# Healthcare in Catalunya.



## mickinspainsoon (Sep 11, 2010)

Hi,
I'm considering a permanent move to the Costa Dorada- between Tarragona and Tortosa to be more specific. But I recently spotted a post which implied that different regions can have totally different private Healthcare costs. If there is a vast difference I might reconsider my choice of location!
Can anyone throw some more light on this please?
I'm 58 and apart from slightly high BP, am fit and healthy.
In just 'ball-park' figures of-course what should I expect to have to pay for Private healthcare in Catalunya as opposed to Andalucia, or any other southern costa region come to that?
The other thing I'm still unclear about is how my Healthcare would change when I reach 65 years of age? Is it then subsidised partly? (I've paid over 30 years N.I. contributions.)
Thanks.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

mickinspainsoon said:


> Hi,
> I'm considering a permanent move to the Costa Dorada- between Tarragona and Tortosa to be more specific. But I recently spotted a post which implied that different regions can have totally different private Healthcare costs. If there is a vast difference I might reconsider my choice of location!
> Can anyone throw some more light on this please?
> I'm 58 and apart from slightly high BP, am fit and healthy.
> ...


I don't know if the cost of private healthcare varies regionally- but I do know that once you get your UK pension you will get completely free healthcare on an equal basis with a spanish pensioner


unless the rules change by then...........


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## waaaarthog (May 30, 2011)

mickinspainsoon said:


> Hi,
> I'm considering a permanent move to the Costa Dorada- between Tarragona and Tortosa to be more specific. But I recently spotted a post which implied that different regions can have totally different private Healthcare costs. If there is a vast difference I might reconsider my choice of location!
> Can anyone throw some more light on this please?
> I'm 58 and apart from slightly high BP, am fit and healthy.
> ...


Hi mickinspainsoon

From what I hear, CatSalut has [recently] stopped charging Brits for healthcare and it is now free.

The service is good really, everybody I know has had a good experience here, way cleaner than the dirty MRSA infected wards in some NHS Hospitals and with well trained staff. 

Verge de la Cinta in Tortosa saved my friends life after a burst ulcer, a close call due to the journey time and seriousness, but they did a brilliant job, mucho respect.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

waaaarthog said:


> Hi mickinspainsoon
> 
> From what I hear, CatSalut has [recently] stopped charging Brits for healthcare and it is now free.
> 
> ...


I don't know if this is true - we have a couple of posters in cataluña who will know for sure

we used to have this in Valencia - in fact it was pushed by the valencian govt as a reason for foreigners to move here - & we/they did - by the many thousand

then one day it was stopped - not quite out of the blue if you kept yourself informed - but it left many many families/early retired with no health care & no way of paying for it in some cases, either


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Judging by this article (2009, the most recent I could find) emergency treatment is free provided you are registered on the _padrón _(see separate thread) but you only get free general care if you are a pensioner, or paying into the Spanish system, or "_sin recursos_" (i.e. destitute).

Healthcare in Catalunya - (barcelona-metropolitan.com)

I've never heard of private health insurance varying by region.


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## waaaarthog (May 30, 2011)

Just had certain confirmation, 

You needed to pay last year, now it has changed, with a NIW Number and a Certificat de Impadriment from the local Adjuntament.


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

I have been living in Barcelona for almost 2 years now and have always had free healthcare from the start. All you need is your NIE and empadronamiento and you're fine. I wouldn't even recommend the private health clinics ; sure, the public system comes with waiting lists, but unless your situation requires very specific aid, the public system is excellent compared to many other European countries. Medication is extremely cheap, visiting your GP or the hospital's emergencia is free. The hospitals are clean and well organised and the staff generally friendly (there is the odd exception but then those will exist in private clinics too)

I don't even think private clinics should exist. The state should provide for the healthcare of its people. And Catalunya is doing a great job in that respect.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

gerrit said:


> I have been living in Barcelona for almost 2 years now and have always had free healthcare from the start. All you need is your NIE and empadronamiento and you're fine. I wouldn't even recommend the private health clinics ; sure, the public system comes with waiting lists, but unless your situation requires very specific aid, the public system is excellent compared to many other European countries. Medication is extremely cheap, visiting your GP or the hospital's emergencia is free. The hospitals are clean and well organised and the staff generally friendly (there is the odd exception but then those will exist in private clinics too)
> 
> I don't even think private clinics should exist. The state should provide for the healthcare of its people. And Catalunya is doing a great job in that respect.


do you get the free healthcare even if you're not working or otherwise contributing?

I know the OP has been told this is so, but it would be good to get confirmation from someone 'on the ground' as it were

we all know that 'what is' & 'what is meant to be' are very often two completely different things in spain!!


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

Last year the Cat Salut people decided that Brits and possibly other nationalities didnt have to pay for their health care just as long as you had an NIE etc. 

