Yes, but only after being legally resident in Spain for 12 months.

The scheme is called convenio especial and costs around 60€ per person per month (maybe more depending upon age?).

 

60€ a month up to the age of 65 & 157€ a month thereafter

 

Ok, thanks to you both!

 

Can I just confirm that buying into the Convenio Especial is open to everyone, not just EU citizens?

 

yes, it's open to everyone

 

Cheers Infomaniac!

 

That's great-thanks a lot.

 

I'm so surprised by the difference in health insurance costs in Spain as opposed to the US. Here in the US, a person might pay $600-700 per month for insurance, and still have a $5000 annual deductible to meet before anything is covered. Even then, there are high co-pays and dental usually isn't covered (separate policy). This is one of the reasons we're moving to Europe. Not to exploit medical services, but just to afford the insurance!

 

It's considerably cheaper here than it is in the UK too, although the difference is doubtless less great than it is between Spain and the US. We have private health insurance with no co-pays or deductibles and currently pay €60 per month each even though my husband is now over 65.

My brother in the UK has private health insurance via his employer's scheme and still ended up paying a thousand pounds towards the cost of recent spinal surgery because the company (BUPA, probably the largest provider in the UK) said the surgeon's fee for that particular operation was higher than they were prepared to pay, despite the surgeon being on their approved list). I have never come across that kind of attitude from our Spanish insurers, if the clinic, hospital or surgeon is on their approved list, then they pay with no quibbles.

An American couple own a holiday home very close to mine and they always have dental treatment during their stays here as it is so much cheaper for them, although they don't have a dental insurance policy here. The husband has even had a full set of implants.

 

What about for Spanish citizens? I ask because I have US/ESP citizenship but I've never worked, paid taxes, etc in Spain. And what about advanced needs, like chemotherapy, specifically? I'm doing chemo in the states with a careful eye on what drugs are used for my situation over there.

 

Spanish citizens automatically have access to healthcare (since Oct 2012)

We have a member here who reclaimed Spanish nationality & moved to Spain a few years ago who has full access to Spanish healthcare.

 

Yup, many Americans don't realize how bad their "insurance run" healthcare system is compared to the so called "government run" healthcare systems in other countries. I paid $360 a month in the US for high deductible, crappy insurance. I pay $65 a month in Spain. Anytime I compare prices of treatments like MRIs or drugs between the two countries, Spain is usually 80% less even if I am paying out of pocket. I generally wait less for appointments in Spain, my one emergency room visit in Spain had me waiting 5 minutes, the quality of the doctors is the same, and there is way less paperwork to fill out in Spain. I can't think of a single "pro" to my decades of health care in the US.

The biggest joke is that many Republicans think 1. there was very little, if anything, wrong with the US health care system before Obama came along or 2. patients are to blame for US healthcare problems.

"Instead, Huizenga (a Republican congressmen from my home state) says more responsibility needs to shift to the shoulders of patients to reduce costs. One way to do that is having them pay a bigger share of their medical expenses by increasing their insurance deductibles...."

Son's broken arm: Bill Huizenga says people must be responsible for own health care costs | MLive.com

 

I'm afraid they do know how bad it is. I've lived here for 30 years now and every time even a sniff of single payer government health insurance is mentioned, the shouts of 'Socialism' (read; Communism!) ring out. As Brad Pitt said in the movie "Killing them softly" America is a business. And nothing is allowed to get in the way of business.

The U.S. is a Capatocracy (made that up all by myself!)

U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective - The Commonwealth Fund

 

Does the Convenio Especial meet the medical insurance requirement for renewing a non-lucrative visa?

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

 

:welcome:

Yes it must - it's full coverage in the state system, with no exclusions - so better coverage than any private insurance.

 

You would only need repatriation cover if you wanted your remains returned to the US. For visas, though, it is often a requirement - but beware what 'repatriation' actually means in any policy, because it can relate to returning you to the US if you have a serious illness (always read the small print).

Thus repatriation cover once you have your visa and have established residence in Spain is an individual decision.

 

THAT makes sense.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk