sean14592

Hello,

Me and my partner are considering moving over to Spain in the next 2 years. My partner has Rheumatoid Arthritis which is one of the reasons we want to move to the hotter more relaxing country after a number of amazing holidays in the Costa Del Sol area.

Our main concern is medication, she is on really expensive medication (It costs £20,000 a year apparently). When we have been on holiday in the past we find that she can go very easily without a lot of her medication, but obviously for the more serious ones we still need to be able to get hold of (or something similar).

How does it work? I know Spanish citizens pay a percentage of their medication, obviously any percentage of £20,000 is a lot of money, are there any alternatives? UK funding?

People in Spain must have RA?

Also, I'm assuming health insurance wouldn't cover it as shes been diagnosed with the condition for 5 years now, she is 30 (if that helps?).

Thanks for your time,
Sean.

Lynn R

I think you would need to check out the position as to whether the Spanish state health system (assuming you would be entitled to state health cover, you don't mention your ages or whether you would be working and paying social security contributions here) would meet the cost of the particular medication your partner needs, or not. Please check out post #14 in this thread where one person has had a disappointing experience in the Valencia region:-

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=808057

You need to find out the exact position in the autonomous region you intend to move to, as each one may adopt a different position. But given the costs you have stated, you might well face obstacles.

I think you are correct and cover for this pre-existing condition would be excluded from any private medical insurance policy - not surprising really, unless you were to pay absolutely astronomical premiums the insurance company would be making a loss from day one if the medication needed costs £20,000 per year.

Dick Dasterdly

I seem to recall a poster name of Porth having a similar issue regarding his partner not so long ago in the Valencian region.

As best I recall he opted to return to France where the system was much more generous in that respect.

Lynn R

That was the story related in the post I suggested the OP should read, Dick.

agoreira

Agree, I think that it's at times like this when you realise that the old much maligned NHS ain't such a bad system after all. Sure there are drugs not available, but I know the daughter of a friend of ours has serious RA and she appears well looked after, with all her expensive drugs and operations covered. There is a list available on the net that will tell you which drugs are covered under the Spanish system, but the Spanish system is changing all the time, what is covered today may not be covered in the future. I'd be surprised if the OP could walk into Spain and get prescribed free £20,000 a year drugs.

Dick Dasterdly

merche

Hi
I work with a couple that have been in spain for 10 years and the lady has severe RA and we go every 3 months to Malaga Hospital for check ups, she pays a percentage of her medication but its not fortunes, we are actually going tomorrow to see the doctor because they are going to try a different treatment for her that must be approved first by the hospital!! You would be expected to pay the same as a spanish person would!! I would have to double check the percentage as if has recently changed. But if you were to move over then your doctor would send you to a specialist.