Is Health Care still Free

Some of you might have noticed recently that moves are afoot in the Spanish Health Service. Normally UK citizens are entitled to the same services as any Spanish citizen under a reciprocal agreement between the Spanish & UK Governments.

However, there is a mood growing within both the Spanish Health Service and various regional governments [to whom health-care is devolved], that the the should be clarified, read tightened, as to who does and does not qualify for it.

Currently, all EU citizens who are registered as resident in Spain, those working and paying taxes, and those over the age of retirement are able to benefit from the Spanish Health Service. But everyone else from now on will only be entitled to emergency treatment, under the auspices of the European Health Insurance Card. And from now on the Spanish Public Sector Union SiMAP has indicated that its members are going to tighten up which ailments they consider emergencies and which not.

The meaning of this for Brits who wish to spend time in Spain, is that unless you wish to fully integrate yourself into Spanish society, you had better start thinking about taking out some form of International Health Insurance. As Spain is getting tough on freeloaders.