# Scheme for health insurance?



## Sirtravelot (Jul 20, 2011)

Hi, got a question about health insurance.

An expat friend of mine told me the Spanish government has started a scheme where one pays about 60 euros for access to health insurance.

Is this correct? 

If so, what is it and how can one apply for it?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Sirtravelot said:


> Hi, got a question about health insurance.
> 
> An expat friend of mine told me the Spanish government has started a scheme where one pays about 60 euros for access to health insurance.
> 
> ...


yes it is correct - it's known as the _convenio especial _& is available to anyone who has been registered as resident for 12 months & has no other means of access to state healthcare 

you apply at the INSS I believe & it isn't yet available nationally, though it should be eventually


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## Sirtravelot (Jul 20, 2011)

xabiachica said:


> yes it is correct - it's known as the _convenio especial _& is available to anyone who has been registered as resident for 12 months & has no other means of access to state healthcare
> 
> you apply at the INSS I believe & it isn't yet available nationally, though it should be eventually


Okay, interesting!

Just a few things that jump at me:

1. How can you apply for that if you need to be a resident for 12 months, but you need health insurance to become resident in the first place? 

2. What's the INSS?

3. Is this generally a new thing, yes? How and why did this start?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Sirtravelot said:


> Okay, interesting!
> 
> Just a few things that jump at me:
> 
> ...


you'd need to have another means of healthcare for the first 12 months - private or via the S1 (as long as the UK issues them) in order to register as resident 

INSS is the Department of Social Security

yes it's new as of last October - & is so far only available in Valencia, Murcia, Galicía & Castilla y León


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## pnwheels (Mar 3, 2013)

Is the €60 quoted a monthly figure?


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## Sirtravelot (Jul 20, 2011)

xabiachica said:


> you'd need to have another means of healthcare for the first 12 months - private or via the S1 (as long as the UK issues them) in order to register as resident
> 
> INSS is the Department of Social Security
> 
> yes it's new as of last October - & is so far only available in Valencia, Murcia, Galicía & Castilla y León


That includes the Alicante area, correct? If not, are there definite plans to extend it to the rest of the country?

Thanks by the way!



pnwheels said:


> Is the €60 quoted a monthly figure?


I believe so! Now, I don't know for sure if that includes 60 euros for anyone, regardless of age and medical history.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Sirtravelot said:


> I believe so! Now, I don't know for sure if that includes 60 euros for anyone, regardless of age and medical history.


It is regardless of medical history, but over 65s would need to pay €157 per month (I can't see that this would apply to a British pensioner as they would be covered by an S1). 

However, it's important that anyone receiving healthcare under the convenio especial would need to pay 100% of the cost of their prescriptions, so if they have multiple or very expensive medications that could involve a quite substantial additional monthly outlay.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Lynn R said:


> It is regardless of medical history, but over 65s would need to pay €157 per month* (I can't see that this would apply to a British pensioner as they would be covered by an S1). *
> 
> However, it's important that anyone receiving healthcare under the convenio especial would need to pay 100% of the cost of their prescriptions, so if they have multiple or very expensive medications that could involve a quite substantial additional monthly outlay.


I wouldn't bet on that - my latest forecast is that I'll get my UK pension when I'm 67!

I'll qualify for my Spanish one before then..............


yes - full price for prescriptions as it would be with private health insurance - but imo it's still better than private healthcare for many reasons, not least is that pre-existing conditions are covered


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> I wouldn't bet on that - my latest forecast is that I'll get my UK pension when I'm 67!
> 
> I'll qualify for my Spanish one before then..............
> 
> ...


I'm thinking that the over 65s thing will probably change in the future in line with the Spanish state retirement age which is due to increase too, isn't it?

All countries seem to be moving the goalposts with alarming regularity now, I've had my state pension age put back twice, first to 65 and then 66, and noises keep being made about further increases down the line. Selfishly, I'm hoping they won't apply to me. I read the other day that the UK Government is to consult about withdrawing the UK personal tax allowance for expats, which won't help anybody who has a UK Government pension which must be taxed in the UK, if it comes to pass. We're all doomed, I tell you! Might as well enjoy it whilst we can.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> I wouldn't bet on that - my latest forecast is that I'll get my UK pension when I'm 67!
> 
> I'll qualify for my Spanish one before then..............
> 
> ...


How does that work then? I thought you could 'club together' years paid in UK with years paid elsewhere to obtain one unified pension. 

Certainly it was my belief that the UK pension had to 'come up to' EU standards when added to another EU pension.

I can't believe that you get two separate pensions at different ages. [but then I'm often wrong these days! :Cry:]


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> How does that work then? I thought you could 'club together' years paid in UK with years paid elsewhere to obtain one unified pension.
> 
> Certainly it was my belief that the UK pension had to 'come up to' EU standards when added to another EU pension.
> 
> I can't believe that you get two separate pensions at different ages. [but then I'm often wrong these days! :Cry:]


I have no idea tbh - but what you say sounds familiar

I know that I can get my Spanish one after 15 years of working, & that will come before I'm 67 - & I know that if I was in the UK I wouldn't get my UK one until then

I don't know if the UK has to start paying me when I claim my Spanish one & it's all added together, or if they don't pay until I'm 67

or if Spain won't start paying me until the UK one kicks in 

I haven't thought too much about it - chances are the rules wil have changed by then - it's stiil rather a long way off


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiachica said:


> I have no idea tbh - but what you say sounds familiar
> 
> I know that I can get my Spanish one after 15 years of working, & that will come before I'm 67 - & I know that if I was in the UK I wouldn't get my UK one until then
> 
> ...


I'm in the same position as you then - 67! 

I doubt there'll be anything left in 'the pot' by the time I get there.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Sirtravelot said:


> Okay, interesting!
> 
> Just a few things that jump at me:
> 
> ...


Here are some links about it:

Gov.uk has some information about it here: https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-in-spain

And you'll find links to sites in Spain about it. Here's the Valencia one: Generalitat: Detalle de Procedimientos

The Gov.uk is unclear though, as it says the scheme is nation-wide and then refers to sites "where it has been implemented". I guess this is a nod to the roll-out of the scheme but there are no details about that on the Gov.uk site.


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