As for private healthcare, I was quoted 80 euro a month more or less, per person. 

As for Verge De La Cinta Hospital, well I have not had very good experiences there to say the least. I was left waiting for 5 days for an MRI despite being an emergency admission due to it being the Fiesta for the hospitals namesake. 
My husband after breaking his foot was not given enough blood thinning medication and he suffered a massive embolism that nearly killed him. (luckily we were not in Spain when he collapsed).
My son who broke his jaw was slapped across the face by a nurse who thought his unconcious state was due to drink. 
Appointments are hit and miss, often they make one for you but forget to tell you.
They mix up results, (they told a friend of mine who is Catalan and actually works for Cat Salut she has a heart condition when it really is her son who has it).
The list goes on, but hey, this is only my experience.


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## waaaarthog (May 30, 2011)

xabiachica said:


> do you get the free healthcare even if you're not working or otherwise contributing?
> 
> I know the OP has been told this is so, but it would be good to get confirmation from someone 'on the ground' as it were
> 
> we all know that 'what is' & 'what is meant to be' are very often two completely different things in spain!!


Yes you do, this applies to my friend, he is "not contributing" in any way. I have seen and heard it all first hand, they have been very good with him.




JoCatalunya said:


> Last year the Cat Salut people decided that Brits and possibly other nationalities didnt have to pay for their health care just as long as you had an NIE etc.
> 
> As for private healthcare, I was quoted 80 euro a month more or less, per person.
> 
> ...


Oh dear, so sorry to hear of your troubles there, I do know many stories of local stupidity and ignorance, but till I read this I had only heard good of the Hospital.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

waaaarthog said:


> Yes you do, this applies to my friend, he is "not contributing" in any way. I have seen and heard it all first hand, they have been very good with him.


I predict a great expat influx to Cataluña............


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## gerrit (Jul 15, 2008)

You get free healthcare in the public system as soon as you have NIE and empadronamiento as far as I have been told. There can be waiting lists, but that's the only downside. The public healthcare is good here.


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## emma wilson75 (May 27, 2011)

Im confused ( it dont take much for me ha ha ) as far as i was aware you had to pay in to the system for 12 months or have contract of work in order to get free healthcare ?? Im a Diabetic on a lot of medication also and for other health probs. confused.com now ?????? ( im hoping to move to Altea in a couple of years does each region differ ??


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

emma wilson75 said:


> Im confused ( it dont take much for me ha ha ) as far as i was aware you had to pay in to the system for 12 months or have contract of work in order to get free healthcare ?? Im a Diabetic on a lot of medication also and for other health probs. confused.com now ?????? ( im hoping to move to Altea in a couple of years does each region differ ??


yes, it can differ in different regions


I think cataluña might be the only region offering free healthcare now -I haven't heard of any others

when we first came here healthcare was free for everyone in the Valencia region (where Altea is), but that changed a few years back


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## waaaarthog (May 30, 2011)

xabiachica said:


> I predict a great expat influx to Cataluña............



LOL... No, he is not a dossing scumbag as I made him sound. 


And besides, the locals are doing all they can to discourage those not already put off by the [mainly] East European crimewave.


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## mickinspainsoon (Sep 11, 2010)

Thanks for all the responses. I'm very pleasantly surprised to hear about this CatSalut.
Just hope it's not a 'Valencia Mark ll'.
Visited the CatSalut website and it all seems very transparent.
I tried to find weasly words within, but it seems fine, 
so as long as 'Free Access' means the same as 'Free Use' then it's ok!

Thanks all.
Mick.


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## timr (Feb 1, 2010)

Hi, Cataluña introduced a law giving everyone on the padron access to public health care system in the middle of last year. Galicia has a similar system in place.

In October of last year the Government committed to introduce legislation to complete the universalization of health care throughout Spain in April of this year (as part of its agenda of legislative priorities). Nothing definite has been seen yet. In response Congress has approved a motion to introduce legislation to universalize health care but, apparently, only for Spanish nationals (what happens to foreign residents is not clear);

El Congreso aprueba cambiar la Ley de Sanidad - La Opinión de Tenerife

This is long running story which, if access to health care is important to you, may be worth keeping an eye on.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

timr said:


> Hi, Cataluña introduced a law giving everyone on the padron access to public health care system in the middle of last year. Galicia has a similar system in place.
> 
> In October of last year the Government committed to introduce legislation to complete the universalization of health care throughout Spain in April of this year (as part of its agenda of legislative priorities). Nothing definite has been seen yet. In response Congress has approved a motion to introduce legislation to universalize health care but, apparently, only for Spanish nationals (what happens to foreign residents is not clear);
> 
> ...


It would be nice if it happened, but I suspect the PP will win the 2012 election and it will be quietly dropped.


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