John Hopwood

Can anyone please advise. Have looked in the forum history but cannot find the answers.

We moved to Spain after living for nearly ten years in France and we are well past retirement age. We expect to start payng taxes here within the next month. At the moment we are covered by French Health cards (old E111's - can't remember the new number they use). Luckily, we are well now but the time will inevitably come when we need to see a doctor.

How do we register with a local doctor? Can anyone recommend a good one in Moraira/Teulada/Benissa areas? What are the procedures for visiting - or calling - a doctor here and are any available on a non-paying (i.e. some form of Health Service) or part payment schemes? Any help or advice very welcome as we don't want to be finding out these things when we actually need a doctor.

gill556

sorry I can't help you as I only know the procedures for people moving from UK, however I will be interested in any replies you get as the house next door to us has just been sold to English people who are moving from France. All UK pensioners in receipt of a UK state pension are entitled to free healthcare here.

John Hopwood

Thanks. We are retired and we both receive a state pension. Just interested to learn the procedure for locating and using a local doctor rather than going to a hospital for treatment.
We understand that many charge for a visit but others are free but don't know how to locate the "free" or "national health " type doctors

Casa Santo Estevo

It being Europe the system should be the same(?) Just go along with all of your French paperwork to the local office of registration. What or where that is in that part of Spain I am sure some one will be able to point you in the right direction.

snikpoh

If you are in receipt of a UK state pension then the form you need here is the same as the one you needed in France - an E121.

This entitles UK pensioners free (reciprocal) healthcare any where in Europe.

The replacement to the (now very old) E111 was the EHIC (european health insurance card) card. This is purely for medical emergencies before returning from your holiday to get full cover. If you live in France (as you have for the past 10 years) then you will have a French EHIC equivalent card. For people now resident in Spain, they must have a Spanish EHIC card when visiting any other country (like England).

Hope this helps with how to get free health care in Spain.

To find a doctor, simply go to your local social security office with all the paperwork you can think of (in duplicate) and ask for your local health centre. Some of the documents required will be; passport, residencia (including NIE), E121 ...

dr_designer

You may need to speak Spanish, including medical Spanish, at many state-run (National Health) clinics or GP practices.

Most expats opt for an English-speaking doctor (often a British doctor who is also an expat). They are easy to find in Javea, Moraira and Calpe, but maybe not inland in Teulada or Benissa.

The downside is that you have to pay—either yourself, or through an insurance company. If you can manage insurance, your local English-speaking clinic will point you in the direction of several local English-speaking agents.

I'm not recommending this. If your Spanish is up to scratch, I'd say go for the NHS deal. I just thought you'd like to know.

gill556

Can I just add that from this month all EHIC cards for British Ex Pats are now issued from the UK and not Spain so you need to speak to Newcastle for the forms to fill in, this will cover you for medical emergencies in Europe but is for emergencies only

Fred James

Not entirely correct - it is only Expats who were issued with an E121 by Newcastle.

snikpoh

The point being also that you are ONLY entitled to a UK EHIC if you have the E121 or if you are on holiday here.

If you permanently live here (and are not of retirement age) then you should use the Spanish equivalent EHIC.

Fred James

True but if you are not on the Spanish health system they will not issue a card.

This leaves people residing permanently in Spain, who have to rely on private insurance, in the situation where they cannot get an EHIC either from Spain or the UK.

Most private policies have some travel cover but it is essential to check exactly what that cover is.

twistedmelon

It seems you are a bit confused.
You can only use EHIC card for emergencies only, which would be free. It's no good going to a local GP with this card if you have bunions.
You can only get non essential free health care if you register as has been explained earlier.

snikpoh

You are correct Fred - and there in lies the rub! If like us, you are below retirement age yet have chosen to 'retire', then you can NOT get any free health care any where.

Having left the UK, they won't cover you. Having arrived in Spain, they won't cover you unless you pay into the system (so it's not really FREE health care).

So, a cautionary word to all early retirees - make sure that you can afford the necessary level of Private medical cover (for the entire family - including children) before making the jump!

jdr

You need to contact the DWP in UK and tell them you are pensioners and are living in Spain and could they send you and your partner E121`s for your health cover.
These you take to your local Social Security Office along with your passports and copies, your residencia certificates and copies, your padrons and copies.
They will give you a tempory certificate to take to the local clinic and you can sign on with a Doctor, you will be entitled to the same cover as a Spaniard.
A proper medical card will be sent to you that you have to show everytime you visit the Doctor, Specialist or hospital.

Fred James

Well the cover is a bit better than that.

The old E111 was replaced by the EHIC which does give better cover.

It is not limited to emergency treatment - it covers any existing medical condition that may require treatment when abroad. So if you need your bunions looked after you are covered so long as you did not deliberately go to Spain for the treatment.

From the FCO website:-

In Spain, the EHIC covers:

• all medical care that becomes necessary during a temporary stay;
• oxygen and dialysis treatment, as well as treatment for chronic diseases or a pre-existing illness. You should inform healthcare authorities at your destination in Spain before you travel, to ensure that supplies are available;
• routine maternity care;
• 60% off prescriptions, and free prescriptions for pensioners (you may need to prove your pensioner status to get free prescriptions – see below).

The EHIC won’t cover you:

• if getting treatment is the main purpose of your trip. In this case you need to get permission from your UK local healthcare trust who will issue you with form E112;
• for long term, routine or planned treatment;

jdr

They have forms here for the long stay holiday makers to fill in, these cover them to use the clinic while here and I assume free treatment for them.
Any emergency they have to go to the Hospital for treatment as the doctors will not see them immediatly at the clinic.