JGSydney

Hi everyone,

I was having a conversation the other night with some friends and they mentioned that the UK Government provides funding to the Spanish Government for healthcare received by British expats residing in Spain.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Many thanks
JG

lynnxa

yes - if you are in receipt of a UK state pension the UK will cover your healthcare here in Spain via a form S1

atm, until April 1st, S1s are also issued to 'early retirees' for limited period healthcare cover - but after April 1st they will stop this & private healthcare will be required for those moving here in that position

there is a 3rd category - the families (living in Spain) of a breadwinner working in the UK - also atm these families qualify for healthcare with S1s, but it's not yet clear if any new ones will be issued after April 1st

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Fred James

They pay an amount equal to the cost per head of healthcare in the country to which they are making the payment.

It is currently about €3500 per person.

battlezone123

I have health cover through the S1 with my husband and three children as dependents. Does anyone know if there is an age limit on when your children are no longer classified as 'dependents' and therefore no longer eligible for the health cover. I have looked at the S1 paperwork and there is no expiry date.

crookesey

Is that 'early documented retirement on medical grounds'? If not I can't work out how this could be clarified.

Lynn R

No - prior to this April, anyone who moved to Spain (or any other EU country) and would not be working could request an S1 form from the DWP which, provided their NI contribution record was up to date, would entitle them to 2 years (sometimes a few months more if the formula worked out right, there have been threads on here about how it was calculated) of having their healthcare abroad paid for by the UK. After that expired, if they hadn't reached state retirement age they then needed to take out private health insurance to cover them until they could request a further S1 as state pensioners. Some people, if resident before 2012, have been able to access Spanish state health care before they become pensioners if their income is below €100,000 per annum.

snikpoh

I don't see how it really matters because, in theory, children are covered by Spanish Healthcare anyway.

In fact, children are covered until either they leave home or until they are 21 (used to be a lot older).

Lynn R

I think your comment is really directed towards Battlezone123's question, as it doesn't seem relevant to the OP's question nor Crookesey's question which I responded to?