tondav

Hi, this is my first post so here goes..it goes on a bit but this is our story..
My parents have lived in Albir for 21 years and now becoming frailer and has always been our intention to join them once we are retired..
We were very excited to have found a buyer for our property (August 2021)and start our application for NLV in Spain only to find problems obtaining the health insurance as my husband has mild hypertension and takes 1 tablet daily..we went over to Spain and became increasingly frustrated as could get insurance but none covered underlying health conditions, and was told that anything to do with hypertension such as heart problems or strokes wouldn’t be covered….and then would we be able to even obtain the visa as it stipulates full health coverage...one company offered the coverage but the agent couldn’t show us anything in writing prior to purchasing the policy to support this …and as another stipulation is to have given up jobs in the uk prior to applying (and we would have sold our house) the risks were too great and we have now reluctantly pulled out of our house sale and put the whole thing on hold .. and to add to the disappointment we have found out if we find a solution and go ahead next year with a new buyer we would have to pay capital gains tax on our property in the UK to Spain if we become tax residents within the same year.. we are both 53 can anyone advise we are both absolutely gutted..thanks in advance of any answers

jogger

This is a difficult one, in some cases like yours it's best to say nothing, you can buy bp pills over the counter.

agree_to_disagree

Bad move...

If you lie about your medical history, subsequently undergo lots of treatment for the concealed condition at the expense of the private insurance company, get found out, you could be in for a heafty demand from the insurance company, based on you not making a truthful declaration about pre-existing conditions.

Just imagine it you are in a hospital bed having just had a heart attack and a quadruple bypass and you are trying to figure out what to tell the medical staff about your medical history and what you need to conceal. If you are in the operating theatre, they may speak to relatives to improve their understanding of your medical history.

Don't even go there...

Rosemary

Maybe in some places this is possible but not necessarily all BP meds. Also it would be really stupid to put this into action as it could well be life threatening.

Rosemary

Barriej

NOPE worst advice you could give.

When we signed up for our Private healthcare in 2019 we signed Aegon's Spanish version of this.

https://www.aegon.co.uk/content/dam/...ation-amra.pdf

And hidden in Spanish in the main document of the policy (all 48 or so pages) was a condition that by signing the contract you allowed them to obtain previous medical records.
I'm assuming that ALL private healthcare companies will demand the same.
It also stated that providing a false declaration might result in criminal proceedings (fraud) but would cancel the policy and they would retain the fees.

So you can't 'just not say anything' because I bet the first thing they will do, is ask for contact details to access your records.
As one of the conditions of the NLV is Healthcare for the first full year, loosing it may lead to the visa being cancelled and you being asked to leave the country, should you need treatment during the first year.

My wife has mild asthma and used to take very low dose BP pills in the Uk and we informed them about this before we took the policy.
After the first year they took these restrictions off the policy because both were mild and you pay for your medicines here anyway.

tondav

Thanks for all your reply’s..
yes I agree I couldn’t risk it I just want to do it properly and know that we are fully covered.. the agent who said we would be fully covered but who wouldn’t show me anything in writing prior to purchasing the policy said that they were not allowed to look at previous medical history due to Patient confidentiality.. I knew this to be rubbish as I work in the health service and that was another red flag to me ..also would the visa even be accepted without full coverage as underlying medical conditions are not covered.. it truly is a nightmare and until we can find full cover we couldn’t possibly risk giving up our home and jobs here to make the application.. if the visa application was to be granted and we could sign on the convenio especiell after a year then that would be risking one year but unsure if covenio especiell would be enough for 2nd year visa application .. would be good to know if anyone has found an insurance company that covers hypertension and has used the convenio especiell for subsequent visa applications

agree_to_disagree

That is crackers!

They wouldn't let you see the policy and check the terms and conditions beforing taking out the policy.

Get away as fast as possible from that guy or anyone else who tried to pull a stunt like that off!

DLC

Instead of not covering hypertension, they may charge you extra to cover it, if you ask them to do this.

Barriej

You need to distance yourself from the agent who gave you the advice.

You can get the T&C's for most health insurances from the providers websites. That form I linked to was direct from Aegon.

Don't know if you can approach the provider direct and ask about the condition, but most companies have waiting times for certain procedures anyway, and these are accepted for residence (or they were when we did ours last year).
Contact these people, they are quite well known in my local area and may be able to offer some help.

Beneficial Insurance Services in Spain

They have a UK number as well as Spanish.
I had a quote to replace our Aegon with DKV with them but decided to stick with Aegon again this year as the price has not risen again.
Price for the 2 of us with no copay was €2005 complete.
Aegon charge us €840 each so thats one of the reasons we are staying with them.

You can apply to the convenio but you must have been a resident for a full year when applying, but you will probably need a second year of private due to arranging it before your visa is approved and time taken to move over and then you have to apply for residency. (within 30 days of arriving here)
So when renewing for the visa comes up at the end of year one you will not have been resident for a year anyway... and Im assuming you will have to show some form of healthcare for the renewal.
Oh and can take a couple of months to get on the convenio (and you will still have to pay for medicines anyway) or a % of. Although can't confirm the cost of meds as we have a nice local Pharmacist who helps out with OTC alternatives for most stuff.

tondav

I know.. went to Spain last month and emailed as many companies direct, tried to go to actual companies rather than agencies but people are desperate to get their visas and fulfill a life long dream..and I guess we were so glum, and easy targets for some ..I worry how many people do actually lie or just go with it and don’t actually have the protection that’s needed now post Brexit… I did walk away and have had phone calls and emails since from that person but they still won’t show anything in writing.. just that we would have the certificate required for visa .. but I want to clarify the coverage.. she said it doesn’t work like that..you have to buy the product and would be entitled to money back if not what we need.. we’ve actually thought about buying it a year before required to see if the underlying condition was covered and written into the policy.. also repatriation needs to be written in and no co payment… no waiting periods... I just naturally assumed they could print out a document explaining the policy and costings before purchasing it … she showed us a certificate with names tipexed out saying this is the certificate you will need for visa application.. which I found strange just sitting under her desk .. nightmare

Barriej

During the Brexit withdrawal residency requirements late last year.
Alicante wanted the certificate, full policy document and proof of payment of the years policy both from the healthcare company and the bank (or thats what we were asked for anyway)
We don't have repatriation (and why should we, as we are Spanish residents???)
Cant imagine that its easier now than it was last year.

Alicante checked the wording as our solicitor had to clarify something within the document for our residency to be approved...

I know of one couple who were refused as BUPA Spain put his knee problems in the policy terms, they were told this was not acceptable.
He had to take out a separate insurance just for the one condition at around €1000 (but this only covered basic treatments, not a knee replacement operation) but they covered this by stating that in their opinion this would not be required for a number of years....

teachy

If you are not using an S1 cerificate from uk try
Convenio especial its like paying into a state version of private health care despite pre:existing conditions
Fill in a form and pay a monthly fee.....

Barriej

The OP cannot get into this until they have a full year of residency (although here in the Alicante area it has been suggested that you only need to be on the Padron for the year)

Cant use the S1 either because its not available for UK residents, so they will need Private healthcare until they are Spanish resident to satisfy the NLV requirements. And you have to pay for a full year (or part depending on when you took out the policy) with no refunds.

Rosemary

I think that you will find that you have to have been resident for one year before this is possible.

Rosemary

Rosemary

We must have been typing at the same time but you beat me to the send button.

Rosemary