Spanish Family2

Does anybody know any more about whether the article below is true? I see it says that foreigners will now be able to obtain universal health care under the same conditions as the Spanish. It's very important for us! I've seen an earlier thread which mentioned it but there didn't seem to be many details at the time.


http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news...le_33211.shtml

snikpoh

What is your precise situation and we might be able to assist?

Have you been signed up (registered) as 'long term unemployed'?

Generally, foreigners were treated exactly the same as the Spanish - clearly not or there would be no need for this new law but I am not aware of where we were differentiated against.

JLFS

I dont know, it has sort of slipped under the radar.

I dont know if this has any usefull info, other than you already have.

http://www.treatmentinspain.com/expatriate/system/

JLFS

This might be a good route to go down.

http://www.ukgovabusesexpats.co.uk/A...ions-04-07.htm

jdr

Where does it say foreigners will have free cover ?
All I see is the word Spaniards.

Spanish Family2

In the third paragraph.

JLFS

This translates as follows: -

According to Circular 1/2002 of the Comunidad Autónoma Valenciana, EU citizens resident in the provinces of Alicante, Castellón and Valencia, who are neither pensioners nor employed persons, are entitled to full health care under the Spanish State Social Security system.

a cutting from the second link I posted.

lynnxa

it will certainly be interesting to see how (if) this actually works for someone

jdr

Oh that bit, as far as I know the only region that allowed foreigners free care was Valencia, now I believe they charge for it.

lynnxa

yes they do charge now - although I had heard that it was universally free in Cataluña

there have always been Spaniards who fell though the cracks - simply, if you don't pay in, you don't get out - so the early retired & unemployed Spanish didn't get free healthcare either - and foreigners were treated exactly the same


what this article seems to be saying though is that everyone is now entitled to free healthcare - unemployed & early retired too, & foreigners are to still be treated the same as the Spanish

snikpoh

I'm still not really sure what has changed - foreign EU members (to my knowledge) have always been treated the same as Spaniards - if you don't pay into the system then you can take nothing out!

Both foreigners and Spaniards CAN get (free) health care if they meet certain criteria - for example, if they have VERY low income.

What's changed?

JLFS

Well put like that.........So you mean we are looking at this from the wrong angle.........I see where you are going.

lynnxa

what it's saying (I think), is that just by living here (legally one presumes) we are entitled to free healthcare - because as of yesterday, so are all Spaniards, whether they pay anything in or not

so it's like the UK now - residence rather than contribution based

if you read the first bit of the article that seems to be what it's saying

LittleWeed

Hopefully, this will be the closing chapter in the long running story of the universalization of health care. Up to the legislation introduced on 1st Jan, about 99% of the population were covered with only about 200,000 excluded. According to the government these 200,000 fell into 6 groups, one of which was foreign residents.

The legislation extends cover gradually to the remaining groups over the next six months. First, unemployed people with an independent income of over 7000 euros, then, within six months, lawyers and other liberal professionals. That just leaves the rest; mainly people who never affiliated to the Social Security but have incomes above 7000 euros. Here´s the potential problem: extending health care to this group would mean extending it to early retirees since legislation passed in 2003 (I believe) guarantees Spanish nationals and foreign residents the same rights. By the sound of it, the current legislation only extends cover to Spanish nationals thereby excluding foreign residents who meet the same profile regarding income, SS afiliation etc.

Spanish Family2

And this is the really important point here - other EU nationals are supposed to be entitled to the same level of benefits as Spanish nationals, just as in the UK there would be an uproar if other EU nationals were prevented from using the NHS on the same basis as British citizens. Hopefully we'll be able to find out (somehow!) soon how the new system will operate.