# S1 entitlement



## jakethepeg (Oct 24, 2014)

Firstly, a big thank you to all those who have commented or made suggestions on other questions I have had. The accumulated experience here has been a big help with our move, now having a long term rental on the Marina Alta , our residencia paperwork submitted to the immigration office in Alicante and looking to buy a property.
Our particular circumstances in the UK meant that as state pensioners we were entitled to free prescriptions, ophthalmic services and dental care. How does that compare with the provision under S1 reciprocity in the Spanish healthcare system??


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

jakethepeg said:


> Firstly, a big thank you to all those who have commented or made suggestions on other questions I have had. The accumulated experience here has been a big help with our move, now having a long term rental on the Marina Alta , our residencia paperwork submitted to the immigration office in Alicante and looking to buy a property.
> Our particular circumstances in the UK meant that as state pensioners we were entitled to free prescriptions, ophthalmic services and dental care. How does that compare with the provision under S1 reciprocity in the Spanish healthcare system??


You'll be entitled to care under the same circumstances as a Spanish pensioner.

In some, but not all, regions there are free prescriptions. Neither dental nor optical care are included - apart from the actual eye test.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

In the regions where prescriptions are not free for pensioners (or the dependants of pensioners, I have an S1 as my husband's dependant), they pay 10% of the cost of the medication, capped at €8 per month for those with an income below €18k per year, and €18 per month for those with an income between €18k and €100k. My 3 medications cost me €3.25 per month and the full price of one of them is over €28.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Spanish national healthcare scheme covers prescriptions with co-payment. If you are a pensioner on low annual income up to 18,000 euro, it's capped at 10% with the maximum of around 10 euro/month. On medium income up to 100,000 euro, you pay up to around 20 euro/month. Any income above you pay maximum of around 65 euro/month. The amount varies slightly between different regions. 
For eyecare, most opticians give free eye test, and there are some British optical chains like Specsavers with English-speaking staff. Specialist ophthalmologist consultation for eye diseases can be arranged through your health centre, which will be free. If you register as pensioner through the town hall, you may get a discount on glasses or contact lenses. 
Dental care isn't part of the national healthcare scheme, except for children and in an emergency. You will have to consult a private dentist, whose charges are lower than in UK, or take out private insurance.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Joppa said:


> Spanish national healthcare scheme covers prescriptions with co-payment. If you are a pensioner on low annual income up to 18,000 euro, it's capped at 10% with the maximum of around 10 euro/month. On medium income up to 100,000 euro, you pay up to around 20 euro/month. Any income above you pay maximum of around 65 euro/month. The amount varies slightly between different regions.
> For eyecare, most opticians give free eye test, and there are some British optical chains like Specsavers with English-speaking staff. Specialist ophthalmologist consultation for eye diseases can be arranged through your health centre, which will be free. If you register as pensioner through the town hall, you may get a discount on glasses or contact lenses.
> Dental care isn't part of the national healthcare scheme, except for children and in an emergency. You will have to consult a private dentist, whose charges are lower than in UK, or take out private insurance.


ALL opticians as matter of law have to give free eye tests - & you can take a copy of your prescription with you.

It drives me potty when I see the likes of these 'British' franchises claiming to be offering something special. 

Many opticians in areas with foreign residents will have English speaking staff, too. 

Being a specs & lens wearer, I've had a lot of eye tests here, & not always at the same optician. All tests have included a glaucoma pressure test as standard. Except one. I tried one of those franchises when they first opened here, just to see for myself. Things might have changed since then - I certainly hope so, but they wouldn't do the glaucoma test in their 'free' eye test, and when I asked for a copy of my prescription they refused unless I purchased specs then & there. 

Which I didn't.



As far as what you pay for a prescription for medication - make sure you do a tax return in Spain. The system will assume a higher income unless you prove that your income is below 18,000€


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Eye tests are free to everyone in Spain. You are expected to buy the glasses from the optician who does the test, but this isn't a legal requirement, you can ask for the prescription (also free) and go elsewhere.

Something else that is pretty common here is putting new lenses into your existing frames. I recall places in the UK that refused to do that, but it can save you a lot of money.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

Joppa said:


> Spanish national healthcare scheme covers prescriptions with co-payment. If you are a pensioner on low annual income up to 18,000 euro, it's capped at 10% with the maximum of around 10 euro/month. On medium income up to 100,000 euro, you pay up to around 20 euro/month. Any income above you pay maximum of around 65 euro/month. The amount varies slightly between different regions.
> For eyecare, most opticians give free eye test, and there are some British optical chains like Specsavers with English-speaking staff. Specialist ophthalmologist consultation for eye diseases can be arranged through your health centre, which will be free. If you register as pensioner through the town hall, you may get a discount on glasses or contact lenses.
> Dental care isn't part of the national healthcare scheme, except for children and in an emergency. You will have to consult a private dentist, whose charges are lower than in UK, or take out private insurance.


