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Hi all, we - my husband and I who are 55 and 46 respectively - are moving to Alicante in a couple of months, and we have so far had several conflicting nuggets of advice about healthcare and prescriptions, so I'm hoping someone here knows what's going on...
We are both medically retired - my husband has pancreatitis and diabetes, I have heart failure - and haven't worked for a number of years now. We were previously in receipt of incapcity/income support, but that's now ended due to the government's shuffle around, so long story short, we're selling up and moving to Spain. We will not have any UK benefits when we do.
Problem is we both need a lot of medication and though we actually don't visit the GP often, we will need some form of healthcare, and as mentioned, we've had a lot of conflicting advice as to how we go about getting repeat prescriptions in Spain, and if we need to sign up and pay into the Spanish healthcare systemm or not, and if we need some kind of private healthcare and/or insurance.
Any help on the state of play would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks, Lynn
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1. It depends on where you are moving to. Each region in Spain has different systems. 2. I doubt if private insurance would be affordable with pre-existing conditions. 3. If you are retired for medical reasons, you may be covered on the S1 form which will transfer medical costs. Give the international section at Newcastle a ring, they are very helpful. 4. Valencia has a system where you can pay in to receive full medical treatment regardless of pre-existing conditions but you would still have to pay 40% of the prescription cost. 5. There is a new system which covers residents earning below a certain amount. There is still a 40% charge on prescriptions, though. Best thing is to check with Newcastle first, though.
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When I came to Spain aged 48, in 1988, I was on invalidity benefit. I was issued with an E121 by DHSS Newcastle ( I think it is an S1 now ) and was immediately registered with the Social Seguridad (National Health Service). That gave me free attention, treatment, and medication. Now there is a charge for medication, based on your income.
As Bobaol say, call DWP overseas, Newcastle, they will advise you.
Once registered the DWP pay a set amount, I think it is now £3,500 p.p. that covers all the costs, there is no billing UK.
This message was last edited by johnzx on 30/01/2013.
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Thank you all so much for your help - I will indeed ring Newcastle :)
Thanks again, Lynn
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i am just saying WOW at your first post.
If anyone had those health problems in spain i would recommend they get back to the uk as fast as possible.
just WOW
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i coldnt stay away from you miserable whining whingers for some reason
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lol I thought healthcare in Spain was comparable to, or better than, here in the UK?
But to be honest, if we're going to snark it, we'd rather do so in the sun and not stuck inside watching the gas bill rise as we try to keep warm :)
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Healthcare in Spain is consistenly higher than that in the UK using all measurable comparatives. BUT it is not necessarily free at the point of care.
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From personal contact with the health service in Spain I would think it is pretty much on a level with the UK when I left 25 years. It can be outstandingly good, average or very poor. However, if one does not speak Spanish pretty well, it may be worse than UK.
From personal contact with the health service in Spain I would think it is pretty much on a level with the UK when I left 25 years. It can be outstandingly good, average, or very poor.
However, if one does not speak Spanish pretty well, it may be worse than UK., because of the potential language difficulties
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And if you do need an interpretor you will have to pay for them yourself. I had to do this when admitted for emergency surgery which I didn't mind but it was expensive. Fortunately a cleaner overheard this and offered her services, she was a teacher who'd lived in the US for 20 years and returned to Spain when her marriage ended and she could only find a job as a hospital cleaner. Lucky for me very sad for her.
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Poppyseed
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Poppy, I have been a voluntary translator for 15 years with the National Police.
I got the idea to set up a service from seeing a similar service at an Ambulatoria. At that time my Spanish was so bad I would have killed the patients if I had worked there. So I convinced the police for the area where I lived that they need volunteers.
Within the next couple of years I was approached by the Comisarios of two other National Police Stations and two Guardia Civil stations. For several years, I recruited, trained, and supported about 60 volunteers who worked at the five stations.
Eventually I ‘retired’ from the being the co-ordinator and now I do just one morning,
The work is important and I am sure that people who can speak reasonable Spanish would be welcome at almost anywhere that foreigners attend.
