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medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Old Jul 19th 2010, 8:11 pm
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

I know someone who has used the card, they have since had a bill.
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Old Jul 19th 2010, 8:17 pm
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Hi,

Apart from British expats, it very difficult to find anyone these days who describes the health care system as "contribution-based". The Minister of Health describes it as "publicly financed, free and universal". Having said that, in reality though you are probably going to have make contributions into the Social Security to receive health care. That means either having a work contract or being self employed. That is the way the system will work for you as an EU resident irrespective of what Spanish law actually says.

Similarly, foreign pregnant women have a legal right to health care during pregnancy, birth and for post natal care. What happens in practice may be quite a different matter. So if you´ve no other cover from the UK, I´d think about private health insurance or perhaps wait till your baby is born before considering coming over ?
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Old Jul 19th 2010, 8:32 pm
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Originally Posted by pwwm
I know someone who has used the card, they have since had a bill.
bill for what pwwm please?

I didn't understand that bit.
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Old Jul 19th 2010, 8:32 pm
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

hello little weed,

you are right, looks like we're out of options on this one.

thanks anyway.
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Old Jul 19th 2010, 8:55 pm
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

You asked about having a baby using the EHIC that is what they have been charged for, they very obviously bucked the system , now had the bill.
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Old Jul 20th 2010, 7:21 am
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Originally Posted by LittleWeed
Hi,

Apart from British expats, it very difficult to find anyone these days who describes the health care system as "contribution-based". The Minister of Health describes it as "publicly financed, free and universal". Having said that, in reality though you are probably going to have make contributions into the Social Security to receive health care. That means either having a work contract or being self employed. That is the way the system will work for you as an EU resident irrespective of what Spanish law actually says.

Similarly, foreign pregnant women have a legal right to health care during pregnancy, birth and for post natal care. What happens in practice may be quite a different matter. So if you´ve no other cover from the UK, I´d think about private health insurance or perhaps wait till your baby is born before considering coming over ?
Yes the Spanish health service is effectively free and universal.

I am helping someone now in Spain get free healthcare for their baby even though they dont pay social security. The "Ley del menor" allows for this.

And those families who can prove that they are in difficult financial times can also get free healthcare. If you are earning money without declaring it though, then you wont want the Spanish authorities investigating your financial situation! That is the problem with this couple.
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Old Jul 20th 2010, 7:31 am
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Originally Posted by cricketman
Yes the Spanish health service is effectively free and universal.

I am helping someone now in Spain get free healthcare for their baby even though they dont pay social security. The "Ley del menor" allows for this.

And those families who can prove that they are in difficult financial times can also get free healthcare. If you are earning money without declaring it though, then you wont want the Spanish authorities investigating your financial situation! That is the problem with this couple.
The 'Ley del menor' also ONLY applies to those in financial difficulties or with low income.

I followed this route for my children and have received several official responses stating just that - for expat children as well as Spanish, the 'ley del menor' only applies for those in financial hardship.
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Old Jul 20th 2010, 8:23 am
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Originally Posted by snikpoh
The 'Ley del menor' also ONLY applies to those in financial difficulties or with low income.

I followed this route for my children and have received several official responses stating just that - for expat children as well as Spanish, the 'ley del menor' only applies for those in financial hardship.
I think is Cricketman right about this one. The Ley de Menores says absolutely nothing about "financial hardship" as a qualifying criteria. It does say any child "at risk" is eligible for free health care. In practice this means that all children qualify since a child without health care is by definition "at risk".

