UKinSpain

As pledged in last year’s Healthcare Reform measures, the Spanish government recently announced guidelines for the new Convenio Especial (or Special Scheme). The Convenio Especial is a public health insurance scheme through which those who don‘t have access to state-provided healthcare can pay a monthly fee to get cover. This does not apply to state pensioners, workers, those who have exhausted unemployment benefits, those who registered as residents in Spain before 24.04.12, or their dependents as they should already have their own health cover. The scheme will be nation-wide, but managed by each autonomous region which will have the option of including different services over and above the basic package announced by the Government. Policy holders, including children, will pay on an individual basis and be able to receive access to public healthcare anywhere in Spain, regardless of pre-existing conditions. The announced basic monthly fee will be 60€ for the under 65s and 157€ for those aged 65 or over. However, prescription costs are not subsidised so it is likely you would pay the full cost. Further information will soon be available from your local health centre. The Healthcare Team (http://www.healthcareinspain.eu/)

tebo53

I understand that you have to be living in Spain for a year before you can apply for this scheme.

Am I correct in thinking this or can you apply straight away when you first move to Spain?

agoreira

Sounds like an incredibly expensive place to be living if you don't qualify for free health service. What does the "basic" level cover? How much will the extras be? At €60 a month for under 65's, surely you'd be better paying private?

EsuriJohn

Incredible bargin in my view everything covered including pre existing conditions for only €60 pm.

lyric030250

It's the pre-existing conditions that swings it is it not ?

crookesey

No private insurer would touch anyone with pre-existing conditions, they would no doubt offer terms with exclusions, but why bother if these guys will accept them?

jackytoo

Paying for prescriptions is as long as a piece of string. Often see examples of low figures for a few statins, Ibuprofen etc. but the fact is it can run into the hundreds pm. for some chronic illnesses. I take it the €60 is per person. Bit pricey for a family of 4! A young family would get private for less.

Amazing that some think it is a good deal when the UK provides everything for nowt to Spaniards!

Neptuno

For nowt-Is that true?
I thought Spain has a reciprocal deal with UK, each country paying for the healthcare of its Nationals.
Some of or prescriptions are 50-80 euros per month, but of course we pay a %; even so it mounts up.
For those with chronic conditions, paying the full cost, they could be paying hundreds per month for their healthcare.Though it is a reasonable monthly payment for under 65s, the prescription costs could make it expensive.

sam54140

this is confusing
say you only have a private insurance in Spain, does it reimburse you
a certain amount of a prescription ? or only covers specialists fees and hospitalizations and treatment ?

Lynn R

The latter - certainly as far as mine is concerned, and afaik they are all the same.

agoreira

Is it everything covered? It says you can add to the basic package, why would you want to do that if everything is covered. Undocumented immigrants for example can pay €720 a year per person for cover, but that excludes medicines, for most families that's simply impossible.

tebo53

That will do for me as my OH has a few conditions that private won't cover and for a similar price!!

I'd like to know if you can join straight away or, as other posts have suggested, you cannot join up with this scheme until you have been resident for a year?

mikeglover

Sounds like a good deal. However, if an under 65 has to have been resident for a year, i presume they will have already have had to have medical cover in place in order to become resident. I presume the only way to do this would be to take out private cover in order to get residency and then cancel it after 12 months and go onto this new system. Does anyone know yet whether the 12 month rule applies or not?

sam54140

why cancel a private insurance ? as far as we know , if you're in yr 50s for instance, a single private policy is around EUR 400-600 a year (if you do have a normal health, no particular medical background).
and pay some lol cash (simple doc visit, or a cavity).

mikeglover

I agree but i have pre-existing condition that would not be covered by private but looks like it would be by the new one.