Spain. EHIC Card or proper insurance ? (1 Viewer)

[Yorick]

Now we’re living in Lanzarote, for the time being, we thought we’d better check our health cover.

What does the EHIC card cover ?

Do we need holiday insurance ? Or proper medical insurance ?


I have a few old bike injuries and worried about aggravating them with our new adventurous lifestyle.

Some policies specifically rule out previous ailments, which I can see why. But if I fall and bugger my knee or ankle, and twinge old breaks, will they try to wriggle out ?

And the missus has 2 false hips. Will they be affected ?

Thanks in advance

 

[scotjimland]

If living there should you not be registered on the Spanish health service .. and have the same benefits and costs as a Spanish national .?

AFAIK EHIC is not for ex pats

 

[Techno]

Best look on their website for specifics

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[Clickem]

EHIC (if you have one) will give you the same level of medical cover as a local. They will tend to patch you up, so that you can travel home, but should give more comprehensive treatment to head or heart

What is does not cover is things like transporting you, or your remains, home, which can prove very expensive

You must give honest declarations that do not leave any wriggle room. You could try for a policy that declares and does not cover existing problems. This is usually not possible with Heart and Head problems that must be covered

We use World First, who specialise in medical miseries. You can visit their web site and choose a level of cover and then answer all the medical screening questions to see how it would effect your premium

http://www.world-first.co.uk/

Might be a problem that you are not UK residents

 

[Lenny HB]

EHIC is not valid once you have moved abroad, info here.

 

[9526]

For holidays EHIC is essential, in fact most insurers now insist that their cover is only valid if you seek treatment at the equivalent of an NHS hospital. The cover they provide is then for the bit you have to pay for.

As Clickem posted, the EHIC won't get you or your remains home in cases of serious injury or death, and this is probably the main benefit of travel insurance.

As for permanent residents, lennyhb's post pretty much sums it up.

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[Don Quixote]

EHIC is not valid once you have moved abroad, info here.

Correct, but @Yorick will have cover for 18 months ish I believe as when we moved to Spain the DWP give me that. Be very careful in some parts of Spain as they now check the/your EHIC card before putting a finger on you unless it is life treating.

 

[Yorick]

Correct, but @Yorick will have cover for 18 months ish I believe as when we moved to Spain the DWP give me that. Be very careful in some parts of Spain as they now check the/your EHIC card before putting a finger on you unless it is life treating.

That's good as we are testing it for 6 months to make double sure we want to stay

 

[Yorick]

EHIC is not valid once you have moved abroad, info here.

We haven't 'moved' yet. Still holidaying to make sure.

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[sedge]

The snag always with EHIC wherever you are apart from the repatriation already mentioned is the fact it only entitles you to whatever nationals of that country are entitled to - which hardly ever (if at all) includes the full cost of medications whether supplied in hospital or as an outpatient or from a GP's surgery for more minor stuff. Full travel cover does.

I know the situation for residents in France is, according to Munchie, that you get basic med stuff free like here (exc medications) - but then you either have to buy permanent Medical insurance (BUPA type cover), or just permanent top-up cover, so you are still treated in public surgeries and/or hospitals only, BUT the full cost of it is included. He said it's about 100 Euros per month each for the latter. Presumably it's similar in the Canaries, however are ALL specialities available in the Canaries? I ask the latter since as they certainly aren't in eg specifically the Channel Islands (in Guernsey they very often have to go to Jersey to get more than just the one GP) - why should any of us expect to get a full range of services anywhere else?

 

[gus-lopez]

Correct, but @Yorick will have cover for 18 months ish I believe as when we moved to Spain the DWP give me that. Be very careful in some parts of Spain as they now check the/your EHIC card before putting a finger on you unless it is life treating.

No they done away with the S1 based on National insurance contributions last year. There is now no cover for under retiring age in other countries.
The only way is private health care , which would be required anyway to register on the "foreigners registration list " after 90 days & then at the end of one year you can apply to join the 'convenio especial' which is a system for those who do not qualify for healthcare under any other criteria to access the state system by payment of a monthly fee. It is around 60€ per person as long as under 65 years of age.
Don't know whether the Canaries offers the system ?

 

[Munchie]

Update...

