# private health care monthly fee



## musie (Dec 23, 2014)

Hi we are moving to ,Mallorca in April can anyone give us a rough cost of health insurance monthly figure for 50 year old and 48 year 
we wont be working ,early retirement 
and if anyone on thyroxine how much to buy over the counter from chemists
cheers


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

It's very cheap, about 2 euros
Cost of health ins depends on whether you have existing medical conditions
Ins company may not cover them, or quote very high premiums.


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## musie (Dec 23, 2014)

*brilliant*

2 euros for thyroxine that's amazing that was the thing worrying me most ,how to get it and how much it would be many thanks


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

musie said:


> 2 euros for thyroxine that's amazing that was the thing worrying me most ,how to get it and how much it would be many thanks


Woops, sorry, thought I'd better check .
It was 3.31 euros for 100 x50 mcg tabs. As an OAP , I pay 33cents for it, but as your under state pension age, I think you will pay full amount; luckily for you it is a cheap drug, but some others I am on are 50- 70 euros full price.
I was reluctant to get out of my warm chair, complete with hot water bottle and blanket, and was relying on my memory which obviously isn't great!


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## musie (Dec 23, 2014)

that's still cheap thanks ,it will warm up soon cant be as cold as Burnley cant wait to get to Mallorca in April keep warm 
xx


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## Trix1969 (Feb 9, 2015)

Hi Musie - a note on thyroxine. I forgot my tablets when on holiday in Spain and found that they do a 200 mcg dosage tablet which, depending on your dosage, might work out cheaper.
Good luck


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

May be worth noting that in all the years I have been in Spain I have always held private healthcare despite working and having SS too. When you look around don't go for the cheapest, look at a number of factors.

Firstly look at the level of cover and limits. The time you really need private to kick in is when you are very sick and some cheaper policies have limits or exclusions. Look at their "cuadro medico" (medical directory) also to see which medics and hospitals they work with. When I first came to Spain I went with a British company and they were terrible, I then went to a Spanish one who was good but very inconvenient, since then I changed to another Spanish company who were faultless but slow at authorisations and increased prices substantially. now I am with probably the biggest but find them excellent.

So, sometimes paying a few euros more gives you so much more in value! I am happy to share my experiences if you need more info!


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## IanB (Feb 11, 2013)

Hi Steve,

Many thanks for your last post, but could you say who the company is please? It is something we are looking at very closely at this moment. Both of us are on State pension here in the UK and the last time I looked at it as mentioned on another thread, the British company who supposedly had discount ties with the broker quoted a completely out of this world price, (£20,000 per year me alone and 15K for my wife). Scuppered our plans as it was a final nail in a series in the coffin you might say.

Have just started to look into all this again and I have a couple of on going issues, Factoring in of the prescription costs has always been part of our equations.

Thanks
Ian


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

musie said:


> Hi we are moving to ,Mallorca in April can anyone give us a rough cost of health insurance monthly figure for 50 year old and 48 year
> we wont be working ,early retirement
> and if anyone on thyroxine how much to buy over the counter from chemists
> cheers


Our private health insurance in mainland Spain (Alicante) is just under €2,000 a year for the two of us. I am over 60 and pay €200 a year more than the boss as a result! Shop around and read the small print carefully before taking out a policy. In our first year we had a policy with Sanitas (owned by BUPA) and discovered that it automatically expired when we reached 65, just as the risk of claims starts to increase. We also had an 11% increase in the charge after the first year even though we made no claims. Our current insurer guarantees that annual increases will be in line with the official Spanish inflation rate and offers lifetime cover. Watch out also for excesses or co-payments as these can be expensive. Also note that pre-existing conditions will not be covered when you take out a health policy.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

IanB said:


> Hi Steve,
> 
> Many thanks for your last post, but could you say who the company is please? It is something we are looking at very closely at this moment. Both of us are on State pension here in the UK and the last time I looked at it as mentioned on another thread, the British company who supposedly had discount ties with the broker quoted a completely out of this world price, (£20,000 per year me alone and 15K for my wife). Scuppered our plans as it was a final nail in a series in the coffin you might say.
> 
> ...


We are insured with a company called Prevision Medica, but they only cover Malaga province and part of Cordoba Province. We currently pay €115 per month for the two of us and my husband's premiums have not increased this year although he turned 65 towards the end of last year. There is no excess or co-payments to pay.

