# Health care and the s1



## pedro6 (Aug 4, 2016)

A couple I know moved to Spain when the wife retired at 60 and the husband was 64, they were entitled to healthcare in the Valencian region on the basis of the wife's S1 form as she was in receipt of the UK state pension. 
Unfortunately some years later the wife passed away (December 2016) 
The husband visited the pharmacy for his medicine and tried to use his health card (SIP in Valencia) but this was refused, he also had two hospital appointments which were cancelled unless he paid privately.
The fact was that since his wife had retired earlier (1 year) his healthcare was based on her S1 form and although the husband was a pensioner at the time of his wife's death he was no longer covered.
The husband had to apply for his own S1 form which was delayed for 6 weeks by the DSS in the UK and register this in Spain. In the meantime he had to pay privately for his monthly medication and cancel his hospital appointments.
The moral of the story is that if you are being covered by your spouses S1 form and if he/she dies and you are a pensioner you MUST obtain your own S1 form immediately.
This is not a topic that a widow/widower would necessarily be thinking about at the time but is important to be aware of.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

pedro6 said:


> A couple I know moved to Spain when the wife retired at 60 and the husband was 64, they were entitled to healthcare in the Valencian region on the basis of the wife's S1 form as she was in receipt of the UK state pension.
> Unfortunately some years later the wife passed away (December 2016)
> The husband visited the pharmacy for his medicine and tried to use his health card (SIP in Valencia) but this was refused, he also had two hospital appointments which were cancelled unless he paid privately.
> The fact was that since his wife had retired earlier (1 year) his healthcare was based on her S1 form and although the husband was a pensioner at the time of his wife's death he was no longer covered.
> ...


Yes, a sad cautionary tale....and a very common one.

Really, as soon as you are entitled to an S1 in your own right you should obtain it & register it. That way there's no hassle & no wait should the other partner die.


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

pedro6 said:


> A couple I know moved to Spain when the wife retired at 60 and the husband was 64, they were entitled to healthcare in the Valencian region on the basis of the wife's S1 form as she was in receipt of the UK state pension.
> Unfortunately some years later the wife passed away (December 2016)
> The husband visited the pharmacy for his medicine and tried to use his health card (SIP in Valencia) but this was refused, he also had two hospital appointments which were cancelled unless he paid privately.
> The fact was that since his wife had retired earlier (1 year) his healthcare was based on her S1 form and although the husband was a pensioner at the time of his wife's death he was no longer covered.
> ...


I was originally covered by my wife's S1 but 3 months before my official retirement age the Overseas healthcare team at Newcastle sent me all the details I needed to apply for my own S1 which I received within a couple of weeks.


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## pedro6 (Aug 4, 2016)

didn't happen in my friends case I am not sure if you were lucky or he was unlucky!


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I am in the position of having my state healthcare covered by an S1 as my husband is a state pensioner. The letter I received along with my S1 clearly said that I will need to apply for an S1 in my own right when I become eligible for my own state pension, so they do advise people of that fact in advance.


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## pedro6 (Aug 4, 2016)

news to me as I am covered by my wife's S1 and don't recall receiving anything from the DSS it was all my wife's correspondence maybe I missed it but it was a long time ago.


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## Dunpleecin (Dec 20, 2012)

So if you're not a pensioner and you get an S1 based on your wife/husband and they die, yours becomes null and void? And what if you separate?


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

Dunpleecin said:


> So if you're not a pensioner and you get an S1 based on your wife/husband and they die, yours becomes null and void? And what if you separate?


The S1 is based on the relationship between you and your partner, so if you are not together then the S1 is nullified.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Dunpleecin said:


> So if you're not a pensioner and you get an S1 based on your wife/husband and they die, yours becomes null and void? And what if you separate?


This is one of the reasons why we've kept our private health insurance on. I'm covered by an S1 because my husband is a pensioner and he is 7 years older than me.

By the way, I had a look for the letter which accompanied my S1 but couldn't find it so I must have thrown it away However, I did find the Nota Informativa that arrived along with the document from the INSS confirming my entitlement to healthcare, which is printed in Spanish on one side and in English on the other. It says there that there are certain circumstances which can cause your healthcare to be suspended, and which must be reported to the INSS. Starting to receive a pension from any EU country is one of the ones listed.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Dunpleecin said:


> So if you're not a pensioner and you get an S1 based on your wife/husband and they die, yours becomes null and void? And what if you separate?


No it doesn't. EU rules & acquired rights apply . You do not lose the right if the partner/spouse who you are a 'beneficiary 'of dies or you divorce.

This isn't the case with the OP when the survivor should already have registered under there own right on attaining pension age. Here in Murcia you would be denied treatment on attaining age 65 ,unless you had already registered your pensioner S1


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

gus-lopez said:


> This isn't the case with the OP when the survivor should already have registered under there own right on attaining pension age. Here in Murcia you would be denied treatment on attaining age 65 ,unless you had already registered your pensioner S1


What happens in the case of people (like me) who will not be entitled to collect their state pension until they are 66? Is that age limit in Spain going to be adjusted accordingly?


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## pedro6 (Aug 4, 2016)

I assume you wont be able to get your S1 until you qualify for the state pension in your case at 66 and therefor won't qualify for healthcare until then unless the rules change or you qualify under the resident rule April 2012.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

pedro6 said:


> I assume you wont be able to get your S1 until you qualify for the state pension in your case at 66 and therefor won't qualify for healthcare until then unless the rules change or you qualify under the resident rule April 2012.


I already have an S1 as the dependant of a UK state pensioner (my husband).

But what Gus said that is in Murcia I would be denied treatment on reaching the age of 65 unless I had registered an S1 in my own right - although I will not be entitled to one of those as my state retirement age has been raised to 66.

Do you see the potential problem? 

I could not use the resident before April 2012 rule as the DWP would not issue me with a legislation letter, because by their rules they could not say I would not be entitled to healthcare paid for by my country of origin, as their S1 would cover me until the age of 66.


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## pedro6 (Aug 4, 2016)

I now understand what you are saying, I do not know whether 65 is a figure which Gus has used as the current pensionable age since as you know the pensionable age in Spain is also in the process of increasing or whether 65 is set in stone in Murcia. Gus will no doubt reply to this.


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