DENISE WALTERS

Hi I just caught the end of a money programme on tele this morning and said that Brits and other European visitors were being ripped off by the Spanish Health care and not recognising the present 211 card that entitles us to free emergency treatment but sending the owners straight to Private Care.
Is this correct and does anyone else have any more information on this matter. Thanks Denise

steviedeluxe

http://my.telegraph.co.uk/expat/anna...medium=twitter

lynnxa

do you mean the EHIC?

I did read something recently that hotels, tour companies & taxi drivers were supposedly taking people to private hospitals - I hadn't heard of state hospitals moving patients though

DENISE WALTERS

Thanks for this information Steve would you say this would be the same happening on the Costa Blanca
Only it said that the people were told they could not use the card in state run hospital and told to go to a private One .
Maybe the BBC is sensationalising short of story matter ??

tommy.irene

We have a private hospital here that may close because they are owed €3,000,000 by the canarie goverment for health care...and read this....Health Care – Are you really covered? (Expat Survival)
Posted by The Canary Islander on April 14th, 2013......

Dick Dasterdly

NO it has NOT been sensationalised as claimed in Stevies usual dodgy rose tinted link.

It is FACT !

BOTH the UK and the EU considered the matter serious enough to issue OFFICIAL WARNINGS to SPAIN regarding this matter and I also have personal experience of it myself.

It is not only UK citizens who have been fobbed of in this manner, but many other people from all over Europe.

There is already a thread relating to this on Siesta Time, "Spanish Hospitals", have a look and decide for yourself.

pwwm

Friend of ours broke a rib last year whilst staying with us and he used the local hospital at El Ejido, couldnt speak highly enough and no mention of being sent elsewhere, can only speak as we find.

spainrico

Our local hospital has the rules regarding EHIC clearly displayed on a board in reception. One problem is Brits living in the country have been using the EHIC as a way of obtaining healthcare which of course is not correct when you are a resident.

If you are confused about the EHIC see here
http://www.healthcareinspain.eu/the-ehic.php

I have heard it said before that tourists have been sent to private health centres for emergency treatment - usually related to Benidorm and the clinics paying commissions to be sent patients.

I find it hard to believe Spanish National Health hospitals have refused care to those who qualify - the Spanish medical profession was opposed to rejecting those who didn't have access to the system in defiance of government directives.

HBG

The misuse of the EHIC has been troubling Spanish hospitals for years. I've come across many permanent residents under pension age who rely on their EHIC for normal medical care.

It must be difficult, if not impossible for hospital staff to differentiate between the permanent resident misusing the form, or the holidaymaker who is entitled to make use of it.

Dick Dasterdly

Quite right.

I can recall this problem going back almost 20 years and much depended on the attitude of the staff wether or not they would accept what was a genuine E111 back then.

As I recall where I was, they insisted that such forms could be used on one occasion only, but even then some of the staff were highly suspicious and often tried to turn away genuine cases.

jackytoo

OH worked at the CDS hospital as a Translator. Yes the health card was abused by people under pension age who were usually working on the black. No one was turned away with the card but they did restrict treatment to strict emergencies with no follow up (quite right too) eg. someone attended with severe stomach pain, he was told he needed an operation for gall stones but as there was a waiting list he was told to return to his own country for this. Another was told he needed further investigation on his eye and needed to see a specialist but as it was non-urgent would not make an appointment for him. I could give lots of examples but they always kept strictly to the rules. Wish the UK would do the same instead of giving full treatment to Europeans on production of a passport

HBG

Everything is becoming more difficult in Spain nowadays directly because of the crisis, for expats and locals alike. The state desperately needs more money from the people, and are using desperate measures to get it.

The expat help centres used to see three or four people a day, our local one is seeing ten times that number. It seems the Guardia Civil had a field day today, a Sunday, issuing fines like confetti. We normally advise people to pay up, even if they're in the right, it's not worth the lawyer's fees to fight for your rights.

What rights? I sometimes wonder.

Dick Dasterdly

It crossed my mind that this could be the reason behind the increased numbers of people being turned away from State Hospitals.

To the best of my knowledge I don't think it previously reached such proportions whereby they needed to be hauled over the coals by the EU and the UK.

steviedeluxe

Can you provide any evidence of this allegation you keep making? Surely there must be an article or news item somewhere if the Eu really had done what you claim? I'm finding it hard to believe you'd make something like this up, so surely you must have a link to this?

jackytoo

This article...which I am sure you will have seen Quotes the FCO and the European Commission. Perhaps you should ask the Telegraph for evidence.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/p...HIC-usage.html

Non so blind as those who don't want to see