# Are our retirement plans feasible?



## Lindylou62 (Apr 6, 2013)

We've still quite a few years to our retirement. We've visited the Costa del Sol many times and would love to retire there. We would plan to rent a place until we were sure where we would like to live. Benalmadena Pueblo or Mijas would be our preferred areas.

We've both got private pensions so with our state pensions we'd have a reasonable income. But the fly in the ointment is that I've got Multiple Sclerosis, although I'm reasonably ok at the moment and still working full time. I have weekly interferon injections which I get free at the moment. If I was still having these at retirement age, does anyone know what provision for this there would be? I know that the injections cost £165 per week as I work for the NHS. This is certainly not something we could afford to pay for. But if our dream of retiring to the Costa del Sol is going to be financially impossible I would rather find out now.

Thanks for any advice

Lynne


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Well I'm afraid I really dont know how much the drug is over here, although drugs at the chemists here seem to be considerably less than in the UK. Bit different I know, but for instance you can buy statins over the counter here and they cost very little indeed

You have to pay a percentage of the cost of the drug over here when you are of official retirement age and registered on the system, but of course you would be paying the full amount.

Ive had a good search on the internet to see the costs in Spain, but nothing. In other places though is always seems to be an expensive drug


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Lindylou62 said:


> We've still quite a few years to our retirement. We've visited the Costa del Sol many times and would love to retire there. We would plan to rent a place until we were sure where we would like to live. Benalmadena Pueblo or Mijas would be our preferred areas.
> 
> We've both got private pensions so with our state pensions we'd have a reasonable income. But the fly in the ointment is that I've got Multiple Sclerosis, although I'm reasonably ok at the moment and still working full time. I have weekly interferon injections which I get free at the moment. If I was still having these at retirement age, does anyone know what provision for this there would be? I know that the injections cost £165 per week as I work for the NHS. This is certainly not something we could afford to pay for. But if our dream of retiring to the Costa del Sol is going to be financially impossible I would rather find out now.
> 
> ...


:welcome:

I don't know for sure about interferon injections - they might be free at the medical centre - but if not then as a pensioner you pay 10% of the cost on prescription (for all meds & all pensioners including Spanish nationals) 

there is a cap on charges (8€ a month ??) if you aren't seriously rich


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

I am an O.A.P. because of this I get free health care. My wife is younger than me, but is classed as my dependent, so she gets free health care. However we have to pay 10% of prescription charges


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

some drugs are very expensive and people pay over the cap. We are supposed to get it back; unfortunately the expats are still waiting as the authorities need to know our incomes.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

extranjero said:


> some drugs are very expensive and people pay over the cap. We are supposed to get it back; unfortunately the expats are still waiting as the authorities need to know our incomes.


Not all immigrants are waiting......

I haven't been asked to declare my income but I pay very little for the drugs prescribed by my GP at my Consultorio.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> Not all immigrants are waiting......
> 
> I haven't been asked to declare my income but I pay very little for the drugs prescribed by my GP at my Consultorio.


that would be because you drive a beaten up dirty wagon 


no - actually it will be because you've been doing tax returns & they already know you aren't filthy rich


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I thought people who were on pensions were supposed to be issued with a new health card with the pertinent info on it, and that card is given in to the pharmacist when you get a prescription, is swiped and there you go.

By the way, I have 2 friends with MS and have both had excellent treatment. One of them was on interferon injections, but has now gone on to another super treatment which consists of one intravenous treatment every year or something (there is an element of risk in this treatment) and another who has actually had a machine to control pain implanted in her back.

They are both American, one now has Spanish nationality, and both use the state health system.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> :welcome:
> 
> I don't know for sure about interferon injections - they might be free at the medical centre - but if not then as a pensioner you pay 10% of the cost on prescription (for all meds & all pensioners including Spanish nationals)
> 
> there is a cap on charges (8€ a month ??) if you aren't seriously rich


Sorry but that cap is not throughout Spain, it all depends on which AC you are in. P.ej. In Andalucía, there is no cap - just 10% across the board, however, the price of which they calculate 10% is not necessarily the proper price. I have to have an injection every 3 months of something that costs €150 a shot and I only pay about €3.50.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

xabiachica said:


> that would be because you drive a beaten up dirty wagon
> 
> 
> no - actually it will be because you've been doing tax returns & they already know you aren't filthy rich


True....yet my income is well over the amount at which you should pay the maximum contribution as a retired person,although no way filthy rich...

Some things here in Spain seem truly arbitrary. The reason I pay so little might even be down to the fact that I use the village farmacia frequently and chat to the woman who runs it. Who knows?

And yes, the LandRover gets more beat up and filthy with each day that passes...it has a unique scent inside: Eau de wet Azor....


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