# EU warns Spain over hospitals' rejection of EU health card



## cecilia (Mar 25, 2013)

*Holidaymakers warned as Spain blocks EHIC usage*

This is a story from the telegraph: "Holidaymakers warned as Spain blocks EHIC usage".... scary, isnt it?. Also misleading.

In reality spain is doing nothing to block the usage of the EICH, the story tates clearly that it's hotels and taxi drivers that when asked for a state hospital recommend private ones. The story also says that as ths system in spain confusing, it's difficult to find a hospital that accepts the EHIC.

So here are the facts: in andalucia at least (I know that it's the same in Valencia) there are two types of hospitals:

. state run hospitals (Clinico Universitario, Carlos Haya and Materno Infantil in Malaga).

. Privately run hospitals that treat the NHS population: Costa del Sol, CARE Mijas, CARE Benalmadena.

In all of the hospitals mentioned above the EHIC is accepted, I have never ever heard of it being refused, nad I've been in the system for some time now. If they refuse your card in those hospitals, write a "carta de reclamacion" immediately. That is a compaint letter, and they have to take the letter up to management, and also answer you, they don't want that at all.

(SNIP)


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

cecilia_MD said:


> This is a story from the telegraph: "Holidaymakers warned as Spain blocks EHIC usage".... scary, isnt it?. Also misleading.
> 
> In reality spain is doing nothing to block the usage of the EICH, the story tates clearly that it's hotels and taxi drivers that when asked for a state hospital recommend private ones. The story also says that as ths system in spain confusing, it's difficult to find a hospital that accepts the EHIC.
> 
> ...



here's the original article Holidaymakers warned as Spain blocks EHIC usage - Telegraph


although it was written a few days ago, & is more about people being taken to Private Hospitals, it's pretty old news & has been discussed here before

state health centres & hospitals WILL refuse EHIC cards if they suspect that the user is actually resident here - if for example the card has had frequent use over an extended period of months

sometimes they are right to do so - many people actually live in Spain & yet don't think of themselves as 'resident', & continue to use the EHIC here & fly back to the UK (or wherever) for regular medical treatment including operations

they of course shouldn't be using the EHIC at all - after 90 days here they are considered resident (whether they register as such or not) - therefore not holidaymakers & therefore not entitled to use something intended for emergency holiday use

sadly, because of these people, some genuine frequent tourists get caught in the crossfire


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

BBC News - EU warns Spain over hospitals' rejection of EU health card


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

Pesky Wesky said:


> BBC News - EU warns Spain over hospitals' rejection of EU health card


Thanks for posting this. 

Have you also seen this.. 



> Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, heralded a new power struggle between London and Brussels on Thursday, warning that he would fight “every step of the way” to retain control over what benefits are paid to EU migrant workers.
> 
> Mr Duncan Smith vowed to fight a legal action launched by the European Commission, which says the British benefits system “discriminates unfairly” against non-British EU nationals.
> 
> ...


I wonder how long it will be before they tackle Spain over its blatant discrimination over paying of benefits to EU citizens, because my son has been told he cannot receive unemployment despite being a resident here because he hasnt paid in to the system. This is not what Spain signed up for anymore than what the UK did.

Do not get me wrong, I am not in favour of folk just moving around trying to get the best deal in benefits at the expense of the tax payer in the country they decide on. But all things must be equal as they say. So watch out Spain. You could end up paying for a great many of us who are looking for work, want to work and live here and can show we have done so for the past x amount of years. 

Wow that will sting.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> BBC News - EU warns Spain over hospitals' rejection of EU health card


What it neglects to point out is that, in parts of Spain, they have been getting a bit uppity because some expats had been cheating the system and using their EHICs for normal medical treatment instead of making proper arrangements for healthcare. When the cards have been used several times in the same or similar locations, it flags up to the UK that the cards are being used by people residing in Spain and not just for treatment while temporarily visiting such as on holiday or happen to be here for work purposes. Quite rightly, the UK have refused to pay for such misuse so some parts of Spain have said that they won't accept the EHIC.