News to me that children get free dental care. I have always had to pay for my kid


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> In the regions where prescriptions are not free for pensioners (or the dependants of pensioners, I have an S1 as my husband's dependant), they pay 10% of the cost of the medication, capped at €8 per month for those with an income below €18k per year, and €18 per month for those with an income between €18k and €100k. My 3 medications cost me €3.25 per month and the full price of one of them is over €28.


Yes, and the cost of some medications is capped, too. 

My daughter needed an inhaler which at full price was something like 85€. Istr I only paid about 3.50€ for it, even though I pay 40% of costs. No I'm not rich - I work here!


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

AAARRGGHHH. I might have to kill the OP.

Seeing the name that stupid song from the paedo Rolf Harris is now stuck in my brain.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Veronica said:


> AAARRGGHHH. I might have to kill the OP.
> 
> Seeing the name that stupid song from the paedo Rolf Harris is now stuck in my brain.


DAMN! 

Now I'm singing it! Why did you have to mention it?


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

I'm so, so glad that the healthcare and prescriptions in the Alicante region are free to S1 holders. The amount of operations i had last year and the cost of prescriptions since have cost a fortune! Fortunately I've not had to pay anything otherwise I would be stoney broke now.

The healthcare here in Spain is second to none. 

Steve


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

kaipa said:


> News to me that children get free dental care. I have always had to pay for my kid


Only free if the detal practice operates the scheme - not all do


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

If you are over 65 and live in Andalucia, you can get a Tarjeta 65 (free) which gives you discounts at opticians and dentists who participate in the scheme, as well as many other benefits like half-price bus fares.

https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/age...programas/taj65/tarj65/wfprogramitem_view_pub


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## Miss Jones11 (Jul 13, 2020)

xabiaxica said:


> ALL opticians as matter of law have to give free eye tests - & you can take a copy of your prescription with you.
> 
> It drives me potty when I see the likes of these 'British' franchises claiming to be offering something special.
> 
> ...


Quite right.
Under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) you have a right to your eye prescription. But what do you do when they refuse?


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Miss Jones11 said:


> Quite right.
> Under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) you have a right to your eye prescription. But what do you do when they refuse?


Ask for the complaints book.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Miss Jones11 said:


> Quite right.
> Under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) you have a right to your eye prescription. But what do you do when they refuse?


 The GDPR is not related to eye tests or similar. It's related to the storing and sharing of personal data.


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## Miss Jones11 (Jul 13, 2020)

You have a right to all your personal data.


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## Catalunya22 (Apr 25, 2020)

I find that the SANITAS Dental Plan is quite good.
Around 105 euros p.a.
Includes cleaning twice a year. extractions are free...but you have to pay for fillings.


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## jakethepeg (Oct 24, 2014)

Thanksfor all the replies, very useful, hopefully will not need to much medical attention, just regular hypertension medication.


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

Hypertension tabs are very cheap over the counter. I just took an empty box to the Farmacia and they supplied the equivalent. If i remember correctly they were about €3 for a months worth.

Steve


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## Catalunya22 (Apr 25, 2020)

jakethepeg said:


> Thanksfor all the replies, very useful, hopefully will not need to much medical attention, just regular hypertension medication.


You´ll need the hypertension medication dealing with Spanish bureaucracy...lol


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

tebo53 said:


> The healthcare here in Spain is second to none.


Clearly you have not experienced the health care in France!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Spanish system is bad but it's all too easy to big up another system when you have nothing but the NHS to compare with. 

Have you got personal experience of anything other than UK and Spain and perhaps more to the point how much real contact, if any, have you had with either? 

I spent 10+ years in France before coming to Spain btw.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

MataMata said:


> Clearly you have not experienced the health care in France!
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Spanish system is bad but it's all too easy to big up another system when you have nothing but the NHS to compare with.
> 
> ...


I think healthcare is second to none in many places ! It’s very dependent on location within a country, where my daughter lives in the UK the NHS is top notch, not so much where my MIL lives I an inner city area.

In my region of Spain , there’s good and bad and very dependent on those delivering it.


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

MataMata said:


> Clearly you have not experienced the health care in France!
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Spanish system is bad but it's all too easy to big up another system when you have nothing but the NHS to compare with.
> 
> ...



You don't want me to expand surely on my original statement! Suffice to say they (the Spanish healthcare system) performed several life saving operations in quick succession whereas because of my age, I don't think the NHS would have.

Steve


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