medical coverage
 

Hi my husband and I are thinking of renting in spain for a year, and I noticed on JoJo 's thread she had a problem with the hospital treating her son. If we rent for a year do we keep our european health card numbers, and if so would we get treated at a hospital should anything go wrong. My husband had some health issues so we need to be near hospitals ect: I know about the medical coverage with a helicopter co, sorry can't remember the name now. I would appreciate any information, I would'nt want to lose our NHS status. Thanking you:thumbup:

Re: medical coverage
 

You will lose your NHS cover once you leave the UK. You may be entitled to reciprocal cover via your previous NI payments but EHIC is for emergencies only.

Be careful, your family's health is too important to leave to chance.

Re: medical coverage
 

Without knowing more it is impossible to advise.

If one of you is a pensioner or on certain benefits you will be covered.
If one of you have enough NI conts you could both be covered for up to 2 and a half years in Spain paid for by the UK.

The NHS system is based on residency so if you leave to live in another country you loose that cover. However if you move back to the UK you get cover back if you can prove residency. This is easy.

I know people who have lived elsewhere for years who have just registered at the doctors and had no problems.

Re: medical coverage
 

Thank you for your reply, my husband is retired although not yet 65, due to ill health ie triple heart bypass,2 aortic aneurysms repaired too many operations to go into detail. He seems better in a warm climate and enjoys a game of golf with a buggy, but can't walk too far, he needs checkups twice a year, but the cold and damp are getting to him. :( thought we would look at spain but he would need to have access to the hospitals and doctors. Would we have to pay for these?

Re: medical coverage
 

You would have to pay privately
Of course there is private health insurance which is relatively cheap here, but it wont cover pre existing conditions

Re: medical coverage
 

thanks for that, we had visited spain once for 5 weeks and had to get the ambulance, at that time ( I think it was 3-4 years ago) there was no charge and I think there was no charge for the hospital with our eu health cards. It sems that has changed now:( I find getting any kind of medical insurance very hard wonce they hear he had aneurysms that seems to be it no coverage at all, even though the doctors say it was successful. And probably will never return try telling that to the insurance companies, they don't want to know cheers:thumbsup:

Re: medical coverage
 

No, thats the difference in living here. You got free ambulance etc because you were here on holiday. If you live here then its a different matter unless one of you is over retirement age or sometimes if he is on disability benefit

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He is on DLA I don't know if that helps and I still pay mu NI contributions as I can't work as I have to be with him, but I wanted to pay my N.I. for my pension does that help:confused:

Re: medical coverage
 

MAYBE.

I retired from government service in UK aged 48. I was on Invalidity benefit.

The overseas branch of DHSS (Newcastle) sent me form, I think E121, which entitled me to sign on to the Spanish Heath Service.

When I got married at 66, my wife, who is 32 younger than me, also qualified as my dependant.



So Call Newcastle and ask.

Re: medical coverage
 

Are you Ronnie Wood in disguise??????????????:rofl::rofl:

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Don't know who Ronnie is, but I know I am a lucky guy.

Re: medical coverage
 

You dont know who Ronnie Wood is???

Unlike yourself, he "cant get no satisfaction" (clue):lol::lol:

And hey, you do seem like a lucky guy, I am thinking of part exchanging my missus for one 32 years younger when I get to your age.......:lol:

Just keep it to youself for the time being..

Re: medical coverage
 

Thank you so much, will look into it, but does that mean you are not covered by the NHS when you return to the UK? I am a bit worried that we will lose that especially if we don't like it and leave after 6 months to return to the UK:confused:

Re: medical coverage
 

Sorry I can't help you with that as I have never though about returning to live in UK in the 20+ years I have lived here. With every year, I enjoy being in Spain even more.

I am sure someone will be able yo answer you question, or maybe call the DWP, I am sure they will be able to help.

Re: medical coverage
 

if you return to live there you just sign on to the NHS again

if you just visit for a holiday then you need to get a EHIC card for emergency treatment in the UK

Re: medical coverage
 

Just out of interest, is there no medical screening where by they decide based on your medical history whether to cover you or not even if they charge extra/a premium to cover you for pre existing conditions/previous conditions?

Re: medical coverage
 

Thank you its reassuring to hear your comments re: Spain, if you don't mind me asking where do you live? Did you have the language when you first went?
Cheers
:thumbsup:

Re: medical coverage
 

We have a lot of trouble getting medical coverage, as soon as they hear my husband had 2 aneurysms repaired, they refuse anykind of coverage:thumbdown:

Re: medical coverage
 

I really do think you will get cover on the Spanish State System. If you have a word with the right dept of the DWP in UK, they will be able to tell you what you can expect. If you get State cover then private medocal insurance does not come into in.

