# Expat Health Insurance



## TheRealJessica (Feb 15, 2015)

Hi all,

I'm wondering how everyone, especially any American on here, went about getting health insurance while abroad if it wasn't through an employer.

Did you go through an American insurance company? What options are out there that you have experienced or about which you've inquired? 

Insurance in general is not exactly my forte, even before trying to move hehe. :confused2:

If anyone could give me any insight it would be much appreciated!  Thanks in advance!


----------



## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

We don't need health insurance, but when we travel outside Spain we have travel insurance provided by our house insurers, by a Spanish company called MAPFRE.


----------



## TheRealJessica (Feb 15, 2015)

You don't need health insurance being in Spain? I'm sorry maybe I'm misunderstanding..


----------



## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

TheRealJessica said:


> You don't need health insurance being in Spain? I'm sorry maybe I'm misunderstanding..


No, being English, we are covered by the Servicio Canario de salud, provided by the Gobierno de Canarias, and funded in respect of us two by the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.

So no need for Health Insurance, the local health service is more than adequate.


----------



## TheRealJessica (Feb 15, 2015)

Hepa said:


> No, being English, we are covered by the Servicio Canario de salud, provided by the Gobierno de Canarias, and funded in respect of us two by the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.
> 
> So no need for Health Insurance, the local health service is more than adequate.


Ahh I understand now… 

Unfortunately for me coming from the other side of the pond that system isn't exactly in place.


----------



## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

TheRealJessica said:


> Ahh I understand now…
> 
> Unfortunately for me coming from the other side of the pond that system isn't exactly in place.


There seems to be lots of companies try this link that I brought up with google.

https://www.google.es/search?client...fe_rd=cr&ei=jAELVeHnNu6s8weanIKoAQ&gws_rd=ssl


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

From comments which have been posted by others on the forum, if you need to register as a Spanish resident I believe only health insurance policies issued by Spanish insurance companies are acceptable.


----------



## TheRealJessica (Feb 15, 2015)

Hepa said:


> There seems to be lots of companies try this link that I brought up with google.
> 
> https://www.google.es/search?client...fe_rd=cr&ei=jAELVeHnNu6s8weanIKoAQ&gws_rd=ssl





Lynn R said:


> From comments which have been posted by others on the forum, if you need to register as a Spanish resident I believe only health insurance policies issued by Spanish insurance companies are acceptable.


So would I then (IF I can get a work visa) drop my insurance from the States, or would this private healthcare in Spain be supplemental? 

Sorry for all these seemingly amateur insurance questions, my head must be spinning from all this research with bureaucracy...


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Know any Spanish firms that do online quotes?
Thanks


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Rabbitcat said:


> Know any Spanish firms that do online quotes?
> Thanks


I got one from mine (Prevision Medica - but they only cover Malaga province and part of Cordoba province in Andalucia) but I have a feeling you have to enter a Spanish address so it might not be possible to get one before you're actually here.


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

TheRealJessica said:


> So would I then (IF I can get a work visa) drop my insurance from the States, or would this private healthcare in Spain be supplemental?
> 
> Sorry for all these seemingly amateur insurance questions, my head must be spinning from all this research with bureaucracy...


I will leave that for any American forum members to answer, as I'm not sure if cancelling your health insurance cover in the USA might cause you any problems when you return in the future.


----------



## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

TheRealJessica said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I'm wondering how everyone, especially any American on here, went about getting health insurance while abroad if it wasn't through an employer.
> 
> ...


----------



## kimuyen (Aug 8, 2013)

Lynn R said:


> I will leave that for any American forum members to answer, as I'm not sure if cancelling your health insurance cover in the USA might cause you any problems when you return in the future.


Maintaining insurance in the US is very expensive (unless you have Medicare). Try truetraveller.com where you can buy travel insurance which also covers the US. We have not used it so cannot tell you how it is. Many expats have had good experience with it.


----------



## TheRealJessica (Feb 15, 2015)

kimuyen said:


> TheRealJessica said:
> 
> 
> > Hi all,
> ...


Kimuyen, this information is great! I do have an address here in Gijón already (staying with my boyfriend) and a phone number… so this might be the perfect way to go. Navigating insurance is stressful for me even in English, and while I do know Spanish, it just seems much complicated not in your native language. 

So very helpful! Thank you so much!!

When did you move to Barcelona with your family?


----------



## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

If you get a job here you will be covered by the Spanish national health service (Seguridad Social) and won't need private insurance. Once your coverage here is up and running you can drop your US insurance. But as others have said you'll need to get travel insurance for any trips that you take back to the States, because Seguridad Social won't cover you outside of the EU.


----------



## TheRealJessica (Feb 15, 2015)

Hey all, quick update (and another question, yay)…

So it's looking less and less likely that even if I have the most persuasive letter ever from my [potential] future employer and all the right forms with t's crossed and i's dotted that a work permit will be granted to be, being a non-EU citizen… Nevertheless, since that would be my ideal at this point I'm still going for it. 

However, still going through this whole insurance thing right now and I've learned by talking with an immigration lawyer at the Town Hall (here in Gijón) that I CAN obtain private (local) health insurance here in Spain without being a resident or having an NIE yet (a woman at Mapfre told me I would require getting my NIE first before I could get private health insurance for some reason…). So I'm still shopping around at the moment..

So my next question is: Once I am legally working (via work visa or pareja de hecho), and therefore have access to the public healthcare here, would it continue to be worth it to pay for private healthcare? Does anyone have any experience with this?


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

TheRealJessica said:


> Hey all, quick update (and another question, yay)…
> 
> So it's looking less and less likely that even if I have the most persuasive letter ever from my [potential] future employer and all the right forms with t's crossed and i's dotted that a work permit will be granted to be, being a non-EU citizen… Nevertheless, since that would be my ideal at this point I'm still going for it.
> 
> ...


When you take out private health insurance, the standard terms and conditions are that you agree to pay the premiums for the whole year, and have to give at least two months' notice in writing before the renewal date when you want to cancel the policy. Therefore it's not possible to cancel part way through the year.


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Also, if you need an NIE, they are so simple to get - there are no hoops to jump through. Just apply and they will give you one.


----------



## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

In a brief chat about getting NIE was quoted €150 for a gestor to obtain them for wifey and me


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Rabbitcat said:


> In a brief chat about getting NIE was quoted €150 for a gestor to obtain them for wifey and me


do it yourself - you can download the forms from here & it costs about 11€ each


----------



## TheRealJessica (Feb 15, 2015)

I plan on doing the NIE myself, I just need to figure out the fastest person to obtain a letter explaining why I need one. 

Not being an EU citizen I apparently need one of those. 

As far as the insurance goes, I guess I won't worry about the public healthcare until my private insurance is almost up (whichever that will be)


----------



## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

I'm confused - why do you need an NIE?


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

kalohi said:


> I'm confused - why do you need an NIE?


good question

I have to admit this whole thread has me somewhat stumped

the OP has realised & now admitted that a work visa is unlikely to happen

becoming registered as _pareja de hecho _is not going to give her the legal right to live & work here - even if she can get registered, which again, is highly unlikely

even spouses of legal residents have hoops to jump through, & sometimes have residencia refused

if she _did _manage to get registered as _paraja de hecho _& somehow manage to get residencia on the back of that, she'd be covered under her partner's state healthcare, assuming he has the right to it (istr that he's Spanish? In which case he would be) 

so quite why health insurance is an issue, I don't understand


----------