However, although there are companies like ours where they continue to cover existing policyholders at no extra cost over the age of 65, I believe it is a different story, unfortunately, if you are already 65 or over when you first apply for cover. That puts the cost up considerably, and of course any pre-existing conditions complicate things further.

Prevision Medica do have a policy specifically for the over 65s but I don't know how much it costs, you would need to ask them for a quote:-

http://www.previsionmedica.com/productos/salud/dorada

Obviously, though, you and your wife would both be eligible for Spanish state healthcare via an S1 form from the UK, and the reports I hear from people who use it (we haven't needed to as yet) have been very positive.


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## IanB (Feb 11, 2013)

Thank you Lyn. Thats most helpful.
I knew we would qualify for Spanish State healthcare we gathered up much of the information from official sources. But we felt from a lot of the discussions on here that it owuld be prudent to get some cover via private sector.

Unfortunately BUPA i.e. Sanitas was the company that gave us that quote.

regards
Ian


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

IanB said:


> Thank you Lyn. Thats most helpful.
> I knew we would qualify for Spanish State healthcare we gathered up much of the information from official sources. But we felt from a lot of the discussions on here that it owuld be prudent to get some cover via private sector.
> 
> Unfortunately BUPA i.e. Sanitas was the company that gave us that quote.
> ...


If you can get on the Spanish healthcare (via an S1) why would you want to pay through the nose for private? The Spanish state healthcare is better in many respects than the NHS, for example my ex brother-in-law had a mild heart attack ten days ago, next week they are giving him an angiogram and planning on installing a stent. Three years ago, I also had a mild heart attack, taken to hospital; I was given an angiogram and two stents installed and I was walking out of there three days later.

On a less urgent note, I have had treatment here for a condition that I knew I had when we lived back in UK, something that NHS Drs didn't even recognise as possible and didn't even have a test for.

The only downside is if you go into hospital, the medical staff will not wash or feed you (families do that!) and why should highly trained staff be used for such mundane tasks?


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## Justina (Jan 25, 2013)

Why should highly trained staff feed you etc.,
Fair enough, but I believe that hospitals also have a notice board with people willing to do 'the basic work'.
I must add that my son was taken into hospital in Madrid some months ago and the nurses did everything that was required, so once again it seems to be where you live. Like you, I reckon the public heath system is fab.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

IanB said:


> Hi Steve,
> 
> Many thanks for your last post, but could you say who the company is please? It is something we are looking at very closely at this moment. Both of us are on State pension here in the UK and the last time I looked at it as mentioned on another thread, the British company who supposedly had discount ties with the broker quoted a completely out of this world price, (£20,000 per year me alone and 15K for my wife). Scuppered our plans as it was a final nail in a series in the coffin you might say.
> 
> ...


Currently I am with Sanitas. You say in another post that you got your high quote from them but was that through Sanitas in Spain or through Bupa international? Contact Sanitas directly or one of their English brokers in Spain and see what they can offer.

I find Sanitas incredibly good and I pay 40 euros a month for their top top level of cover although that is a deal through work although I was told I would pay about 70 for the same cover if I was to do it outside of my work. Previously I used Adeslas who I also rate very highly although they increased prices quite steeply, from 50 euros in year one to 70 euro in year 3 which is why I changed.

Main differences between the two:
Adeslas work with Doctor Specific directory and although for many hospitals they cover all their doctors, in some cases they only work with some (new thing). Now on one occasion I wanted to see a specific specialist within a hospital but they said that now with Adeslas I could only see a different one. Sanitas is hospital specific so if they work with that hospital for that speciality you can see any Dr of your choice.

Sanitas being bigger authorise many things instantly, for example I needed a CT scan of my chest and abdomen and an MRI of by brain and did not require any authorisation, they just put it into the computer in the hospital and it sais yes. With Adeslas they would have had to apply for authorisation.

Nevertheless, they both work with good doctors and offer superb cover. Previously I used ASSSA who were ok but their doctors limited and their voicher system a bit of a pain. I have no copayments with Adeslas or Asssa and simply show my card.

Previously to that I bought a policy from the UK through a compnay called Expat Healthcare of something like this and it was a nightmare., I needed urgent care one night and was told to go anywhere i want and then pay and later reclaim and they would pay providing it was covered which they could not confirm.

