Healthcare in Spain

Doni-boy wrote:Can anyone help us with the question of healthcare in Spain.We are a married couple moving from the UK and are finding that Healthcare is extremely expensive.We keep getting different advice.
1.Is it only for the first year to get us through the residential application.Or ongoing im 64 and wife 56
2.Do the premiums get higher if you get ill.
3.etc and any other advice please we are getting quoted €2000 and above per year.


Thank you.

1. As you're not drawing UK State Pension, you need Private health insurance to support your Residencia application. After the first year of residencia, you could apply to switch to the Convenio Especial, which currently costs Eu 60 per person, per month, for people 65 or younger, so Eu 1,440 for both of you annually. Unlike PHI, the C.E. covers pre-existing conditions, but in common with PHI, it does not cover prescription costs.

2. Premiums for PHI vary by company. We're with ASSSA and pay Eu 1,780 per year for their mid-range cover. ASSSA bands premiums by age: my wife and I were 56 and 59 respectively when we initially took out the insurance and ASSSA guarantee no age-related increases, so although we are now 59 and 62, our premium has not increased in 3 years. We've both had annual blood tests and 'well woman/man' type tests, and my wife had to see a dermatologist at Quiron private hospital, but no further treatment necessary and no treatment-related increases in our premiums.

3. As others have said, once you are in receipt of your State pension, you can apply for an S1 from NHSBA (NHS Business Services Authority), who took over responsibility for the S1 system from the DWP at the beginning of this year - assuming that it will still be available to us post-Brexit transition. (Whilst the Withdrawal Agreement is supposed to protect existing rights for UK citizens, nothing agreed yet on future arrangements.)

My wife and I have no pre-existing conditions, so rather than applying to join the Convenio Especial, we have maintained our PHI, because the service is very fast. The C.E. is cheaper and is a "no brainer" if you have pre-existing conditions, but you are accessing the State healthcare system and the delays in treatment times that you don't get with PHI. That said, I understand the waiting times in Spain aren't as bad as the NHS ;o)

Thank you all very much for your comments keep em coming all interesting.