# healthcare confusion!!!



## Vcgj527 (Nov 3, 2012)

i am rather confused about access to healthcare. if we plan to live there the european insurance card is not the right way to go about getting care- i understand that it is really only for tourists. i get that. but how do i get care if we intend to stay? is it like the UK and i register with a gp? if my husband works in the north sea but claims back tax and NI from the UK where does that leave us? do we still us the S1 form i keep hearing about? can i really not just walk into a doctors office and register my son like in the UK? do i need to go private??!! how do i go about getting private care if thats what we need?? help!!!!

heres the facts:
husband and baby are UK citizens, i have dual greek and american citzenship
hubby works as an offshore marine engineer
we claim back our tax and NI
we are moving there in january and i have a baby who needs to be under doctors supervision due to asthma and severe GERD (reflux) 

how do i get him the medications he needs and checkups from the doctor and the paperwork necessary for his immunizations?

any info much appreciated!!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Vcgj527 said:


> i am rather confused about access to healthcare. if we plan to live there the european insurance card is not the right way to go about getting care- i understand that it is really only for tourists. i get that. but how do i get care if we intend to stay? is it like the UK and i register with a gp? if my husband works in the north sea but claims back tax and NI from the UK where does that leave us? do we still us the S1 form i keep hearing about? can i really not just walk into a doctors office and register my son like in the UK? do i need to go private??!! how do i go about getting private care if thats what we need?? help!!!!
> 
> heres the facts:
> husband and baby are UK citizens, i have dual greek and american citzenship
> ...


you & your child need to register as resident - your husband doesn't if he isn't here more than 90 days at a time - but the fact that you & the child live here means that he might be considered tax resident anyway - but that can be dealt with later

is the company your OH works for a UK one & is the tax & NI paid to them?

if so - contact the DWP in Newcastle & ask about S1 forms - that will get you 'plugged in' to the state health system initially & you can register with a state GP

if not - then you'll have to get private healthcare & register at a private clinic


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## cyclequeen (Oct 5, 2012)

Like VCGJ I'm very confused about how to go about getting free health cover in Spain, We plan to move to Spain next year, hubby is 61 I'm 56 so neither will be in reciept of a UK pension. We hope to not have to work at all so won't be paying tax etc. So does this mean we have to have private health care?? I thought as EU citizens we would get the same as in the UK, does this not happen if for instance a Spanish person decided to re locate to the UK? This is what being in the EU means doesn't it, I understand there has been some changes to this in Spain recently. From what I've read on here, good site by the way , some people seem to be able to get free cover & some not, does it make a difference which part of Spain you move to or is it the way it's interperated by the person dealing with your query. Oh the confusion :-(


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

cyclequeen said:


> Like VCGJ I'm very confused about how to go about getting free health cover in Spain, We plan to move to Spain next year, hubby is 61 I'm 56 so neither will be in reciept of a UK pension. We hope to not have to work at all so won't be paying tax etc. So does this mean we have to have private health care?? I thought as EU citizens we would get the same as in the UK, does this not happen if for instance a Spanish person decided to re locate to the UK? This is what being in the EU means doesn't it, I understand there has been some changes to this in Spain recently. From what I've read on here, good site by the way , some people seem to be able to get free cover & some not, does it make a difference which part of Spain you move to or is it the way it's interperated by the person dealing with your query. Oh the confusion :-(


No it doesn't matter where you are in Spain . what counts is if you were registered as a permanent resident before 24th April this year. If you were ,you are entitled , if not it is private h/care or possibly the new ' contribution' system to the state system , when it gets going.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

cyclequeen said:


> Like VCGJ I'm very confused about how to go about getting free health cover in Spain, We plan to move to Spain next year, hubby is 61 I'm 56 so neither will be in reciept of a UK pension. We hope to not have to work at all so won't be paying tax etc. So does this mean we have to have private health care?? I thought as EU citizens we would get the same as in the UK, does this not happen if for instance a Spanish person decided to re locate to the UK? This is what being in the EU means doesn't it, I understand there has been some changes to this in Spain recently. From what I've read on here, good site by the way , some people seem to be able to get free cover & some not, does it make a difference which part of Spain you move to or is it the way it's interperated by the person dealing with your query. Oh the confusion :-(


You have to understand that the two systems are very different. The UK health system is 'residence' based whilst in Spain it is 'payment' based.

That is, you simply have to live in UK to get health care whilst to get it in Spain, you have to pay for it (via employment contributions - SS/NI or via pension payments). This has changed a little recently, so I am told, but NOT for newcomers.

As somebody trying to move to Spain now, you have to be able to prove that you can support yourselves without recourse to the Spanish benefit system (which doesn't really exist anyway!!!) AND that you have your own health care provision in place.

When one of you gets to pension age (I'm assuming that you are married to each other or the rules are different), then you can get 'free' health care in Spain by contacting DWP in UK (S1 form etc.)

Hoping this helps.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

yes, essentially you can get healthcare here _on the same basis as a Spanish citizen _as long as you were legally & fiscally resident before the day they changed the rules - which as gus said was April 24th this year, and the new rules actually came into effect on 1st September

before that, unless you paid into the system, or the UK (or whatever EU country you came from) paid for you, you had to have private healthcare

in your case *cyclequeen, *you will need private cover, unless you qualify for S1 forms from the UK - contact the DWP in Newcastle to find out

if you do qualify, the UK will pay for your healthcare here for up to 2 years


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## cyclequeen (Oct 5, 2012)

Thanks all, this clears it up for me such a shame as it may make a real difference to us whether we can do this next year now, I'm sure private health cover will be very expensive, we didn't budget for that. May have to wait until hubby gets to 65 as then we should both be covered, if I understand correctly. Of course things may change again in the meanwhile.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

cyclequeen said:


> Thanks all, this clears it up for me such a shame as it may make a real difference to us whether we can do this next year now, I'm sure private health cover will be very expensive, we didn't budget for that. May have to wait until hubby gets to 65 as then we should both be covered, if I understand correctly. Of course things may change again in the meanwhile.


HI

we are in a similar position as others have said you will need private healthcare unless working and paying into the system,

You may qualify for 2 years via DWP in UK - we do - and then you will need Private cover until pension kicks in - we have had a quote based on our health now and have added a percentage on and included this in our calculations, so 2 years from now we are not getting a shock, we have also based this continuing basis, beyond the 2 years and not on getting cover when we get pension just in case the rules change..but then I am a bit nerdy.


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

cyclequeen said:


> Like VCGJ I'm very confused about how to go about getting free health cover in Spain, We plan to move to Spain next year, hubby is 61 I'm 56 so neither will be in reciept of a UK pension. We hope to not have to work at all so won't be paying tax etc. So does this mean we have to have private health care?? I thought as EU citizens we would get the same as in the UK, does this not happen if for instance a Spanish person decided to re locate to the UK? This is what being in the EU means doesn't it, I understand there has been some changes to this in Spain recently. From what I've read on here, good site by the way , some people seem to be able to get free cover & some not, does it make a difference which part of Spain you move to or is it the way it's interperated by the person dealing with your query. Oh the confusion :-(


Don't move if there is ANY question of you needing to work to supplement your income.


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## Vcgj527 (Nov 3, 2012)

dear all thank you for your replies i have discussed it with my husband and he seems to have a handle on the situation so thank you for all you help!


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