# Private health insurance to recommend?



## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

Hi all,

After getting married this spring to my Spanish girlfriend (now wife), I am finally applying for my tarjeta de residencia. I've been told that the laws have recently changed such that non-EU members now need to show that they have both the means to support themselves as well as that they have private healthcare in Spain. 

Does anyone know of any private healthcare services in Spain which they can recommend? Ideally I'd like to find the cheapest one, as well as one that does not lock you into a minimum of a one year contract (e.g. which I can pay monthly and cancel at anytime).

Thanks for any suggestions!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

director1 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> After getting married this spring to my Spanish girlfriend (now wife), I am finally applying for my tarjeta de residencia. I've been told that the laws have recently changed such that non-EU members now need to show that they have both the means to support themselves as well as that they have private healthcare in Spain.
> 
> ...


non-EU citizens have always had to prove a means of support & healthcare in order to get a visa - not sure that as the spouse of a Spanish citizen that applies to you (for one thing you don't need a visa as such) - you should be covered under her state healthcare, as her spouse (I'm pretty certain)

for the past two years even EU citizens have had to prove a means of support & healthcare in order to register as resident

you'll get as many recommendations for health insurance as there are providers - but if you look at http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...-living-spain/2725-faqs-lots-useful-info.html you'll see a section with some comparison websites

check first though, to see if you can be covered under your wife's state provision


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## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

director1 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> After getting married this spring to my Spanish girlfriend (now wife), I am finally applying for my tarjeta de residencia. I've been told that the laws have recently changed such that non-EU members now need to show that they have both the means to support themselves as well as that they have private healthcare in Spain.
> 
> ...


Just landed here almost three weeks ago, we went with Sanitas. We shopped around before coming to Barcelona and Sanitas seemed to be the most reasonable one. Coming from the US, I assume you are familiar with Cigna. From what they quoted us, it is a much more expensive option than Sanitas. With no pre-existing condition, my husband pays a bit more than 40 euros for his portion (which does not exist in the US that rate that low). I am not sure if it is a yearly contract. We pay them monthly. Try sanitas.es.


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> non-EU citizens have always had to prove a means of support & healthcare in order to get a visa - not sure that as the spouse of a Spanish citizen that applies to you (for one thing you don't need a visa as such) - you should be covered under her state healthcare, as her spouse (I'm pretty certain)
> 
> for the past two years even EU citizens have had to prove a means of support & healthcare in order to register as resident
> 
> ...


Sorry, I should have clarified. The laws changed in 2012 to include EU citizens as well as extra-EU (this from another post on this site: "On 10 July 2012 the Spanish government introduced details of the new residency requirements for all EU citizens, including British nationals. Under the new rules, EU citizens applying for residency in Spain may be required to produce evidence of sufficient financial means to support themselves (and dependants). Applicants may also be asked for proof of private or public healthcare insurance.")

My (Bilbao) lawyer has said she is fairly certain that I am not covered under my wife's state healthcare*– could this be because she (the wife, not the lawyer) has been working in the UK for the past few years?

Thanks for the link to the comparisons!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

director1 said:


> Sorry, I should have clarified. The laws changed in 2012 to include EU citizens as well as extra-EU (this from another post on this site: "On 10 July 2012 the Spanish government introduced details of the new residency requirements for all EU citizens, including British nationals. Under the new rules, EU citizens applying for residency in Spain may be required to produce evidence of sufficient financial means to support themselves (and dependants). Applicants may also be asked for proof of private or public healthcare insurance.")
> 
> My (Bilbao) lawyer has said she is fairly certain that I am not covered under my wife's state healthcare*– could this be because she (the wife, not the lawyer) has been working in the UK for the past few years?
> 
> Thanks for the link to the comparisons!


could be - Rajoy passed a law that Spanish nationals who leave the country for more than 90 days lose automatic right to healthcare - not sure if that can be retrospective - your wife would have already been out of the country when that came into force

is she working here now? If so, & she again has access to healthcare, then I'm sure you'd be covered - certainly the spouse of any other worker here is covered


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

kimuyen said:


> Just landed here almost three weeks ago, we went with Sanitas. We shopped around before coming to Barcelona and Sanitas seemed to be the most reasonable one. Coming from the US, I assume you are familiar with Cigna. From what they quoted us, it is a much more expensive option than Sanitas. With no pre-existing condition, my husband pays a bit more than 40 euros for his portion (which does not exist in the US that rate that low). I am not sure if it is a yearly contract. We pay them monthly. Try sanitas.es.


