# help needed about healthcare in early retirement



## SueBrown (Dec 9, 2009)

Having lived in Fuerteventura for two years now, our E106/european health cover is coming to an end on Jan 2nd, I get my retirement pension in July 2010, but we have no British healthcare cover in between. We cannot afford and are unlikely to qualify for private healthcare. Does anyone know if we can pay social security contributions here to cover us for these 6 months?


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## Hombre (Sep 10, 2009)

SueBrown said:


> Having lived in Fuerteventura for two years now, our E106/european health cover is coming to an end on Jan 2nd, I get my retirement pension in July 2010, but we have no British healthcare cover in between. We cannot afford and are unlikely to qualify for private healthcare. Does anyone know if we can pay social security contributions here to cover us for these 6 months?


Hi Sue,
I'm not an expert on this but here on the mainland it is possible to contact your local health clinic and arrange a contributary cover. Some friends of ours are in a similiar situation to you and they pay approx. €80 per month for health cover. What that covers , I don't know. By the way, we live in Catalunya, it may differ elsewhere.
Sue, as I say , it varies from province to province. I suggest you enquire with your local health centre.
I'm sure someone more qualified than me will come along with more detailed information.
However...hope this helps.


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## SueBrown (Dec 9, 2009)

*health care*



Hombre said:


> Hi Sue,
> I'm not an expert on this but here on the mainland it is possible to contact your local health clinic and arrange a contributary cover. Some friends of ours are in a similiar situation to you and they pay approx. €80 per month for health cover. What that covers , I don't know. By the way, we live in Catalunya, it may differ elsewhere.
> Sue, as I say , it varies from province to province. I suggest you enquire with your local health centre.
> I'm sure someone more qualified than me will come along with more detailed information.
> However...hope this helps.


Thanks very much indeed for that, we will ask our doctor about it, he is usually on our side. Our social security office however is an absolute nightmare, even with a fully fluent interpreter! sue Brown


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## Rofa (Dec 3, 2009)

SueBrown said:


> Having lived in Fuerteventura for two years now, our E106/european health cover is coming to an end on Jan 2nd, I get my retirement pension in July 2010, but we have no British healthcare cover in between. We cannot afford and are unlikely to qualify for private healthcare. Does anyone know if we can pay social security contributions here to cover us for these 6 months?


The following applies to Valencia Comunidad- so not much help to you but may be of interest to others.

TinyURL.com - shorten that long URL into a tiny URL

Again in Valencia, it used to be the case that if the wife was 60 she would be entitled to health care - and the husband would also be regardless of age.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Rofa said:


> Again in Valencia, it used to be the case that if the wife was 60 she would be entitled to health care - and the husband would also be regardless of age.


That still is the case, and always will be as its down to EU intercountry agreements. The issue of course in Valencia is pre retirees who were promised free health care and then had it taken away when they committed to living here

And thats covered on another thread HERE


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## susanspain (Sep 5, 2008)

Hombre - that sounds a really good deal! I know you don't have the full details, but that sounds a steal!
We are in Malaga and as an under 65 I would be required to pay nearly as much as an autonomo (around Eu230 pcm) as a voluntary contribution for full health cover. 
Sue - do ask the health centre in the area you are moving to. 
Book an appointment with the 'Trabajadora Social' (yes, social worker), as they are there to help.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

susanspain said:


> Hombre - that sounds a really good deal! I know you don't have the full details, but that sounds a steal!
> We are in Malaga and as an under 65 I would be required to pay nearly as much as an autonomo (around Eu230 pcm) as a voluntary contribution for full health cover.
> Sue - do ask the health centre in the area you are moving to.
> Book an appointment with the 'Trabajadora Social' (yes, social worker), as they are there to help.


But private health care would only cost you half of that for two people! I've not heard of the voluntary system that Hombre mentions nationwide, although I do know such a system is being bought in at Valencia


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## SueBrown (Dec 9, 2009)

*healthcare in early retirement*



Stravinsky said:


> But private health care would only cost you half of that for two people! I've not heard of the voluntary system that Hombre mentions nationwide, although I do know such a system is being bought in at Valencia


 Private health care quotes are a minimum of 12 months and with an affordable excess we have been quoted between 6000 & 7000 pounds a year! Anyway I'm definitely going to make an appointment with the trabajo social!


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

SueBrown said:


> Private health care quotes are a minimum of 12 months and with an affordable excess we have been quoted between 6000 & 7000 pounds a year! Anyway I'm definitely going to make an appointment with the trabajo social!



