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Guide for Expats in Spain Learning the Language in Spain
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International Health Insurance
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Who needs private medical insurance in Spain?If you are planning to live in Spain without contributing to social security (i.e., without working or without working legally), you need to get private medical insurance. Although public hospitals in Spain are obligated to attend any person who arrives for life-saving emergency treatment – regardless of nationality or legal status – they will not attend foreigners for a non-emergency unless the foreigner can provide proof of private insurance or a tarjeta sanitaria.
I have been rejected treatment at several public hospitals and medical centers in Madrid. Because I am an American with international medical insurance, they told me to go to a private hospital. In a pueblo near Segovia, they did treat me at the local medical office because there were no alternatives.
If you plan to work in Spain but want access to private health care, you should get a seguro privado (private medical insurance) to supplement the care you receive from Spain's public health system.
You have three basic choices for private health insurance in Spain: 1) Buy a global health insurance plan (also called expat health insurance or international health insurance) in your home country (or online) before coming to Spain; 2) Buy a private insurance plan in Spain (or online) from a Spanish insurance company; or 3) Keep your universal cover at home and buy a supplemental overseas health or travel plan.
A few things to consider when choosing an expatriate health plan Many expat insurance plans require you to be living away from your home country for at least six months each year. If you don’t meet this requirement, you should look into travel insurance or a supplement for your insurance coverage at home. Some expat plans cover you in one country (wherever you are living for 6+ months per year) and only provide coverage for emergencies and accidents outside of that country. Most global or international health plans will cover you for treatment in any country, but be sure to check with your insurance. Ask if you are covered for medical evacuation to your home country. A medical evacuation can cost $50,000 or more. Many Spanish hospitals will require you to pay for treatment up-front or upon checking out if you have an overseas insurer. You will then need to be reimbursed by your health plan. If this will be a problem for you, consider a Spanish health insurance provider, which may cover you for visits to their private networks in Spain. Many Spanish health plans will not cover you for treatment outside of Spain or will have reduced benefits, since they often cover a specific network of hospitals or medical care facilities. If you plan to purchase an international medical insurance plan, start looking as far in advance as possible. Many international and expat medical plans are provided by brokers, and they often need a month or longer to process your application and get approval from the actual insurance provider. If you don’t have a month, don’t worry – contact a few different places, give them your timeframe, and see what they can work out. I recently switched from one expat insurance plan to another, and the new broker was able to get everything set up in less than two weeks.
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spanish health system -- international health insurance providers -- prescriptions in spain
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