Except in Valencia where what happens in practice is sometimes rather different. I don´t know whether this is a policy of Generalitat or just down to particular funcionarios/ health centres The Sindic of Grueges (Valencia Ombudsman) has said that children are covered and suggested anyone having problems should contact him.
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Old Jul 20th 2010, 9:30 am
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Have you read an old thread here
Does your partner speak good spanish? Is this a first child? I think she would be better off giving birth in UK where there are much more midwife births with more options.
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Old Jul 20th 2010, 10:01 am
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Originally Posted by searcher48
Have you read an old thread here
Does your partner speak good spanish? Is this a first child? I think she would be better off giving birth in UK where there are much more midwife births with more options.
Well if you want your baby born "UK-style" then of course you'll need to go to the UK. But there is no evidence suggesting the Spanish way is any worse. In fact infant and mother mortality rates are lower in Spain than in the UK suggesting the Spanish way could be safer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...mortality_rate
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Old Jul 20th 2010, 10:13 am
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Originally Posted by DesparateGeezer
I went to the EHIC card website and saw this info before,

but when I wanted to make sure I was shocked to hear our friends here,

they surely are right because they seem to have experience with the issue,

however the EHIC website maybe lying to us somehow.

thanks
Its through experience. Note that it says about purposely moving here to give birth is not included, which is exactly what you are coming here for.

Originally Posted by cricketman
Yes the Spanish health service is effectively free and universal.

I am helping someone now in Spain get free healthcare for their baby even though they dont pay social security. The "Ley del menor" allows for this.

And those families who can prove that they are in difficult financial times can also get free healthcare. If you are earning money without declaring it though, then you wont want the Spanish authorities investigating your financial situation! That is the problem with this couple.
Free and universal ... right

Strangely, my wife is of pensionable age. We did all the right things to get health care, yet as a dependent at this moment I have no health care in Spain. I live here. I'm a resident. I'm entitled to it. I'm not getting it. Thats the reality of what happens in Spain, although Im sure it will be sorted eventually

I know of at least one person who tried to use an EHIC card for a minor illness in Spain and was refused Spanish healthcare. I know of someone that moved back to the UK because they became ill, had no money and again were refused heath care here

Im sure that the EHIC card does do more than just emergencies, but in real terms its not always seen that way over here it seems!
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Old Jul 20th 2010, 10:18 am
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Originally Posted by Mitzyboy
Im sure that the EHIC card does do more than just emergencies, but in real terms its not always seen that way over here it seems!
Possibly because it is continually being abused by residents who still use it although legally they are not allowed to.
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Old Jul 20th 2010, 10:33 am
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Originally Posted by Fred James
Possibly because it is continually being abused by residents who still use it although legally they are not allowed to.
Yes I should have said that healthcare is free and universal for Spanish residents. Although if you are deemed to have enough income and you do not already pay social security then you will be asked to make social security contributions.

And I agree the paperwork is difficult and it took me a trip to 3 different offices and several different people to be able to locate the correct form for the Ley del menor
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Old Jul 20th 2010, 10:46 am
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Originally Posted by cricketman
Yes I should have said that healthcare is free and universal for Spanish residents. Although if you are deemed to have enough income and you do not already pay social security then you will be asked to make social security contributions.

And I agree the paperwork is difficult and it took me a trip to 3 different offices and several different people to be able to locate the correct form for the Ley del menor
hello

thanks all for your wonderful contributions, I gather from that that we need to know the right place to ask and be on top of it knowing all our circumstances.
I will be back to update you on the situ.

Mitziboy,
if you knew the real reason which Fred already knows I sent to him by PM you would be so sympathetic mate, however I really thank you for showing me what happens if all go wrong.

cheers all
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Old Jul 20th 2010, 10:58 am
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Default Re: medical care in Spain for a person with EHIC card enquiry, help please

Originally Posted by DesparateGeezer
hello

thanks all for your wonderful contributions, I gather from that that we need to know the right place to ask and be on top of it knowing all our circumstances.
I will be back to update you on the situ.

Mitziboy,
if you knew the real reason which Fred already knows I sent to him by PM you would be so sympathetic mate, however I really thank you for showing me what happens if all go wrong.

cheers all
Im not being unsympathetic anyway .... I only try to show what the realities are against what should happen, and in that way you dont necessarily end up in a situation you hadnt bargained for :-)
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