Blame the cheats!!!!


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## Editor (Aug 20, 2009)

*Action to be taken over Spanish hospitals refusal to accept health cards*

The European Commission is to take legal action against Spain for the refusal by many Spanish hospitals to recognise the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The current situation is a complex one for expats who have just moved to the country and for family and friends visiting all expats in Spain who use the card [...]

Click to read the full news article: Action to be taken over Spanish hospitals refusal to accept health cards...
Please come back to discuss the story here in this thread.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

baldilocks said:


> What it neglects to point out is that, in parts of Spain, they have been getting a bit uppity because some expats had been cheating the system and using their EHICs for normal medical treatment instead of making proper arrangements for healthcare. When the cards have been used several times in the same or similar locations, it flags up to the UK that the cards are being used by people residing in Spain and not just for treatment while temporarily visiting such as on holiday or happen to be here for work purposes. Quite rightly, the UK have refused to pay for such misuse so some parts of Spain have said that they won't accept the EHIC.
> 
> Blame the cheats!!!!


I absolutely agree. However, some of the blame has to lie with local health centres that insist on one using the EHIC.

When we first got our SIP cards (seven years ago), they insisted on seeing our EHIC cards even though I said they were invalid as we were resident here. When I subsequently went for some treatment, I was made to sign a form so that they could get their money back against the EHIC system!

So, some of the blame lies with Spain!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> I absolutely agree. However, some of the blame has to lie with local health centres that insist on one using the EHIC.
> 
> When we first got our SIP cards (seven years ago), they insisted on seeing our EHIC cards even though I said they were invalid as we were resident here. When I subsequently went for some treatment, I was made to sign a form so that they could get their money back against the EHIC system!
> 
> So, some of the blame lies with Spain!


or poorly trained funcionarios!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

More on the same subject

El centro de salud de Calp exige 132 euros por anticipado por atender a un bebé con 41º de fiebre Los padres, de nacionalidad británica, tuvieron que ir con la niña de 8 meses a un cajero a sacar dinero para que el médico la examinara - La familia tiene tarjeta sanitaria y está empadronada

Calp Health Centre demanded a payment of 132€ euros before attending a baby with a fever of 41º. The parents, who are British, had to go to the cash point with their eight month old baby girl to get the money out, before the doctor would examine her. The family has health cards and is registered in Spain.

El centro de salud de Calp exige 132 euros por anticipado por atender a un bebé con 41º de fiebre - Levante-EMV


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Another problem is that the health services in the coastal regions treat the patient , claim the money from the Uk, which pays it to the spanish government & it goes in the general pot& is dished out to everyone !


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## cecilia (Mar 25, 2013)

*Seems I was wrong*

When I wrote about this, this was awhile ago, and what I was saying was that the title didn't really convey what was said in the article.

A report has been issued by the EU, and according to that report, what happens is that hospitals ask patients if they have another insurance, and if they have, thy charge that one. This is because getting paid though the ehic takes 1 year, and companies are much faster. Of course insurance companies didn't like that, and in some cases the insurance was travel, and really didn't cover medical treatment.

Now, I am not very concerned about who pays as long as the patient receives treatment without a fuss, but it seems that there is a very very small % in which patients were refused treatment, I'd this is true, that's appalling.

I could give out some
Suggestions about what I would do in such a case, I will post them later in anybody is interested, as now I have to get working....

Ufffffff Sas, you have let me down!


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## cecilia (Mar 25, 2013)

"although it was written a few days ago, & is more about people being taken to Private Hospitals, it's pretty old news & has been discussed here "

I think the telegraph was referring to this new investigation and not the irregular use of the ehic by residents.


