My partner and I moved recently to Spain and we have been given conflicting answers regarding whether we can obtain free medical service. i.e. registering with the local doctor

We plan to live here for good, do not work yet, apart from odd jobs, we pay still our NI contributions in the UK to enable us to have full pensions when we reach the appropriate age, we presently are 50 and 55.

We have been told that because we pay National Insurance cntributions in the UK that there are reciprical arrangements to enable us to have the state service, but when we went to fill out the forms in the local social security office to get the medical card, we were told that we needed either to be working or indeed be drawing a pension.

Please could someone shed some light

Thanks

It is fairly logical - if you work here and pay Spanish NI equivalent you are able to have Spanish national health. Full pensioners are able to transfer their rights to free Nat health in Spain under EU laws. Non workers/pensioners things are a bit grey - some areas appear to let you have the SIPS card (entry to Nat health) but other areas dont. If you are full time residents here you are expected (legal requirement) to pay everything here. Why not pay NI here and add it to your UK NI when you retire to make up a full pension? Private health cover is another option.

Right.

Just to add to that, some people (younger people more so perhaps) seem to be able to get the SIPS card when they’re working under the table (American English teachers for example) by telling them that they’re “looking for work right now” or something else along those lines. If you can think of a reason why they should give it to you then they probably will. As long as you don’t fit into their criterion of people who CAN’T get a card, then you’ll probably get one. That’s the “grey area” ROBI mentioned.

This subject is very interesting to me as I am 54 and my husband is 62 and we are renovating a house and live in the Canarys, but not working. My husband has taken early retirement and we live on a meagre pension. He will eventually be entitled to a full state pension so he cant add any more NI contributions in the UK or here. I have been paying NI in the UK.

We took out health insurance on arrival but discovered despite both of us being healthy types when I tried to use my insurance I was told ‘you have an existing condition so it is not covered`. And when I ended up in hospital for what I thought was and emergency (appendicitus) I was sent to the local hospital as the company gave wrong information about the length of my insurance cover to the private hospital, whilst the English rep who sold me the policy couldnt leave his squash game, to confirm this. (to this day there has never been an apology about this matter) ... the machinations of the health insurance business is baffling and we eventually cancelled it….

But that leaves us without access to medical treatment. Someone did tell me that when you reach 60 you and your dependents are entitled to free healthcare, but I havent found anything to back that up yet.

I will watch this site with interest.

So, what was the company you were insured with? You’re welcome to write up a full post on here explaining what happened. Perhaps that will ensure other expats don’t make the same mistake by insuring themselves with that company!

I really dont want a fistycuffs with an insurance company. But I would advise everyone taking out insurance cover to ask lots of questions. These agents are quick to sign you up, take your money, and not so quick to sort out administrative issues when you are laying in foriegn hospital bed with a drip in your arm. My experience was terrifying.

I have heard a lot more horror stories from other people supposedly ‘insured’ and when they try making a claim the ‘existing condition’ clause comes out as fast as fly around a jampot. Another favourite excuse to not treat you, is for them to say that you havent been with the company long enough to make a claim. (in my case I was pursuaded to swop insurances by an agent who told me that the 1 year I had already had with my previous insurance company would mean that any claims for a hospital visit would be honoured, but when push came to shove it wasnt), I would never approach any insurance company starting with the letter ‘D’ ever!

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