# Changes in healthcare from 1st of July 2014



## UKinSpain (Apr 9, 2010)

*Changes in healthcare from 1st of July 2014 - Early retirees*

The Department of Health has announced that as of the 1st July 2014, early retirees will no longer be able to apply for a residual S1 form to cover them for healthcare when they move abroad to another EEA country, such as Spain. These changes only affect new applications received on or after 1st July. They do not affect those who already have an S1 form, nor State Pensioners who are entitled to cover under the European Regulations. For further information please visit NHS Choices


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## UKinSpain (Apr 9, 2010)

The Department of Health has announced that as of the 1st July 2014, visitors to another EEA country will no longer be able to claim reimbursements where they pay part of the cost of their treatment. Under EU law, visitors with EHIC cards travelling to an EEA country, like Spain, should be treated under the same conditions as people who live in that country. So, if a Spanish state pensioner would normally pay part of the cost of their treatment, then the same would apply to a UK state pensioner. For further information please visit NHS Choices


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

so this is the changes we've been talking about for some months - no more S1s for early retirees



> *What will be changing?*
> 
> From July 1 2014 you will no longer be able to apply for a residual S1 (formerly residual E106) under which you could currently be entitled to up to 30 months of UK-funded healthcare if you retire early to another EEA country.
> *What does this mean for me?*
> ...


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

This affects far more of us though:



> If you are moving abroad on a permanent basis, you will no longer be entitled to medical treatment in the UK under *normal NHS rules*. This is because the NHS is a residence-based healthcare system. Most people will also not be entitled to use a UK-issued EHIC card to access healthcare abroad.


The link to the relevant section on the NHS website isn't working. What are the "normal rules", anyone? What's changed?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

I find this very confusing and seemingly contradictory:


> If you are moving abroad on a permanent basis, you will no longer be entitled to medical treatment in the UK under normal NHS rules. This is because the NHS is a residence-based healthcare system. Most people will also not be entitled to use a UK-issued EHIC card to access healthcare abroad.


As a boring OLD f*rt who has the pensioners' EHIC which is issued by the UK what use is the EHIC to me if I can't use it, say in France, etc.?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> I find this very confusing and seemingly contradictory:
> 
> 
> As a boring OLD f*rt who has the pensioners' EHIC which is issued by the UK what use is the EHIC to me if I can't use it, say in France, etc.?


read the quoted bit in my post - none of that has changed


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> read the quoted bit in my post - none of that has changed


That is because it is badly worded.:
"Most people will also not be entitled to use a UK-issued EHIC card to access healthcare abroad. "

Should read:
"Most people will also not be entitled to use a UK-issued EHIC card to access healthcare *in another country in which they are resident.* "


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> That is because it is badly worded.:
> "Most people will also not be entitled to use a UK-issued EHIC card to access healthcare abroad. "
> 
> Should read:
> "Most people will also not be entitled to use a UK-issued EHIC card to access healthcare *in another country in which they are resident.* "


I'm also confused now, as an OAP with a UK issued EHIC, how would you get health care in UK if you should need it? 

Surely the EHIC is ONLY of any use for outside UK or are OAP's an exception?


At the point at which you show an EHIC, the 'clerk' doesn't know where you are resident. And this could be Spain or UK.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> I'm also confused now, as an OAP with a UK issued EHIC, how would you get health care in UK if you should need it?
> 
> Surely the EHIC is ONLY of any use for outside UK or are OAP's an exception?
> 
> ...


I believe that the EHIC issued to S1 holders by the UK are slightly different - maybe baldilocks can confirm that there is some indication on them that they can be used in the UK?

the UK has been issuing them in this way for ages


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> I believe that the EHIC issued to S1 holders by the UK are slightly different - maybe baldilocks can confirm that there is some indication on them that they can be used in the UK?
> 
> the UK has been issuing them in this way for ages


As far as I could tell/can remember, when I got my first one post arriving in Spain as an immigrant, there appeared to be no difference other than the date of expiry. It is my understanding that when in UK you can go to any Dr and asked to be taken on as a temporary resident.