Mapfre also offer good cover too but from Personal experience Adeslas and Sanitas are really superb although I didnt know they stopped cover at 65... I have a few years to go but I was told they offer cover for life so need to check that!


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## Älg (Oct 21, 2014)

The Skipper said:


> Our private health insurance in mainland Spain (Alicante) is just under €2,000 a year for the two of us. I am over 60 and pay €200 a year more than the boss as a result! Shop around and read the small print carefully before taking out a policy. In our first year we had a policy with Sanitas (owned by BUPA) and discovered that it automatically expired when we reached 65, just as the risk of claims starts to increase. We also had an 11% increase in the charge after the first year even though we made no claims. Our current insurer guarantees that annual increases will be in line with the official Spanish inflation rate and offers lifetime cover. Watch out also for excesses or co-payments as these can be expensive. Also note that pre-existing conditions will not be covered when you take out a health policy.


I've never bothered getting a GP as I've never been ill and haven't needed to see one since my discharge from the RAF in 1988. If I apply for medical insurance will they think I'm trying to hide an existing condition if I tell them I have no GP?


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

Älg said:


> I've never bothered getting a GP as I've never been ill and haven't needed to see one since my discharge from the RAF in 1988. If I apply for medical insurance will they think I'm trying to hide an existing condition if I tell them I have no GP?


They never ask who your GP is in Spain. You will be asked your basic info... Name, DOB, Passport or NIE number etc and a medical questionnaire. This is things like do you have anything wrong with you, have you seen a dr in the last year, have you ever had surgery etc.

From this they will decide what your waiting times are and if there are eny special conditions or exclusions. Its normal for waiting times.. for example if you take a policy today then fall off a ladder and need A&E you will get that immediately but if you need surgery you probably cant in the first 6 months for example. If you have seen a dr for any previous thing then that may be excluded for a further period. 

So all pretty simple to be honest and usualy they are not bothered about simple things like "i saw a dr because i had flu or a chest infection", its big things they bother them like if you had a lump removed or anything like this.

So no, not having a GP won't affect things in any way.


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## IanB (Feb 11, 2013)

Hello Steve,

Many thanks for taking the time to reply. The information is very useful to me and I am sure to a number of others who are in a similar position and to those following this thread.

I can confirm that the quote I had came from an "offer" link with an e-mail newsletter from "The Overseas Guides Company". It was dealt with by BUPA International not Sanitas. It was just so out of reach that I began to believe that nothing in this line was possible for us. There was no "negotiation" at all, they even refused to discuss a single country quotation as in our case we were only looking for some additional cover to live permanently in Spain. 

I have heard very good reports of Sanitas but being part of BUPA rules them out for us it would seem. Also with the experiences of those on this thread we are ruled out anyway because I am 67 and my wife is 65 this year.

I have taken notes of the companies you have mentioned and will try again as we are reviving our attempts to come to Spain.

regards
Ian


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## Älg (Oct 21, 2014)

Thanks for your reply. I was worried about applying for quotes to see if not having a GP would affect my application as I don't want to get mobbed by junk emails afterwards.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I have to stress, though, that anyone aged 65 or over who is applying for private medical insurance will have to be prepared for the premiums quoted to be considerably higher than the sums that people below that age are quoting for what they pay. Just look at the monthly costs for cover under the state system if you sign up to the convenio especial - €60 per month for someone aged under 65 but €157 for someone aged 65 or over. It might not necessarily be fair, as I'm sure some older people will be in good health, but unfortunately that's the way it is.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

IanB said:


> Hello Steve,
> 
> Many thanks for taking the time to reply. The information is very useful to me and I am sure to a number of others who are in a similar position and to those following this thread.
> 
> ...


I still fail to see why you feel you need to have private cover when, as an OAP, you would be entitled to use the Spanish health service at no charge with all the advantages it entails (no extra charges or restrictions because of pre-existing conditions, cheap medicines, etc.). It should, in no way, affect your decision to move - if you were under 65, it might be another matter.


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## IanB (Feb 11, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> If you can get on the Spanish healthcare (via an S1) why would you want to pay through the nose for private? The Spanish state healthcare is better in many respects than the NHS, for example my ex brother-in-law had a mild heart attack ten days ago, next week they are giving him an angiogram and planning on installing a stent. Three years ago, I also had a mild heart attack, taken to hospital; I was given an angiogram and two stents installed and I was walking out of there three days later.
> 
> On a less urgent note, I have had treatment here for a condition that I knew I had when we lived back in UK, something that NHS Drs didn't even recognise as possible and didn't even have a test for.
> 
> The only downside is if you go into hospital, the medical staff will not wash or feed you (families do that!) and why should highly trained staff be used for such mundane tasks?


