Countryboy1

My wife and I both have private health insurance and SIP cards. If, during treatment under the private policy i discover expensive drugs may be necessary which I cannot afford, is it possible to then switch to the Spanish system for drug access or, in effect, would either one of us have to strart from scratch with a Spanish doctor using our SIP cards and join the queue?
Thanks.

missile

It would help if you stated what drugs(?) However, I doubt drugs which are not covered under Private Health Insurance would be provided free under SIP

Countryboy1

Yes, thanks. Just speculating that's all. Say, for example i was being treated over time for some condition and it was discovered that it was cancerous. They then decide upon chemotherapy that I couldn't afford. Would I have to pull out of the existing treatment program altogether and start all over again within the Spanish system with my SIP card?
Thanks again.

Notdunroamin

PHI does not always cover the cost of drugs, it depends on what you've contracted for, but to imagine you can just rock up to a Salud and expect the health system to take over because you've chosen not to pay for an expensive drug or treatment or whatever is certainly a novel idea!

Lynn R

Not that they were very expensive medications, but I had medications prescribed for me by my private cardiologist. I then went to my public health system GP and asked if he could prescribe them, which he did without any quibble, so I only pay 10% of the cost of them as the dependant of a pensioner with an S1.

Countryboy1

Just a question that's all! Have had PHI for 18 years now and the only time I've visted my local Salud in all that time was for a blood test, so I've not exactly been a burden on the system, quite the contrary. And in the scenario i described I wouldn't say I had ¨chosen not to pay", just that I may not be able to afford to. Not the same thing. And anyway, surely if I did start again and go to a Salud with whatever symptoms and expensive drugs are necessary, at some point the Spanish system would presumably still bare the costs? As I say, just a question!

Countryboy1

Thanks for that, appreciated.

Fred James

The rule is that they will not accept private prescriptions. That is often put on the Doctor's surgery door. If it was statins, the chances are they would prescribe it but not unless you have a blood test.

Some heart drugs, they can only be prescribed by a cardiologist. That happened to me and the cardiologist agreed with the need for that drug and prescribed it. You will need to get fully into the state NHS system to get anywhere. They are reasonably happy with that and my cardiologist was happy to accept all my private tests and reports and write the details into my notes..

They will definitely not be happy to be used only as a free drug supplier!

Countryboy1

Thanks Fred, when I visit my private doctor, any drugs he prescribes (including statins for example) I pay for over the counter. I have no problem
with that, it's my choice. My only query was if i became seriously ill with whatever and was recommended expensive drugs I couldn't afford, as I am in the Spanish system as well as private, could i go to the health system to fund the drugs or would I have to start again in the Spanish system and then presumably with the same diagnosis they would then fund the drugs. No particular objection about going through the health system, just thought it would short cut the process as my PHI would have done a lot of the work prior.

Fred James

It does depend on the attitude of the local doctors. Some are laid back about it, others stick to the rules. When you start talking about expensive drugs, they are more likely to be prescribed by the specialists and there is no easy way round that.

I am fairly well into this situation with a drug bill of about €300 a month. I actually pay a maximum of €8 for that. I tend now to use my insurance for simple problems and for queue jumping, but rely on the NHS for my main cover. If I have a heart attack I would be much happier to be taken to the NHS hospital where they have a complete an comprehensive set of medical notes which are available across all the hospitals and doctors. My private notes are well scattered across various clinics and specialists.

I have found that this joint approach works well but you do have to manage it, and with the potentially huge cost of some drugs, its then that you realise that PHI is not all you wanted it to be.

gill556

My friend has just had a triple heart bypass, he started off using his private health insurance but then changed to using his SIP card when he was diagnosed, not a problem. If you are entitled to a SIP card then you are entitled to use it,