Hey, thanks so much for this recommendation. I think the problem with Sanitas is that they don't do coverage in the Basque country*–*a region that seems fairly special when it comes to the healthcare system (among other things). I rang Sanitas a few days ago and they said they would't cover me if my home address was in Vizcaya. But €40 a month seems about the going rate. The contracts for all the health companies I've contacted run until 31 December, so I suppose in the event that I get my residence card by then I could just let it expire.

(I should explain: the reason I don't at the moment want to sign up for long-term healthcare in Spain is that my job at the moment and for the foreseeable future is in the UK and I am covered under the NHS. So it's silly for me to have insurance in spain and england –*it would be mostly to fulfil the regulations for acquiring a residence card).


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> could be - Rajoy passed a law that Spanish nationals who leave the country for more than 90 days lose automatic right to healthcare - not sure if that can be retrospective - your wife would have already been out of the country when that came into force
> 
> is she working here now? If so, & she again has access to healthcare, then I'm sure you'd be covered - certainly the spouse of any other worker here is covered



She is not working in Spain now – she's working in the UK at the moment. Our hope is that she get a job in Spain but of course jobs are not the easiest thing to come by these days. In any case, she almost definitely wouldn't have a job by the time I need to apply for my tarjeta, which is why I think I'll need to show I have my own.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

director1 said:


> Hey, thanks so much for this recommendation. I think the problem with Sanitas is that they don't do coverage in the Basque country*–*a region that seems fairly special when it comes to the healthcare system (among other things). I rang Sanitas a few days ago and they said they would't cover me if my home address was in Vizcaya. But €40 a month seems about the going rate. The contracts for all the health companies I've contacted run until 31 December, so I suppose in the event that I get my residence card by then I could just let it expire.
> 
> (I should explain: the reason I don't at the moment want to sign up for long-term healthcare in Spain is that my job at the moment and for the foreseeable future is in the UK and I am covered under the NHS. So it's silly for me to have insurance in spain and england –*it would be mostly to fulfil the regulations for acquiring a residence card).


ok - added confusion

if you're working in the UK are you living there?

if so, you don't need to/can't apply for residency here


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> ok - added confusion
> 
> if you're working in the UK are you living there?
> 
> if so, you don't need to/can't apply for residency here



To quote Facebook, it's complicated. I'm working in the UK but I will be moving to Spain to do my job from there (I'm a researcher at a university but don't actually need to be in the UK to do my job). So I'll be in Spain for more than the 185 days a year required for residency, even though the money I will be earning will be in/coming from the UK.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

director1 said:


> Hey, thanks so much for this recommendation. I think the problem with Sanitas is that they don't do coverage in the Basque country*–*a region that seems fairly special when it comes to the healthcare system (among other things). I rang Sanitas a few days ago and they said they would't cover me if my home address was in Vizcaya. But €40 a month seems about the going rate. The contracts for all the health companies I've contacted run until 31 December, so I suppose in the event that I get my residence card by then I could just let it expire.
> 
> (I should explain: the reason I don't at the moment want to sign up for long-term healthcare in Spain is that my job at the moment and for the foreseeable future is in the UK and I am covered under the NHS. So it's silly for me to have insurance in spain and england –*it would be mostly to fulfil the regulations for acquiring a residence card).


The Basque country is indeed "special" in many ways!
My husband's enormous family is from there. They all talk about the igualatorio, which when Googled comes up with this...
IMQ - IMQ Seguros de saludCompañía líder en seguros de salud en Euskadi, con 329.000 clientes y la red de centros propios más extensa del _País Vasco_.


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> The Basque country is indeed "special" in many ways!
> My husband's enormous family is from there. They all talk about the igualatorio, which when Googled comes up with this...
> IMQ - IMQ Seguros de saludCompañía líder en seguros de salud en Euskadi, con 329.000 clientes y la red de centros propios más extensa del _País Vasco_.


Thanks PeskyWesky. Indeed IMQ seems to be the goto spot for Basque health. I was on the phone with them for a while this morning trying to figure out which health plans might work for me, but they tell me that they also require you to sign a contract until the end of December. This page Guia Euskadi - Private healthcare came up with a few others, but at least one of them I have since learned doesn't actually do plans for Basques. It may be that I have to bit the bullet and sign up with a plan until the end of the year and hope that all the paperwork comes through before then.

I wonder how long tarjetas de residencia are taking to process these days in Bilbao...


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

director1 said:


> I wonder how long tarjetas de residencia are taking to process these days in Bilbao...