Hi Baldilocks

Your comments are much appreciated. I had heard how good Spanish State Healthcare really is form others as well. Its been a case of trying to weigh up the information. The balance from information on the ground from people actually out there living in Spain has appeared to weigh heavily in favour of having some private cover, hence our pursuit of how much and how etc. 

Information direct from experienced members like yourself makes things seem much more reasonable. We had friends who lived up near Denia and the good lady developed skin cancer, subsequently passing away. The treatment she received from Spanish healthcare was superb I have to say and was far better than she would have received here in the UK.

Again thanks for your input. Its a bit of a relief I think.

regards
Ian


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

IanB said:


> Hi Baldilocks
> 
> Your comments are much appreciated. I had heard how good Spanish State Healthcare really is form others as well. Its been a case of trying to weigh up the information. The balance from information on the ground from people actually out there living in Spain has appeared to weigh heavily in favour of having some private cover, hence our pursuit of how much and how etc.
> 
> ...


Although we do see reports in the papers more often these days of long waiting lists, people kept on trolleys in Urgencias, etc. due to spending cuts, the people I know who have actually used the system in the area where I live have been very impressed by it.

A lady I know was treated for breast cancer last year (detected early by a routine mammogram) and had a biopsy, lumpectomy, weeks of radiotherapy and prescribed medication, with all the usual follow-ups. No delays whatsoever at any stage. Another person I know, of working age, went to his GP with what he thought was a problem with his knee. He was immediately whisked off to Carlos Haya Hospital in Malaga where he was diagnosed with leukaemia, had an immediate blood transfusion and chemotherapy, and within 3 months a bone marrow transplant from a donor identified in the Netherlands. Another man went for a routine GP appointment and they called an ambulance and had him admitted to our local hospital immediately as his immune system had broken down, he spent 14 days in isolation with full barrier nursing. I have only been to our local hospital as a visitor and a few times to interpret for people, but have always found it spotlessly clean and calm, and the staff appear both very professional and caring.


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## IanB (Feb 11, 2013)

baldilocks said:


> I still fail to see why you feel you need to have private cover when, as an OAP, you would be entitled to use the Spanish health service at no charge with all the advantages it entails (no extra charges or restrictions because of pre-existing conditions, cheap medicines, etc.). It should, in no way, affect your decision to move - if you were under 65, it might be another matter.


Yes I tend to agree with you. I suppose with the bad experiences we have had with healthcare here in the UK in the last 13 years or so its become more of a major consideration in our planning than it should have. Been through the Mid Staffs crisis as a patient, have lived in North Wales for the last 12 years where 26 to 36 weeks waiting for cardiac conditions diagnosis is not unusual, lies and deceit are the culture at every level, where the hospitals are killing the population with avoidable deaths at three times the rate that Hitler killed the German population. Yep so health when you have a chonic but now not so serious cardiac condition coupled with osteoarthritis does become quite an issue.

Thanks again for your comments.
regards
Ian


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> I still fail to see why you feel you need to have private cover when, as an OAP, you would be entitled to use the Spanish health service at no charge with all the advantages it entails (no extra charges or restrictions because of pre-existing conditions, cheap medicines, etc.). It should, in no way, affect your decision to move - if you were under 65, it might be another matter.


I suspect that it's for the same reason that some ( a lot?) of Spanish around here have both state and private care.

A good friend told me that her family have both for the simply reason that you can 'queue jump' with private care. She has used this a number of times for her daughter.


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> If you can get on the Spanish healthcare (via an S1) why would you want to pay through the nose for private? The Spanish state healthcare is better in many respects than the NHS, for example my ex brother-in-law had a mild heart attack ten days ago, next week they are giving him an angiogram and planning on installing a stent. Three years ago, I also had a mild heart attack, taken to hospital; I was given an angiogram and two stents installed and I was walking out of there three days later.
> 
> On a less urgent note, I have had treatment here for a condition that I knew I had when we lived back in UK, something that NHS Drs didn't even recognise as possible and didn't even have a test for.
> 
> The only downside is if you go into hospital, the medical staff will not wash or feed you (families do that!) and why should highly trained staff be used for such mundane tasks?