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## Aron (Apr 30, 2013)

cecilia said:


> When I wrote about this, this was awhile ago, and what I was saying was that the title didn't really convey what was said in the article.
> 
> A report has been issued by the EU, and according to that report, what happens is that hospitals ask patients if they have another insurance, and if they have, thy charge that one. This is because getting paid though the ehic takes 1 year, and companies are much faster. Of course insurance companies didn't like that, and in some cases the insurance was travel, and really didn't cover medical treatment.
> 
> ...


About two years ago they changed the EHIC rules. Instead of getting them in Spain all expats had to renew through the UK. 18 months ago I needed to use my card whilst in the UK. Initially the surgery refused treatment as I was using what they thought was an incorrect card. They said I should have had a Spanish one. I told them the rules had changed. On the back of the card was a helpline. They said they would phone to see if that was the case, and I had to wait. After an hour, they couldn't get through on the helpline and allowed me treatment.
I was having treatment with injections in Spain. I was told that in the UK they treated solely with tablets. If I wanted the injections I would have to pay, about £20 an injection. It never bothered me, I just accepted that treatment in the UK was different. The one thing is, I did receive medical treatment which was adequate.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Aron said:


> About two years ago they changed the EHIC rules. Instead of getting them in Spain all expats had to renew through the UK. 18 months ago I needed to use my card whilst in the UK. Initially the surgery refused treatment as I was using what they thought was an incorrect card. They said I should have had a Spanish one. I told them the rules had changed. On the back of the card was a helpline. They said they would phone to see if that was the case, and I had to wait. After an hour, they couldn't get through on the helpline and allowed me treatment.
> I was having treatment with injections in Spain. I was told that in the UK they treated solely with tablets. If I wanted the injections I would have to pay, about £20 an injection. It never bothered me, I just accepted that treatment in the UK was different. The one thing is, I did receive medical treatment which was adequate.


only expats in Spain who have their healthcare here paid for by the UK, get their EHIC via the UK

those of us who pay into the system here, get our EHICs/TSEs from here


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> only expats in Spain who have their healthcare here paid for by the UK, get their EHIC via the UK
> 
> those of us who pay into the system here, get our EHICs/TSEs from here


Primarily that will be pensioners but may also include people on long term disability (via S1 form).


Early retirees, still expats, do NOT get their EHIC's from UK - in fact we can't have EHIC's or TSE's unless we are paying into the system.


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## anles (Feb 11, 2009)

JoCatalunya said:


> I wonder how long it will be before they tackle Spain over its blatant discrimination over paying of benefits to EU citizens, because my son has been told he cannot receive unemployment despite being a resident here because he hasnt paid in to the system. This is not what Spain signed up for anymore than what the UK did.
> 
> Do not get me wrong, I am not in favour of folk just moving around trying to get the best deal in benefits at the expense of the tax payer in the country they decide on. But all things must be equal as they say. So watch out Spain. You could end up paying for a great many of us who are looking for work, want to work and live here and can show we have done so for the past x amount of years.
> 
> Wow that will sting.


I don't understand the point of this post, being resident has nothing to do with claiming benefits, at least I assume you mean unemployment benefit. It is a contribution based benefit. If you haven't paid in sufficient you are not entitled to claim, be you Spanish, a foreign resident o an alien from outer space. When you say _This is not what Spain signed up for_ do you mean that you think EU citizens should receive benefits that they would be entitled to in their own country, even when Spaniards are not? Do you think Spain should pay them? I don't think so


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## Karen58 (Aug 1, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> or poorly trained funcionarios!