No Idea about that one.
Elenetxu might know, but she hasn't been on for a while, she may be on holiday.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

It's standard practice, afaik, for insurers to require policyholders to sign up until the end of the year. Mine (which only covers part of Andalucia) certainly does.

It's also important to note that normally, you are required to give at least 2 months' notice, in writing, before the annual renewal date if you want to cancel the cover.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

director1 said:


> Thanks PeskyWesky. Indeed IMQ seems to be the goto spot for Basque health. I was on the phone with them for a while this morning trying to figure out which health plans might work for me, but they tell me that they also require you to sign a contract until the end of December. This page Guia Euskadi - Private healthcare came up with a few others, but at least one of them I have since learned doesn't actually do plans for Basques. It may be that I have to bit the bullet and sign up with a plan until the end of the year and hope that all the paperwork comes through before then.
> 
> I wonder how long tarjetas de residencia are taking to process these days in Bilbao...


bear in mind that for most insurance you have to give two months notice to cancel - so if the contract is until end of Dec, you'll have to cancel end of Oct - or it's automatically renewed for another year


if you're only contracting to fulfill the residency requirements, what are you planning to do for healthcare after you cancel?


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

Lynn R said:


> It's standard practice, afaik, for insurers to require policyholders to sign up until the end of the year. Mine (which only covers part of Andalucia) certainly does.
> 
> It's also important to note that normally, you are required to give at least 2 months' notice, in writing, before the annual renewal date if you want to cancel the cover.



Great, that's super helpful to know Lynn. Maybe it's then not worth my searching around for something that is only monthly. Great to know though that I need to give two months' notice.

Cheers!


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> bear in mind that for most insurance you have to give two months notice to cancel - so if the contract is until end of Dec, you'll have to cancel end of Oct - or it's automatically renewed for another year
> 
> 
> if you're only contracting to fulfill the residency requirements, what are you planning to do for healthcare after you cancel?


Hopefully by then my wife will have a Spain-based job, and so we'll both be on the standard public healthcare system.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

director1 said:


> So I'll be in Spain for more than the 185 days a year required for residency, even though the money I will be earning will be in/coming from the UK.


I believe that as a non EU citizen, the 183 rule does not apply to you, as you are an alien and thus needed a visa to come to Spain and need , within 3 months of your arrival, to apply for *RESIDENCIA.* as a family member of an EU National living in Spain.

As an American you may be subject to different rules. I assume you have checked it out..

My wife is Filipino, I am British and Irish, thus I am aware of the laws which affect her. She needed private medical cover until her RESIDENCIA was issued, she was then was covered, as my spouse, by the National Health Service in UK.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

larryzx said:


> I believe that as a non EU citizen, the 183 rule does not apply to you, as you are an alien and thus needed a visa to come to Spain and need , within 3 months of your arrival, to apply for *RESIDENCIA.* as a family member of an EU National living in Spain.
> 
> As an American you may be subject to different rules. I assume you have checked it out..
> 
> My wife is Filipino, I am British and Irish, thus I am aware of the laws which affect her. She needed private medical cover until her RESIDENCIA was issued, she was then was covered, as my spouse, by the National Health Service in UK.


yes - he said he was applying for residencia.....

he didn't need a visa to come to Spain, (beyond a 'Schenghen visa') nor to get married here - & he is entitled to stay here while his residencia application is in process


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

larryzx said:


> I believe that as a non EU citizen, the 183 rule does not apply to you, as you are an alien and thus needed a visa to come to Spain and need , within 3 months of your arrival, to apply for *RESIDENCIA.* as a family member of an EU National living in Spain.
> 
> As an American you may be subject to different rules. I assume you have checked it out..
> 
> My wife is Filipino, I am British and Irish, thus I am aware of the laws which affect her. She needed private medical cover until her RESIDENCIA was issued, she was then was covered, as my spouse, by the National Health Service in UK.


Larry – this is a great help, thank you, and yes it completely makes sense that once I get residency I would be covered. As an American I do not need a visa to actually enter Spain but I would need to apply for residency if I intend to stay for more than three months.


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## director1 (Dec 28, 2013)

Another small question about this I realise now I should ask: To fulfil the requirement for residency, would I need to show that I have comprehensive heath coverage (cobertura completa), or would basic coverage be enough?


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

director1 said:


> Larry – this is a great help, thank you, and yes it completely makes sense that once I get residency I would be covered. As an American I do not need a visa to actually enter Spain but I would need to apply for residency if I intend to stay for more than three months.


Thanks your your reply Director,


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