I may be being presumptious here ... but are you looking on English web sites

We (by the sounds of it) are similar in ages to yourselves and when we first came here we were quoted €1150 a year, its now risen to €1400 a year, but still nowhere near what you are being quoted. If you go on to BUPA and ask for ex pats insurance for instance, they quote you a ridiculous figure.

Sanitas' Spanish site is a good place to start where you can get an online quote

Furthermore you can pay monthly, so in effect you could join and then cancel the payments after 6 months in theory


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## Hombre (Sep 10, 2009)

susanspain said:


> Hombre - that sounds a really good deal! I know you don't have the full details, but that sounds a steal!
> We are in Malaga and as an under 65 I would be required to pay nearly as much as an autonomo (around Eu230 pcm) as a voluntary contribution for full health cover.
> Sue - do ask the health centre in the area you are moving to.
> Book an appointment with the 'Trabajadora Social' (yes, social worker), as they are there to help.


I did say in my post it was relevant to Catalunya. What applies elsewhere, I really don't know. I suppose the best bet is to go along to the Health Clinic and enquire.


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## SueBrown (Dec 9, 2009)

*Healthcare on early retirement*



Stravinsky said:


> I may be being presumptious here ... but are you looking on English web sites
> 
> We (by the sounds of it) are similar in ages to yourselves and when we first came here we were quoted €1150 a year, its now risen to €1400 a year, but still nowhere near what you are being quoted. If you go on to BUPA and ask for ex pats insurance for instance, they quote you a ridiculous figure.
> 
> ...


 Thanks very much for that, I actually followed the links from this web-site, but as you said, it was english based. Will try Sanitas instead


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

SueBrown said:


> Thanks very much for that, I actually followed the links from this web-site, but as you said, it was english based. Will try Sanitas instead


Ahhh, OK. I'm guessing the links from this site are general because it's a worldwide forum.

You need to try Sanitas es (The Spanish site NOT the English one which is linked with BUPA) or maybe ASSSA

English sites can be around three times the cost of a Spanish based one


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## almendros (Aug 14, 2008)

susanspain said:


> Hombre - that sounds a really good deal! I know you don't have the full details, but that sounds a steal!
> We are in Malaga and as an under 65 I would be required to pay nearly as much as an autonomo (around Eu230 pcm) as a voluntary contribution for full health cover.
> Sue - do ask the health centre in the area you are moving to.
> Book an appointment with the 'Trabajadora Social' (yes, social worker), as they are there to help.


That doesn't apply in Malaga province or in any part of Andalucia.

You either pay the full Autonomo or take out private cover.

There are no options to contribute to the system - that only (and very recently) applies in Valencia.


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## morlandg (Jun 8, 2008)

*sanitas*



SueBrown said:


> Thanks very much for that, I actually followed the links from this web-site, but as you said, it was english based. Will try Sanitas instead


My wife and I here in Malaga took out medical insurance with Sanitas some years ago. Dentistry was excluded and there were various contracts - a bit like the excess payable on car insurance. We originally signed up for a contract which cost us 80 Euros per month (covering both of us) and we were liable for 12 Euros for each visit to the doctor, nurse, physiotherapy session etc. You can pay less basic and more for each session and vice versa....
We now pay 145 Euros per month - the rate of increase is greater than that for Soc Sec and I guess one day Soc Sec may be less than Sanitas!
If you would like the tel no of the local manager (she was german) then PM me. 
Graham


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## SueBrown (Dec 9, 2009)

*healthcare in early retirement*



almendros said:


> That doesn't apply in Malaga province or in any part of Andalucia.
> 
> You either pay the full Autonomo or take out private cover.
> 
> There are no options to contribute to the system - that only (and very recently) applies in Valencia.


Agreed, our trabajoro social would have helped if my husband was beating me up or something, but her reply to paying contributions for healthcare was one I have heard so many times here, "its not my job, go to social security". By the way I sent an E mail to the recommended Spanish private health care firm 5 days ago and still no reply, Jan 2nd is getting too near for comfort.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

SueBrown said:


> Agreed, our trabajoro social would have helped if my husband was beating me up or something, but her reply to paying contributions for healthcare was one I have heard so many times here, "its not my job, go to social security". By the way I sent an E mail to the recommended Spanish private health care firm 5 days ago and still no reply, Jan 2nd is getting too near for comfort.



I'm afraid Ive found the Spanish in all walks of life are not good at replying to emails. You can call them, they have english speaking staff at all times


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