Good luck

Re: medical coverage
 

Thank you very much I will look into it
Cheers:thumbsup:

Re: medical coverage
 

Yes, but not with severe stuff. I had shoulder ops, and they covered those after 12 months, whereas they wouldnt cover my nose (:rofl:) because I had a broken nose repaired!

Re: medical coverage
 

There are a lot of grey areas re medical coverage in Spain, not least depending on where you will be in Spain.

To my knowledge if you intend leaving the UK for more than 3 months you should notify the UK NHS. As a resident in The Valencia area, after getting your padron and contacting Newcastle re your E121 (if one of you is over 60) you will be sent the necessary documentation to sign on the Spanish health system in that area and will be entitled to full cover, prescriptions etc.

For residents under 60 you would need the form E106 which would have given you similar coverage but I think that in Valencia they are now asking for a monthly contribution for prescriptions. I am not sure whether treatment in hospital for example has been changed.

One other thing that may be of interest is that most antibiotics can be obtained over the counter from the pharmacies

Re: medical coverage
 

Is that correct (60) or should it be 65?

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If the wife is 60, it would apply.

Re: medical coverage
 

in 1988, when I was 48, I was on Invalidity benefit, I got an E121 and was accepted in the Spanish Health System.

AS for paying. The UK pay somewhere in the region of 4,000 € a `year for each UK national and for each of their dependants, to the Spanish System. That includes dependants who are under retirement age and from outside the EU.


There is some `problem' at the moment with what some Spanish are calling 'Health Tourists' who are allegedly coming to Spain to get treatment, operations etc on their 'E111's.'

The 'problem' is that the countries from where people entitled to treatment under the reciprocal agreements are Billed by the health authority concerned for treatment, operations etc. The charge is paid by the patient's home country, less any charges Spanish people have incurred in that country, but the money is sent to central government in Madrid and not the health authority concerned. Thus for example Andalucia looses out.

In passing, a friend of mine has just received a letter from Newcastle saying that in future his EHC (E 111) will be issued by UK. This is the new system which is coming into force around July this year, we all get the card from our home country not from where we reside.

Re: medical coverage
 

If the wife is a dependant of a person entitled her age, nationality etc does not matter.

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he means if the wife reaches 60 & receives a pension then the husband is treated as dependent before he reaches pensionable age

Re: medical coverage
 

I try always not to be sexist. (i.e, by not say 'he' when I mean male or female) Here I said 'dependants' thus it applies to male of female claimants/dependants.

But please nope, as I said, the claimant does not necessarily need to of or over retirement age. I used my own case as an example. Qualified at 48 and later added my wife when I married who is well under retirement age.

Re: medical coverage
 

This subject has been covered at some length previously. It now comes into effect on May 1st and application forms are currently being sent out to all UK holders of E121s.

Unfortunately all current Spanish EHICs expire on or before 28th Feb so an interim card will have to be sought from INSS if travelling in the interim period.

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Spot on :thumbup:

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Yes I am absolutely correct. If one is over 60 you will be entitled. We have friends living in Pego which is on the Costa Blanca in the Communidad of Valencia, the wife is 60 and her husband who has yet to reach 60 is also entitled.

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As I understand it, if (for example) I was 60 and my wife was 21 (I wish :thumbsup:) then we would NOT be entitled!

That is, EITHER the man has to be 65 or the wife 60 for them to be entitled.

Re: medical coverage
 

Unless one was on invalidity benefit or maybe similar. That was my case, just that the ages were sightly different from you hypothetical. I was covered from 48 yrs old.

QUOTE FROM UKINSPAIN WEB PAGE:_ If you get a UK State Pension or Long Term Incapacity Benefit and you decide to move to Spain permanently, ask for your E121 from the International Pension Centre (IPC) in Newcastle.

Once registered with the Spanish authorities, the E121 gives you and your dependants the same medical cover in Spain as a Spanish national under the Spanish state-run health scheme. This cover may not be the same as you received on the NHS in the UK so you may have to pay for some treatments or services.:

Re: medical coverage
 

I love that bit, I have been in hospital for an op and received in one day tests that would have taken six months to get in the UK.
I have also taken two people at different times into the emergency department and they were seen immediately.

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Well snikpoh if anyone found themselves in that position they would have my commiserations and congratulations.......Mike

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My husband has just had a form to fill in about this, came through the post. he has filled it in and sent it back. The letter with it said they will send the cards out in April and they will be valid from May 1st.:)