What has caused a lot of the problems are/were the cheats who while still being on the books of UK Drs and the NHS are actually resident in Spain and using their EHICs to get treatment on the Spanish health service. Too frequent use of the EHIC, especially in one location, suggests to the UK authorities that the card is being misused (i.e. not being used just for visits), leading to the UK's refusal to repay Spain and the subsequent refusal of some Spanish health authorities to refuse to accept the EHIC even of genuine cases.

Maybe our friends at UK In Spain can answer the questions.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

baldilocks said:


> Maybe our friends at UK In Spain can answer the questions.


You can contact them via their website and ask for clarification. I've just reported that the "Living Abroad" page is down and the auto-acknowledgement promised I would get a reply in 24 hours.

Feedback


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## CapnBilly (Jun 7, 2011)

"If you are a UK state pensioner living in Spain and registered for healthcare with an S1, the UK is responsible for issuing your EHIC to use on a temporary stay in the UK and a third EU country. For more information, telephone the Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 191 218 1999."

https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-in-spain


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

CapnBilly said:


> "If you are a UK state pensioner living in Spain and registered for healthcare with an S1, the UK is responsible for issuing your EHIC to use on a temporary stay in the UK and a third EU country. For more information, telephone the Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 191 218 1999."
> 
> https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-in-spain


I'm not quite a state pensioner, my UK EHIC has expired and I've never succeeded in getting a Spanish one. I'm off to the UK next week. What happens if I get hit by a bus or fall ill?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> I'm not quite a state pensioner, my UK EHIC has expired and I've never succeeded in getting a Spanish one. I'm off to the UK next week. What happens if I get hit by a bus or fall ill?


good question!

how come you haven't managed to get a TSE?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

CapnBilly said:


> "If you are a UK state pensioner living in Spain and registered for healthcare with an S1, the UK is responsible for issuing your EHIC to use on a temporary stay in the UK and a third EU country. For more information, telephone the Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 191 218 1999."
> 
> https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-in-spain


not just state pensioners though

anyone who accesses healthcare here by way of an S1 funded by the UK


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> You can contact them via their website and ask for clarification. I've just reported that the "Living Abroad" page is down and the auto-acknowledgement promised I would get a reply in 24 hours.
> 
> Feedback


It worked! The page is now working. It doesn't say what you're entitled to if you are resident abroad and visit the UK though. I'd better get some insurance I guess. I did try and get a TSE but the website kept crashing and I gave up.

Moving abroad: planning for your healthcare


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> It worked! The page is now working. It doesn't say what you're entitled to if you are resident abroad and visit the UK though. I'd better get some insurance I guess. I did try and get a TSE but the website kept crashing and I gave up.
> 
> Moving abroad: planning for your healthcare


if your INSS office isn't too far, pop in there & ask for what I call a 'one trip wonder'

they should give you a cert which covers you for a limited period - long enough for your trip at the very least


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> It worked! The page is now working. It doesn't say what you're entitled to if you are resident abroad and visit the UK though. I'd better get some insurance I guess. I did try and get a TSE but the website kept crashing and I gave up.
> 
> Moving abroad: planning for your healthcare


I can't see that anything as far as EHICs are concerned has changed - residents of Spain couldn't use a UK based EHIC here for healthcare - & still can't

residents of Spain who use the Spanish healthcare system by contributing to it, got their EHIC/TSEs from Spain - & still do 

residents of Spain who access the Spanish healthcare system by way of a UK issued S1 got their EHICs from the UK - & still do


there was talk in the original proposals that former residents of the UK (who are also British citizens) would be able access FULL healthcare in the UK (under certain conditions of NI payments/length of residence) - and we had discussions on this forum about it

but that hasn't happened & therefore the situation is as it was previously - non-residents of the UK, who are resident elsewhere in the EU can only use the healthcare system by way of the EHIC/TSE/whatever it's called wherever they live, for essential treatment while on holiday


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> residents of Spain who access the Spanish healthcare system by way of a UK issued S1 got their EHICs from the UK - & still do



With the exception of early retirees of course. 