For over 65's as an expat in France, you use S1 forms to get into the French health system. This entitles you to the same care as French nationals. Under this system anything life threatening is free. Anything else the government pays an element and you pay the rest or as in our case buy "top up" insurance.
We moved our supplier this year and it now costs us €120 to cover both of us.
BTW the UK still provide us with EHIC cards but they are not valid in UK or France. If you receive a benefit from your home country I.e. pension then from 2010 they issue your EHIC

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[Don Quixote]

That's good as we are testing it for 6 months to make double sure we want to stay

You do not have 6 months after 183 days (living there) in Spain and I believe Canaries you must apply for Residency. Link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/residency-requirements-in-spain

If you are "on Holiday" you have EHIC cover. Link: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

It's all a mine field. It took us 9 months to get a Spanish EHIC card and medical cover (SIP Card), however after 90 days out of Spain the EHIC is U/S and the prescriptions are suspended. When we return we have to see doctor to prove we are back in Spain so prescriptions can start again and the EHIC card on the computer is reset........... tomorrow tomorrow......

 

[bryandh]

Have a read at the link below, might prove useful.

Bear in mind that if your "holiday" exceeds 183 days (I think) Spanish law requires you to begin residency procedures. You need to take professional advice locally rather than relying on the varied opinions which will be offered here. Such advice is not expensive and the expenditure may well prove to money well invested. Surprised that you waited until arriving in the Canaries before considering the various consequences of a move.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-in-spain

Good luck, Bryan

 

[Don Quixote]

I'm sure that what I said ?

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[gus-lopez]

No it is 90 days & then you are required to register on the
" foreigners register " as a resident foreigner.
Failure to apply to register incurs a 300€ fine.
Being unable to meet the requirements to register , healthcare/income , etc; does not mean you can be asked to leave. Just that you have entitlement to nothing from the Spanish government.
The 90 days is consecutive . If you leave after 89 days for over 1 day & return the clock resets. The requirement is that you have to prove that you have not been here over 90 days consecutively & not for the authorities to prove that you have.
If you are here for over 183 days in a tax year .( 1st Jan - 31st Dec ) you are automatically a tax resident, even without registering as one. The 183 days are cumulative.

You can be a 'resident' without being a tax resident & a 'tax resident' without being a resident.

BTW the UK still provide us with EHIC cards but they are not valid in UK or France. If you receive a benefit from your home country I.e. pension then from 2010 they issue your EHIC

Yes the UK supplied EHIC has no validity in France BUT it is completely different to one supplied to a UK worker or UK living Oap in that it entitles you to full healthcare in the UK as well.
When they check your card in the UK it tells them that you are a French resident,Uk pensioner & have full entitlement.

You do not have 6 months after 183 days (living there) in Spain and I believe Canaries you must apply for Residency. Link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/residency-requirements-in-spain

If you are "on Holiday" you have EHIC cover. Link: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

It's all a mine field. It took us 9 months to get a Spanish EHIC card and medical cover (SIP Card), however after 90 days out of Spain the EHIC is U/S and the prescriptions are suspended. When we return we have to see doctor to prove we are back in Spain so prescriptions can start again and the EHIC card on the computer is reset........... tomorrow tomorrow......

Yes that is the only problem with being under retiring age. :lol:
Mind you I don't know about where you are but up here the EHIC is just an A4 piece of paper. You don't have to have it for the full period you can actually have as many as you want up to a maximum of 90 days.
Last year I only bothered with asking for 3 weeks as I was well aware that they introduced a new ruling a year or so back that all Spanish nationals leaving the country for more than 30 days lose their right to healthcare until they return & sign back up again.
Eu is involved in this one by all accounts as it included pensioners that might be out on holidays for over that period. As you say it is a shambles.
Another reason , just for your benefit as to why doing it that way, is that once you have the EHIC paper /card ,whatever, if you are taken ill & the paper/card expires you ,or the hospital if you are in one can contact the relevant spanish department for authorisation for the ehic to continue . providing it is under the 90 days then they cannot refuse. In fact the EU stated to methat even if you went without one & were then taken ill requiring treatment that all the hospital /Doctor/treatment giver has to do is contact the relevant country authority. Additionally it is for them to do not you ! I'll believe that when I see it .

I asked about prescriptions in advance at the Farmacia last year & was told there is no facility to do it only on the date that the repeat is due or within 1 week afterwards ! Our repeats are just done on an A4 sheet with bar code that is scanned at farmacia & there's no requirement to show card. This year I'll be getting a friend to collect them if I'm not here.
Actually when I went in 2014 I didn't bother with the EHIC & upon enquiring at the Doctors in North Devon how much I'd be charged to see the Doctor was politely informed " You live in Spain. EU , nothing , there's no charge "