The reality is that one cannot compare the UK welfare system with Spain for the obvious reason that Spain's welfare is almost non-existent. After 2 years on unemployment benefit there is no more help.. you can starve... no housing benefit.. family allowance - nada. If Spain was forced to comply with other EU countries of northern Europe it's welfare budget would blow the country into oblivion and heaven help everyone. Not withstanding the legal EU residents/non-residents that are here; it cannot and would not be in any position to bow to pressure from Brussels. I cannot understand why this situation is not made clear to Brussels and the British government... the UK has a very generous welfare system and no way is Spain in a financial position to meet it's EU obligation to comply as the UK does. That is why Spain should not be in the EU.. nor allowed to join, it has taken and abused during the hey-day and now has to pay the bill.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Karen58 said:


> The reality is that one cannot compare the UK welfare system with Spain for the obvious reason that Spain's welfare is almost non-existent. After 2 years on unemployment benefit there is no more help.. you can starve... no housing benefit.. family allowance - nada. If Spain was forced to comply with other EU countries of northern Europe it's welfare budget would blow the country into oblivion and heaven help everyone. Not withstanding the legal EU residents/non-residents that are here; it cannot and would not be in any position to bow to pressure from Brussels. I cannot understand why this situation is not made clear to Brussels and the British government... the UK has a very generous welfare system and no way is Spain in a financial position to meet it's EU obligation to comply as the UK does. That is why Spain should not be in the EU.. nor allowed to join, it has taken and abused during the hey-day and now has to pay the bill.


I'm not sure what the EU requirements are as far as welfare goes. Do you have any info about that that you could post?

However, my experience and many people's experience on the forum of the Spanish health system has been very positive - better and even much better than in the UK.

Obviously, these standards are in danger of going down because of the situation Spain is living through, but up till now I haven't had any problems and think the Spanish health system has been of a high standard even if it wasn't / isn't up to EU standards.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Karen58 said:


> The reality is that one cannot compare the UK welfare system with Spain for the obvious reason that Spain's welfare is almost non-existent. After 2 years on unemployment benefit there is no more help.. you can starve... no housing benefit.. family allowance - nada. If Spain was forced to comply with other EU countries of northern Europe it's welfare budget would blow the country into oblivion and heaven help everyone. Not withstanding the legal EU residents/non-residents that are here; it cannot and would not be in any position to bow to pressure from Brussels. I cannot understand why this situation is not made clear to Brussels and the British government... the UK has a very generous welfare system and no way is Spain in a financial position to meet it's EU obligation to comply as the UK does. That is why Spain should not be in the EU.. nor allowed to join, it has taken and abused during the hey-day and now has to pay the bill.


You are talking rubbish. Read post #16 The UK is struggling to keep its head above water simply because its benefits are exploited by people who have paid little or nothing into the pot, all they have to do is be there. Other countries, not just Spain, do not have a very generous system and in most cases you have to have contributed sufficient amounts into the system to be able to benefit. The present UK government is trying to find ways out of its obligations to pensioners who have spent 44 years paying in but does little to reduce the burden on the state of politicians' own pensions and the burden of incomers and others who have paid nothing into the pot.


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## Karen58 (Aug 1, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> You are talking rubbish. Read post #16 The UK is struggling to keep its head above water simply because its benefits are exploited by people who have paid little or nothing into the pot, all they have to do is be there. Other countries, not just Spain, do not have a very generous system and in most cases you have to have contributed sufficient amounts into the system to be able to benefit. The present UK government is trying to find ways out of its obligations to pensioners who have spent 44 years paying in but does little to reduce the burden on the state of politicians' own pensions and the burden of incomers and others who have paid nothing into the pot.


My argument comes from long discussions with my Spanish unemployed friends, some of whom have worked with contracts for longer than 15 years, with children and are in fear when their 'para' comes to an end. I am not talking about the cheats etc, I am taking about the actual benefits available to those who are entitled in the UK compared to the same entitled persons in Spain. Like for like does not exist... at least in the UK if you are genuinely unemployed, your family will not starve, you will not be forced to beg on the streets.. life may be bloomin tough but not impossible. I agree that the health care here is first class and I have experience of both State care here and the UK and applaud both...but it comes at a cost. Facts show that the percentage of cheats etc are not bringing down the welfare system in the UK but the fact that we want to adhere to the original principles of care from the cradle to the grave... not in Spain. And that is where Spain's obligations are not being met... there are thousands of legal workers here, who have not been paid for months and not entitled to one Euro... my opinion is not Rubbish I argue but the Spanish governments attitude is Rubbish to those who do work, have worked and want work!!!!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Karen58 said:


> My argument comes from long discussions with my Spanish unemployed friends, some of whom have worked with contracts for longer than 15 years, with children and are in fear when their 'para' comes to an end. I am not talking about the cheats etc, I am taking about the actual benefits available to those who are entitled in the UK compared to the same entitled persons in Spain. Like for like does not exist... at least in the UK if you are genuinely unemployed, your family will not starve, you will not be forced to beg on the streets.. life may be bloomin tough but not impossible. I agree that the health care here is first class and I have experience of both State care here and the UK and applaud both...but it comes at a cost. Facts show that the percentage of cheats etc are not bringing down the welfare system in the UK but the fact that we want to adhere to the original principles of care from the cradle to the grave... not in Spain. And that is where Spain's obligations are not being met... there are thousands of legal workers here, who have not been paid for months and not entitled to one Euro... my opinion is not Rubbish I argue but the Spanish governments attitude is Rubbish to those who do work, have worked and want work!!!!


Prior to the post-war Labour government, there was nothing in UK either. The principle of care from cradle to the grave is all very well in principle but it comes at a cost to both employees and employers. In Britain the amount of money paid in taxes reflects that. With regard to people not begging on the streets in UK, there were plenty before the "crisis"! Another thing you are overlooking is the fact that the UK owns it currency and Spain does not - the so-called quantitative easing enables Britain to print more money thereby devaluing the pound - Spain doesn't own its currency so it can't print more. There is, as far as I am aware, no requirement for EU membership to have an overgenerous welfare system which is why so many people from other EU countries flock to Britain.


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## Karen58 (Aug 1, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> Prior to the post-war Labour government, there was nothing in UK either. The principle of care from cradle to the grave is all very well in principle but it comes at a cost to both employees and employers. In Britain the amount of money paid in taxes reflects that. With regard to people not begging on the streets in UK, there were plenty before the "crisis"! Another thing you are overlooking is the fact that the UK owns it currency and Spain does not - the so-called quantitative easing enables Britain to print more money thereby devaluing the pound - Spain doesn't own its currency so it can't print more. There is, as far as I am aware, no requirement for EU membership to have an overgenerous welfare system which is why so many people from other EU countries flock to Britain.


My original argument is Spain's blatant disregard to it's contr.actual obligations to the EU agreement. It's blatant disregard to it's obligations to it's own people, the poor, the weak, disabled, etc which was the case before it joined the Euro. (which was ignored on when it applied to join the EU) I understand the dynamics of the Euro and ECB very well and Spain understands very well it's position regarding the Euro/economy... but it may well be forced to treat all it's EU residents/unemployed with low contributions/legal immigrants/charity funded disabled etc it it's state hospitals as is the case in all other EU countries and then some major number crunching will have to be done to meet these obligations. Time will tell eh?


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## Karen58 (Aug 1, 2012)

Appeared On Telegraph Blog today:
I'd not noticed this until someone drew my attention to it, but the latest IMF Fiscal Monitor, published last month, comes about as close to declaring Spain insolvent as you are ever likely to see in official analysis of this sort. Of course, it doesn't actually say this outright. The IMF is far too diplomatic for such language. But that's the plain meaning of its latest forecasts, which at last have an air of realism about them, rather than being the usual dose of wishful thinking.

Let's take the projected budget deficit first. This is expected to decline quite steeply this year to 6.6 per cent of GDP, but that's mainly because the cost of bailing out the banking sector fell substantially on last year's budget. On a like-for-like basis, there has in fact been very little fall in the underlying deficit. And nor on the present policy mix is there ever likely to be, for that's where the deficit is projected to remain until the end of the IMF's forecasting horizon in 2018.

Next year, the deficit is expected to be 6.9 per cent, the year after 6.6 per cent, and so on with very little further progress thereafter. Remember, all these projections are made on the basis of everything we know about policy so far, so they take account of the latest package of austerity measures announced by the Spanish Government.

The situation looks even worse on a cyclically adjusted basis. What is sometimes called the "structural deficit", or the bit of government borrowing that doesn't go away even after the economy returns to growth (if indeed it ever does), actually deteriorates from an expected 4.2 per cent of GDP this year to 5.7 per cent in 2018. By 2018, Spain has far and away the worst structural deficit of any advanced economy, including other such well known fiscal basket cases as the UK and the US.

So what happens when you carry on borrowing at that sort of rate, year in, year out? Your overall indebtedness rockets, of course, and that's what's going to happen to Spain, where general government gross debt is forecast to rise from 84.1 per cent of GDP last year to 110.6 per cent in 2018. No other advanced economy has such a dramatically worsening outlook. And the tragedy of it all is that Spain is actually making relatively good progress in addressing the "primary balance", that's the deficit before debt servicing costs.

What's projected to occur is essentially what happens in all bankruptcies. Eventually you have to borrow more just to pay the interest on your existing debt. The fiscal compact requires eurozone countries to reduce their deficits to 3 per cent by the end of this year, though Spain among others was recently granted an extension. But on these numbers, there is no chance ever of achieving this target without further austerity measures, which even if they were attempted would very likely be self defeating. IN any case, it seems doubtful an economy where unemployment is already above 25 per cent could take any more.

In the past, the IMF has been guilty of being far too optimistic about Spain, both on the outlook for growth and the public finances, so it's possible it is now committing the reverse mistake of undue pessimism. Yet somehow I doubt it. Spain is chasing its tail down into deflationary oblivion.

All this leads to the conclusion that a big Spanish debt restructuring is inevitable. Spanish sovereign bond yields have fallen sharply since announcement of the European Central Bank's "outright monetary transactions" programme. The ECB has promised to print money without limit to counter the speculators. But in the end, no amount of liquidity can cover up for an underlying problem with solvency.

Europe said that Greece was the first and last such restructuring, but then there was Cyprus. Spain is holding off further recapitalisation of its banks in anticipation of the arrival of Europe's banking union, which it hopes will do the job instead. But if the Cypriot precedent is anything to go by, a heavy price will be demanded by way of recompense. Bank creditors will be widely bailed in. Confiscation of deposits looks all too possible.

I don't advise getting your money out lightly. Indeed, such advise is generally thought grossly irresponsible, for it risks inducing a self reinforcing panic. Yet looking at the IMF projections, it's the only rational thing to do.

PS. I don't include creditors of the British arm of Santander in this warning, who are ring fenced from the mothership back bome in Spain, theoretically at least.

Read more by Jeremy Warner on Telegraph Blogs


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## mickbcn (Feb 4, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> More on the same subject
> 
> El centro de salud de Calp exige 132 euros por anticipado por atender a un bebé con 41º de fiebre Los padres, de nacionalidad británica, tuvieron que ir con la niña de 8 meses a un cajero a sacar dinero para que el médico la examinara - La familia tiene tarjeta sanitaria y está empadronada
> 
> ...


Very sad.. spanish government don't have money for the hospitals but have for submarines that not swimm and AVE with no passengers and airports with no plains now they are bussiest than the plumber of theTitanic looking for money to pay the pensioners.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

mickbcn said:


> Very sad.. spanish government don't have money for the hospitals but have for submarines that not swimm and AVE with no passengers and airports with no plains now they are bussiest than the plumber of theTitanic looking for money to pay the pensioners.


That's an excellent analogy, far better than I could have expressed it & unfortunately true of most governments.


