Pre existing health conditions

Hello, can anybody help me, I have a few pre existing health conditions, but it seems you cannot get covered by  insurance companies even if you take out there extensive cover, what does one do, I know lots of people that have high blood pressure so you are not covered if you have a stroke or heart attack?  I had cancer some 26 years ago, and have been cleared for years now, so yet again I would not be covered for any type of cancer that might happen in years to come.  Please if anybody can help to reveal what one is suppose to do, I would appreciate any advise and help.

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If you have pre-existing condition, I am afraid you will find it virtually impossible to get health insurance.  You may be able to get it at a very high cost, if at all,  but be careful of any restrictions laid down. 
You don't mention where you are in Spain or how old you are.  If you are over retirement age you will get free healthcare.  If not, you will get E106 cover (see my post under Valencia Healthcare to go).
If you have problems you should look into obtaining Incapacity allowance entitlement from UK.  You may not get any money but it will entitle you to an E121 form which will provide you with free healthcare in Spain as you will be entitled to the same cover as a pensioner.
All EU countries must provide emergency health care.  If you have a heart attack and collapse, you will be treated under the Spanish health service as an emergency.  If you have an ongoing problem, such as diabetes or asthma, you will probably have to pay for your health care if you are not covered by an E106/E121.  This is exactly the same procedure as for visitors to UK.  A severe diabetic coma or exacerbation of asthma should be treated as an emergency, however.
Sorry for the doom and gloom sounding post but there are things you can do to get round most of the problems. 

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Hello Baboal,  

Thank you for all your information,  I am finding that this is a very good forum, that at least people do reply to your questions as a lot of these sites seem years old, and with hardly any response.

I am a 52 year old female, my partner is 48, and we will not be working in Spain and obviously not within retirement age just yet. we will me moving to the Murcia region of Spain.  

Question you might be able to help me with, is that can we pay into the health service by paying contributions, would that be a way around this,  I am concerned that if I was to have any health issues, it would be very expensive and it would then eat into our savings which we intend to live on, until we reach retirement age.

Thanks again
Gill

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As I understand it, you can only pay into the Spanish system if you are employed.  I believe you can be self-employed and pay your own contributions but I haven't looked into that.  Some of the more informed members of this site have posted replies to that effect in the past so if you trawl through the other posts I am sure you will find something.  
Best of Luck

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You can make voluntary payments around 240e a month, only one person in the family need to pay to cover the whole family.  You said partner, if you're not married then both would have to pay.

After paying for 15 years you are entitled to a Spanish pension at 65.  

Under the new pension rules in 2010, you will be entitled to a pension if you have 30 years of NI credits, if you haven't read up on it already then I suggest you do as they are revising the criteria for getting NI credits.

You will not be able to draw your UK pension until you're 65, but for your partner it would be worthwhile paying into the system in Spain as they would have enough years (17) to rack up a pension.

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In order to pay social security contributions as autonomo (self employed), however, you will need to register some sort of economic activity, and file a tax return etc. as such too. And anyway, €250 euros a month is a helluva lot to pay (although medication is heavily subsidised on the SS, so depending on your requirements, it could work out beneficial). 
I was talking to someone a while ago, who told me they had taken out a private health policy with Mapfre, because they had an offer going where they didn't ask about any pre-existing conditions. May be worth checking it out, or at least talking to as many providers as poss. to see if any of them can help you.
Sanitas (connected to BUPA) are a big one, and other familiar names operate here, such as AXA. Get Googling!

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Hi, Thanks for all your comments and advise - great website 

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The only thing that would worry me about private health care is that it's limited as to what they will pay out for.  If you had a major illness and reached your ceiling then you are going to have to pay out yourselves for the rest of the treatment.

Bupa definately doesn't insure you for excisting conditions so I'd be very worried and want it in writing before I'd part with any money.

It is a lot of money but the health system  is brilliant, nothing like the UK NHS, there doesn't seem to be any quibling and waiting for tests, scans to be done.  It depends on the difference in costs and also how much you are liable to get on a Spanish Pension.

Also in the UK once you've started private treatment you can't revert back to NHS when the money runs out, does the same thing happen in Spain?.

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Actually you can revert back into the NHS once your private health insurance has run out - it's done all the time.

What the present fuss is about is running private treatment alongside NHS treatment for the same medical condition.

I have no idea what happens in Spain I'm afraid.

Gloria and Mike

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I think probably what Semi meant was, when your medical bills reach the limits imposed by your insurance - then you can't just walk into the NHS and say "my insurance won't pay anymore, so can I come back please for the rest of my treatment?" 
Strangely, however, my father was receiving treatment in a BUPA hospital when complications set in, for which they didn't have the necessary resources to deal with - so he was wheeled (literally) across the car park to the NHS hospital, where he continued to be treated, under the same consultant, but on the NHS! Bizarre.

What happens when you run private and NHS treatment alongside each other, is you get two differing opinions and end up not knowing your arse from your elbow (medical terminology)! Not recommended.

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