Why should highly trained staff be used for such mundane tasks?
These takes may be regarded as " mundane" by the layman, but such actions actually are part of treating the patient as a whole, Instead of a set of symptoms, medications and treatments.
Washing, toiletting, pressure area care etc give the Nurse an opportunity to assess the patients condition, nutrition and opportunity to pick up things which might otherwise be missed.
I am not saying that these aspects of care should be done at the detriment of skilled procedures, just that it should be part and parcel of total patient care, as required, and not be looked on as a " mundane" task.
I noticed that there are nursing assistants, who could help patients with personal care when there are no relatives available, but they don't tend to help unless specifically asked, but when they are do so cheerfully enough.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

baldilocks said:


> I still fail to see why you feel you need to have private cover when, as an OAP, you would be entitled to use the Spanish health service at no charge with all the advantages it entails (no extra charges or restrictions because of pre-existing conditions, cheap medicines, etc.). It should, in no way, affect your decision to move - if you were under 65, it might be another matter.


One reason for wanting private health insurance is to overcome language difficulties. Most private hospitals have English speaking staff and the medical directories indicate whether or not doctors speak English, so you can always be sure if you have private health insurance that communication is not going to be a problem. Many people who retire to Spain and don´t speak the language have great difficulty using the State health service and often have to pay translators to accompany them to appointments. I think this is something that is overlooked by many people who retire to Spain.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Just one further thought for IanB. A lot of the comments I read from older people with health problems who feel they can't stay in Spain any longer don't seem to relate to the actual medical care they receive from GPs and in hospital, but rather that there is a lack of state-organised aftercare and home support for people. I believe that "bed-blocking" doesn't really exist here, once the doctors decide the patient needs no further medical treatment then that's it, they are discharged whether they are well enough to care for themselves at home or not.

So perhaps, Ian, you might be better off putting your faith in the Spanish state healthcare system and hanging on the money you would spend on private health insurance (which might run into hundreds of euros per month) so that you could spend it on, say, a stay in a residencia for post-operative rehabilitation (I see lots of places which advertise such care) or help at home should you need it.


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## IanB (Feb 11, 2013)

Well I have to say a big thank you to all of you for your input. It has set our minds much more at rest than they were.

I know wherever there is health care there will be horror stories, it is inevitable but when it keeps on happening to you regardless of how you try to deal with the situation it is very easy to slip into paranoia about it all. The only solution in a modern world is to pay for it with hard currency, nothing else seems to suffice. Hence you start to look deeply at cost.

I hope that I will not need much in the way of medical care other then the prescription drugs that keep my conditions stable. Despite the best efforts of the NHS here to inflict the maximum harm on certain card marked patients, I have by our own efforts gone from severe cardiomyopathy (and possible death I was told last year) NYHA Class 3 in 2008 back to mild in July 2014. Changes in medication do cause instability with though. I have never been hospitalised for it despite the collapse in 2008. I have a replacement hip and OA done in 2001 at the world centre of excellence for such things finally with which I have had no problem. I am not allowed any anti inflammatory drugs at all only paracetamol to support the OA as they were the direct cause of the heart condition. Failures at Mid Staffs.

Hence I hope that I would not need much medical help. We have managed my problems ourselves with very little if any support from the NHS as such. One of the reasons for coming to Spain if at all possible is to have a better climate.

Any one who says that scientifically there is no evidence for a warmer climate making arthritis sufferers more comfortable does not have the disease nor do they know much about it. LOL!

So being in hospital unless it is absolutely necessary in the direst of circumstances is not on my agenda.

regards to all of you
Ian


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

The Skipper said:


> One reason for wanting private health insurance is to overcome language difficulties. Most private hospitals have English speaking staff and the medical directories indicate whether or not doctors speak English, so you can always be sure if you have private health insurance that communication is not going to be a problem. Many people who retire to Spain and don´t speak the language have great difficulty using the State health service and often have to pay translators to accompany them to appointments. I think this is something that is overlooked by many people who retire to Spain.


But using a good translator/interpreter as and when you need one is a lot less expensive than paying for private health care. One advantage of the Spanish state system is the doctors are salaried unlike in the UK where they can get add-ons for fulfilling some silly targets decided by the Ministry and many of the returns submitted to the Ministry are are falsified in order to get more money.


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