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## mickbcn (Feb 4, 2013)

gus-lopez said:


> That's an excellent analogy, far better than I could have expressed it & unfortunately true of most governments.


I hope you don't mean the catalan government.)


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Benefits are not equal and uniform across the EU. As has been pointed out, the UK system entitlement is based on residence, not contribution, as is the case in most other EU states.
One would hardly expect to receive the same type and level of benefit of any kind in say, Romania, as in the UK or other more prosperous European countries.
But I guess no-one in government of any Party in Spain expected the unbelievably high level of unemployment which surely constitutes a national emergency, especially considering the level amongst the young.


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## cecilia (Mar 25, 2013)

*what I would do if my EHIC was rejected*

I have got hold of some information from the EU report, and apparently what they dis was choose the private health insurance over the EHIC, but there was one case where the patient was denied care.

So, if you have people coming and having to use the EHIC in the hospital and being told that they have to pay/have private insurance, I would do this :

. I would ask to speak with the manager of billing, they know perfectly well they have to treat you with the EHIC, you don't have to have private insurance or credit card
. I would ask to go to "gestion del usuario" to make a "carta de reclamación " (complaint letter)
. I would also say that I am phoning the healthcare regional delegate ( or do it, actually), speak with somebody over there
. and I would say that I'm phoning the press, they know perfectly well that this has been in the press.

Now, if I have a private insurance, I wouldn't have a problem in giving that, I am talking in the case that I don't have any other insurance.

If they are saying that you can't be treated, stay calm and try the first two things, I doubt they would continue to deny you treatment. If they continue, do the other and you would also call the policia nacional.

here's the thing, the law says that they can choose between EHIC and private, but they can't deny you treatment, so this is breaking the law, and if it were my life on the line, I would try everything before handing over my credit card.

this is just my opinion, what I would do, I don't mean to imply that it will always work.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

cecilia said:


> . I would also say that I am phoning the healthcare regional delegate ( or do it, actually), speak with somebody over there


They are the people who make the rules and are the ones who have decreed that in some cases the EHIC is not accepteable so you will probably be wasting your time.



cecilia said:


> . and I would say that I'm phoning the press, they know perfectly well that this has been in the press.


The chances are that you will be saying it to some funcionario who doesn't give dam because it is somebody else's problem.


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## cecilia (Mar 25, 2013)

sorry, the other one came out wrong with the quotes 



baldilocks said:


> They are the people who make the rules and are the ones who have decreed that in some cases the EHIC is not acceptable so you will probably be wasting your time.


No, this did not come from the delegations, at least in Andalucia, I spoke with someone I know at servicios centrales, and also to the delegation costa Del sol in malaga. This came from the hospitals themselves, and it's not a written rule.
Do you really think a government agency is going to put IN WRITING a procedure that goes against EU law?, really?



baldilocks said:


> The chances are that you will be saying it to some funcionario who doesn't give dam because it is somebody else's problem.


I worked many years inside the Sas, and I was speaking for the 3 concertados in the costa del sol (as I said before) are under private management, they are not "funcionarios". If the press came to the hospital, believe me, the managing director would be there in a blink, I have worked in concertados and Sas hospitals

My advice is based in my experience as an md and what I saw inside the hospitals, if you have better experience and advice I would love to hear it and help people coming here!


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## Karen58 (Aug 1, 2012)

cecilia said:


> sorry, the other one came out wrong with the quotes
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have spoken with my local hospital volunteers from Denia hospital and they have confirmed with me that if any tourists/visitors have problems at point of booking in at A&E to ask for the Director of Administration or grab a doctor. Doctors and medical staff unions have vowed not to deny treatment to anyone and yes if you ask for the names of the staff you deal with and threaten to invite the Press any obstacles will evaporate. They have had to intervene with some problems relating to this problem and have directed me to the British Consulate website where EU directives can be printed to clarify ones rights and as European Citizens our rights must be respected.


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