for tourists and whilst some hospitals may treat you on it as a resident they don't have to (but may in emergencies).

When you come to spain you may be entitled to get a form from Newcastle entitling you to up to 2 years free healthcare in another member state but this depends on the amount of NI contributions you have made in the UK. You may also be entitled to free healthcare in spain if you are receiving certain benefits (like incapacity) in the UK and export them to spain.

If the above does not apply to you (and in any case once any free period expires) you need to make arangements and have a number of options:

1 - Work and pay social security
2 - Subscribe to the voluntary contributions scheme that has been all over the press but nobody I know seem to know ho to join - you pay about 200e a quarter and get halthcare under the state system
3 - Take out private healthcare

Although I now work, I still have a private healthcare policy, personally I am with ASSA and find them to be excellent. I switched to them a couple of months ago, and then typically needed an operation (normally theres a 6 months excemption period) but they authorised it happily - so good on em!

There is talk of changing the NHS system in spain to be residency based like in the UK, but currently this is not confirmed and currently you got to pay in to get out (and quite rightly so I say). The spanish NHS has its faults but when you really need them they are good - very good. If they give free healthcare to all it is my opinion that this will just put pressure on the system and it will end up being like the UK again!

Just to clarify, I am unsure on the law, but NEVER during my reisdency application did they as me anything about how I would support myself or what provisions I have made for healthcare.


----------



## taximania (Sep 17, 2010)

brilliant reply thanks , does worry me that something happens and we end up with a massive bill tho


----------



## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

taximania said:


> brilliant reply thanks , does worry me that something happens and we end up with a massive bill tho


You certainly need something in place. Private comes at a cost and if you go private do shop around to get a good deal. My policy covers pretty much everything but you can get basic ones which are much cheaper and at least you know if something happens you have arangements in place.

Do speak to DWP though about what entitlement you can bring with you from the UK to get going!


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

I think it's worth pointing out that while private insurance is obviously advisable if you are not covered by the state system, it is in no way a _requirement_ of residency


it used to be a requirement of the old residencia - but since the system changed to the residency certificates in around March 2007, that is no longer the case

the information taximania read on that website is more than 3 years out of date!!!


----------



## taximania (Sep 17, 2010)

ahh thank you , the website looked up to date but now i have looked again i see lots of the posts are from way way back ....panic over ...just need to find a half price international school now


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

taximania said:


> ahh thank you , the website looked up to date but now i have looked again i see lots of the posts are from way way back ....panic over ...just need to find a half price international school now


good luck with that one!!!


although it has to be said that an International school here will generally set you back less than a private school in the UK


----------

