British Expats - Healthcare help needed please

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Healthcare help needed please

Hi all, I know there are a number of posts on here regarding healthcare but I still don’t fully understand the position and would really appreciate some help.
My husband and I are in our 50s and are planning to take early retirement to Andalucia next year. We both have some ongoing but not serious health issues for which we receive prescription medication in the UK. We are trying to work out what costs we should budget for healthcare.
My understanding is that we would need to get private healthcare cover for the first year. Can anyone give an indication of what that is likely to cost, based on your own experience? And does that private insurance cover the cost of GP visits and prescription medication for existing ailments-if not, how much should we budget for that?
i think we are then able to buy in to the Spanish health care system after 12 months for around 60 euros a month each? If so, are there any extra charges for gp visits, hospital appointments, prescriptions etc?
Any help and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

Re: Healthcare help needed please

There are several providers and each provides a range of cover. You might want to get quotation on line, e.g. see here https://www.sanitasexpat.com/
What medications do you require? Some are VERY expensive, but in my experience I find others are cheaper than the prescription charge in England.

This subject has been discussed many times before and you might want to read other posts.

You might find this informative > https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-in-spain

Re: Healthcare help needed please

Hi
I live in Andalucia. I am afraid the Convenio Especial that allowed you to buy into the Spanish NHS for 60e a month has been discontinued here. It is now basically a straight choice between Private Healthcare and the new State Universal Health care (NHS here). You will require private health care to obtain residency and as of the moment here, you will not necessarily go on the NHS here after obtaining Residency. Some are being told they have to stay on Private for five years, when "Permanent residency ' occurs.
You will obviously have to pay full price for all your meds whilst on Private care (The same as you would have under the now defunct Convenio Especial). Some especially Asthma stuff other than Ventilin, can be expensive.
Watch things carefully over the next few months, lots of changes here. Keep the research going and up to date before you take the plunge!!
We were in your situation but in 2014 , and a lot has changed (and may change even more after the Brexit mess settles).

Re: Healthcare help needed please

Approval of Universal Healthcare July 27 2018

FREE and universal State healthcare for everyone in Spain has now been officially restored after years of undocumented migrants being denied all bar emergency treatment.

It’s a bit the same as free beer tomorrow, each region is making it up as they go along. Some think ‘’everyone’’ means over 65, resident for 5 years and both grandparents alive.

Re: Healthcare help needed please

Thanks all, I will keep an eye on developments over the next few months. It looks as though private healthcare would cost around 150 euros a month for the two of us so whilst that’s not ideal it’s not as much as I’d feared it might be.