# canary islands healthcare?



## guyhildebrand (Dec 22, 2012)

Hopefully somebody can give me some advice on what they do for heart medication?
Are permanent resident visas complicated to get? I have US/Canadian citizenship. How do short term (one year) visitors who want to check it out then make it our home handle health insurance?
Thanks
Gee' & Enza


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

guyhildebrand said:


> Hopefully somebody can give me some advice on what they do for heart medication?
> Are permanent resident visas complicated to get? I have US/Canadian citizenship. How do short term (one year) visitors who want to check it out then make it our home handle health insurance?
> Thanks
> Gee' & Enza


:welcome:

yes, a resident visa for a non-EU citizen is pretty complicated to get - the easiest would be the so-called 'Golden Visa' - if you invest 500,000€ (cash) in property or to set up a business, you get a visa! It isn't a permanent visa, but is renewable & becomes permanent after 5 years

you will need some kind of resident visa in order to be able to stay more than 90 days in every 180 - take a look at our http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...-living-spain/2725-faqs-lots-useful-info.html

there's a section about visas for non-EU citizens with links to consulates & discussions

as far as healthcare is concerned, you'll need private health insurance for sure


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## guyhildebrand (Dec 22, 2012)

Very helpful and interesting FAQ's. It helped a lot.
Thank you ........ I appreciate your time.


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## guyhildebrand (Dec 22, 2012)

*heath insurance*

anybody out there that has private health care insurance who has been happy with the coverage living in Canary Islands?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

guyhildebrand said:


> anybody out there that has private health care insurance who has been happy with the coverage living in Canary Islands?


Cannot help, we being E.U. pensioners can use the state system, waiting rooms are chaotic, but that is the norm, the health care is very good. You would only need private for one year, then you could pay into the state system. 60€ monthly, if you are under 65.


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

guyhildebrand said:


> anybody out there that has private health care insurance who has been happy with the coverage living in Canary Islands?


I can't speak for the Canary Islands as I live in the Seville area. But I can say that the norm with private health insurance is that it excludes coverage for pre-existing conditions. So if you have a heart condition (which your original question implies) then you would have to pay out of pocket for any doctor's visits or treatments relating to that. You should also know that virtually no private health insurance policies cover prescription fees, so all medications would be paid for out of pocket too.


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Though for some state healthcare doesn't cover prescription costs eithet


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Rabbitcat said:


> Though for some state healthcare doesn't cover prescription costs eithet


Only those using the convenio especial. They pay full costs. Everyone else pays a percentage


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## guyhildebrand (Dec 22, 2012)

Thank you all for your information we appreciate it!
Any advice to which is the best private health insurance to use for the first year until we get to be a resident and use the Spanish system. Am I right that people under 65 pay 60 euros/mo but what about 65 or over which will be me in 18 months? Also does the the Spanish system pay for any prescriptions? 

On the lodging side of things is 3 months long enough to determine if this is the lifestyle for us? It seems all long term rentals must be 3 months or longer, right? Right now we are planning a one week stay in Tenerife and one week in Gran Canary to explore the rental housing options and hopefully sign a 3 month deal. Any direction on finding a place to live? 

Any ideas out there that would be a better plan than above?

THANKS AGAIN!


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Tenerife or Gran Canaria, try to avoid the tourist areas in the South of both islands, these areas are somewhat brash and do not reflect the true Canarian charm and culture.

See the link below of where we reside, however that is another story.


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## maxd (Mar 22, 2009)

If you have private healthcare you will go to the same hospitals as locals and they will charge your insurance company if needed. Healthcare is very good here on the island of Tenerife so my neighbour was telling me, he went for a hip replacement and it was done quickly and expertly. He says in general it is better than Britain.


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## guyhildebrand (Dec 22, 2012)

*healthcare Canary Isles*

I am on Medicare (USA) and cannot participate in any EU health benefits/programs. I need to find some everyday/emergency medical healthcare insurance for living in Canary Isles.
Can somebody out there give me some contacts/web site/links?
Thank you!


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## guyhildebrand (Dec 22, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> :welcome:
> 
> yes, a resident visa for a non-EU citizen is pretty complicated to get - the easiest would be the so-called 'Golden Visa' - if you invest 500,000€ (cash) in property or to set up a business, you get a visa! It isn't a permanent visa, but is renewable & becomes permanent after 5 years
> 
> ...


Where can I find this "private" insurance PLEASE!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

guyhildebrand said:


> Where can I find this "private" insurance PLEASE!


there are many many companies - if you look at our http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...-living-spain/2725-faqs-lots-useful-info.html, there's a section for comparison websites with one for health insurance


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

guyhildebrand said:


> I am on Medicare (USA) and cannot participate in any EU health benefits/programs. I need to find some everyday/emergency medical healthcare insurance for living in Canary Isles.
> Can somebody out there give me some contacts/web site/links?
> Thank you!


This has been discussed many times on the forum and if you use the search function you'll find a lot of different recommendations. But to get you started, one company that's frequently recommended is Sanitas, and another one is Adeslas.


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## guyhildebrand (Dec 22, 2012)

thank you for your help and patience as I am brand new to the forum..... sorry


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