scampicat

We got our cards today (in and out, with the cards, in two minutes, couldn't believe it!).

We already have the Health Cards for free Healthcare within Spain (backed up by E121).

Can somebody explain to me what the Tarjeta Sanitaria Europa covers and whether I still need to take out medical insurance when travelling outside Spain? Because I would rather not bother.

Thanks

snikpoh

The Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea (European health Card) is only for emergency treatment. So, when visiting England for example, if you have some sort of accident, you're covered. This card does NOT cover you for normal treatment.

scampicat

Thanks for your reply.

Since posting I have rung the Health people in the UK and they said it covered me for treatment to illnesses/injury sustained in the UK. I asked if, for example, I broke my leg in the UK would it cover me for treatment until my leg was better and was told it would.

(Unless that is what you mean by emergencies? I know I could not go to the UK and have, for example, my blood pressure treated as that is an ongoing thing which is not an emergency and is being treated here in Spain).

To me, emergency suggests that it would only cover you to have your leg put in plaster, but not any ongoing care, but I ws told it would cover the ongoing care.

Still a bit puzzled, maybe my definition of 'emergency' is wrong!

Thanks again.

Mitzyboy

I understood it would cover you for the emergency treatment, i.e. setting the leg, but not the recouperation

scampicat

Mitzyboy, thanks - I have edited my post since you replied but I think your reply would still have been the same.

I think I'll ring again tomorrow and get it totally cleared up.

(Because isn't everyone covered for emergencies anyway, even without the card??)

I'll keep you all posted.

Solarwhizz

The phrasing is "all necessary treatment", different countries and in Spain different regions interpret that differently, for example in Valencia they deem that as all treatment, but in Murcia that is not yet the case emergency treatment only,

In the UK, they see it as all necessary treatment, IE treatment and all medicines etc, (well that was in our case!!)

The argument is that necessary treatment is not always emergency treatment and that by definition any treatment to an injury or ailment is necessary.

There is major lobbying going on by various interested (Expat groups) to both the UK and Spanish government on this, result will no doubt be interesting and confusing as always.

scampicat

http://translate.google.com/translat...ES264%26sa%3DG

This link should be a translated version of a web page from Seguridad Social.

It says in the text that 'Healthcare will be received on an equal footing with policyholders of the country they are travelling'.

So to me that suggests what I was told on the phone is correct.

I will ring anyway and make sure.

Thanks all.

jo-ann

The card is only valid for 1 year and has to be renewed.

EsuriJohn

Are you CERTAIN about that, those issued in the UK seem open ended and being the EU thing I would be surprised if Spain was different.

Fred James

It differs from country to country.

In Spain it is one year but I believe it is longer for pensioners - like 4 years.

jo-ann

Positive, we got ours on 15th January this year and it expires on the same date next year, we were told that we would have to renew then, and we are pensioners - so no 4 years for pensioners here.

scampicat

Ours expires in one year.

It covers you in the UK for any illness/accident that you may encounter while you are there, NHS treatment,in an NHS hospital including initial and any ongoing treatment.

scampicat

On the subject of healthcare, I had a shock today.

My Dr had a letter from the Local Health Centre, where I had gone the week before to register for his practise, saying I was not covered for healthcare in Spain!

Now I know I AM covered as a dependent on my husband's E121 and we have registered these with the INSS two years ago.

Anyway, went down today, panicking - turns out is is a clerical error anrd I AM covered (and now have a letter to say so as well as my Health card!).

Luckily I had a copy of the E121 with my husband's name on and with me as a dependent, and with the stamp of the INSS office we registered it at. I was able to show them this, the woman made a quick phone call and all was fine.

Panic over, not a nice feeling with something as important as healthcare!

scampicat

I've resurrected this thread because someone today has told me that if you go to the UK WITHOUT the TSE, you will be charged for any treatment you receive.

I thought it was part of EU regulations that we were covered for Emergencies even without the card? Has this changed or are the UK going against EU law?

(We have the card, so it does not apply to us,. The conversation arose because we have had occasion this week to take a little boy to hospital here in Spain, who had broken his arm whilst on holiday, he had no card but still had his arm x-rayed put in plaster at the hospital).

Edited to add: Just found this link:

http://www.roundtownnews.co.uk/index...4272&Itemid=31

Hillybilly

I think the law may be different for children but had that been an adult without the card they would be likely to receive a bill in the post from the hospital. I know because it happened to me once.