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Healthcare may be as good as UK, but nursing care is non existent, even though the Spanish NHS has the equivalent of the nursing assistant.As one who has stayed night and day with a seriously ill partner, it can be a very lonely and frustrating experience. Fortunately as a former nurse, and at intermediate level in Spanish, I was not as badly off as someone who couldn't speak any, If someone has no support out here it will be a nightmare, especially if the caring partner is elderly or infirm, not to mention expensive if the hospital is not nearby. Friends and neighbours can only do so much;they have their own problems and families to deal with.There are agencies who will stay with a patient 24 hours a day, but at a fee of approx 20 euros an hour that could turn out to be very expensive.
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but nursing care is non existent,
I agree, although having been in hospital in Spain alone I have had reasonable nursing care when I told them I had no family to come i and help out.
I do not think the Spanish way is that unusual in the world; it maybe that the UK National Health System in UK is more unique than most people realise.
I know for example, that Filipinos nurses who go to work in UK, whilst having probably higher qualifications, are taught how to care to the patients, i.e. helping them to eat, washing them, etc. as that is not part of a nurses duties in the Philippines.
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Eek well that's all a tad scary! I take it the lack of nursing care applies to the hospitals that provide the standard - i.e. not via private medical insurance - healthcare in Spain?
Which, were we to pay into the Spanish healthcare system, or be under the remit of the S1 system, would go to should it be needed?
And forgive my ignorance but if nursing care isn't available, who administers and oversees IV fluids for example or other meds by injection such as painkillers?
I also had no idea that interpretors were not readily available either. I guess I've been watching too much Benidorm ER ;)
It's all certainly food for thought, so thank you for pointing it all out to me.
Lynn
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Lynn,
Nursing care, as you describe, is of course provided.
It the the ancillary care, helping with eating, washing, etc which is not usually provided. That also often applies to private hospitals too.
Most private hospitals, in my experience that is, provide a second bed for the ‘helper’ (family member, friend etc) who would usually be there 24/7 to provide the care not provided by the staff.
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Ah i see, well that certainly clarifies things. That I think we could cope with ;)
Many thanks
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Nursing care is, of course, provided in hospitals. It's the bits like tucking the patient up at night, providing little extras etc that the Spanish families come in and do. It's one of the reasons the hospital near us provides an extra bed for relatives to stay if they so wish. If there is no family, the nurses will do it but, like most countries, the family is expected to help out. It's also what's being recommended for UK hospitals as well with the "too posh to wash" report. Oh, and it's 75 deg F in my front garden at the moment. Just pointing out the sunny aspects, like, so you won't get too depressed with some of the posters. If you are at a loose end, nip over to the "Eye on Spain Guess the Tax Laws" game.
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All medical treatment eg injections, drugs, iv fluids, observations, catheters etc is administed by the nurses. When I say nursing care I mean help with washing, feeding, mobility, care to pressure areas.For example my husband was uanable to attend to his personal care and nutritional needs. I washed him, fed him, and when able assisted him with getting into the chair, walking.Nurses don't come round and check if you can eat or drink.Assistants make the bed, dish ot meal trays, empty catheters. They did wash his back when they turned him while making the bed. I asked for assistance to lift him up the bed, and they did help. When I had to leave him to travel back to the villa to get money, change of clothes etc. the family of the man in the bed next to him helped him to have a drink, and kept an eye on him.If you can't be with the patient the nurses expect you to arrange for someone else to be there, or for you to pay for a carer.
When my neighbour had a hip replacement recently, we expected a physiotherapist to come round to mobilise him-there are a lot of do,s and don'ts post op, but no, his wife and I got him going. crutches, zimmers, toilet seat raisers are supplied by you, and they are not cheap.luckily my neighbour was able to borrow them. I f you need to aadapt your home , again the cost and arrangements will be down to you. we take so much for granted in the UK!
I think health is the biggest issue , apart from finances, when you consider moving to Spain.
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Thanks Bob ;) Everyone's replies are very helpful, and yours is making me very jealous vis a vis the 75 deg :)
Thanks again, Lynn
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Camposol, thank you for your response. I'm sorry to hear you had to go through such a lot, but hoping all's as well as it can be now, and thanks again for your helpful replies ;)
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