Originally Posted by jdr (Post 8303574)

Spot on :thumbup:

Originally Posted by Michael74 (Post 8303724)

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.

Originally Posted by snikpoh (Post 8304663)

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.

Originally Posted by johncar61 (Post 8304695)

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.:

Originally Posted by snikpoh (Post 8304663)

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.

Originally Posted by johncar61 (Post 8303531)

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.