They might be resident in Spain and still in their 30 month S1 period but they certainly couldn't get EHIC cards from UK - or so I was told by DWP.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> With the exception of early retirees of course.
> 
> They might be resident in Spain and still in their 30 month S1 period but they certainly couldn't get EHIC cards from UK - or so I was told by DWP.


when was that?

they have been able to get EHICs from the UK previously, if they have S1s - & I can't see anything that says that's not the case still


not saying you're wrong - just that I don't see where/when it has changed


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Re the UK and Expat EHICs. My pre-moving to Spain EHIC is almost identical apart from the numbers on the front. On the back there are some differences. The old one has NHS and the NHS website address and nhsdirect. The later one has no mention of the NHS.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> Re the UK and Expat EHICs. My pre-moving to Spain EHIC is almost identical apart from the numbers on the front. On the back there are some differences. The old one has NHS and the NHS website address and nhsdirect. The later one has no mention of the NHS.


ah - maybe that's how they know that it can be used IN the UK?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> when was that?
> 
> they have been able to get EHICs from the UK previously, if they have S1s - & I can't see anything that says that's not the case still
> 
> ...


We tried to help someone with this recently and the response from DWP was that as they were resident in Spain, and not pensioners, they had to apply for a TSE (in Spain).


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> We tried to help someone with this recently and the response from DWP was that as they were resident in Spain, and not pensioners, they had to apply for a TSE (in Spain).


wow - I know people who got them from the UK though :confused2:

& of course they'd have no chance of getting one from Spain - or did they?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

xabiachica said:


> wow - I know people who got them from the UK though :confused2:
> 
> & of course they'd have no chance of getting one from Spain - or did they?


We were originally supplied with them by Spain but the rules changed in April/May 2010


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> wow - I know people who got them from the UK though :confused2:
> 
> & of course they'd have no chance of getting one from Spain - or did they?


Actually, I don't know if they did or not, I must ask them.

Some years ago, when our S1 had run out and we had to renew our EHIC, because of all the problems we were having with the INSS I rang DWP and had our EHIC cards renewed. 

It was simple, they even shipped them to us here in Spain!

We've never used them but I was surprised how easily we got them.


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## Ktame678 (Sep 8, 2015)

*Health cover*

We are planning as a family to move to Spain later this year.
Could you clarify some questions I have.
If I understand the system if you are not working them you pay for health care at E65 per month, if my husband is working and is self employed he would be covered, is this free or is there any cost if you are running a business there?
Would this allow his wife, i.e. me to be covered free or would I still join the pay in scheme? 
If you are self employed can you join the pay in scheme?

Many thanks

Karen


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Ktame678 said:


> We are planning as a family to move to Spain later this year.
> Could you clarify some questions I have.
> If I understand the system if you are not working them you pay for health care at E65 per month I thought it was 60€ but either way, that's per person., if my husband is working and is self employed he would be covered, is this free or is there any cost if you are running a business there? If he is self-employed (autonomo) in Spain, then he will be making SS payments of around 260€ per month (unless he's on the reduced 'start-up' scheme). This will cover the entire family for health care.
> Would this allow his wife, i.e. me to be covered free or would I still join the pay in scheme?
> ...


Some answers above.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Just one thing to add - you have to have been officially resident in Spain for at least one year before you can pay into the state healthcare system via the Convenio Especial, so anyone who is not working would need to have private health insurance for that first year in order to be able to register as a resident. However, as Snikph says if you husband is paying autonomo social security contributions then you will be covered too.


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## Ktame678 (Sep 8, 2015)

Thanks, how do I find out information on what the 
reduced 'start-up' scheme means and how it works.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Ktame678 said:


> Thanks, how do I find out information on what the
> reduced 'start-up' scheme means and how it works.


it's called the tarifa plana

‘LOW START’ TARIFA PLANA AUTÓNOMO PAYMENTS | Learn-Aprender


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