According to the World Health Organization, Spain's healthcare system is the seventh best in the world. Hospitals are modern, clean and well-equipped, waiting lists are shorter than in many countries and doctors and nurses are polite and professional.
However, nurses simply do “nursing”, medical treatment, rather than feeding and washing a patient. A relative is expected to stay with the patient to do these types of duties, so make sure that you have someone who can stay with you in hospital if you need an operation. Hospitals allow one visitor to stay with a patient 24 hours a day.
The health care system in Spain
It can be accessed by either paying into the social security system or by paying for private health cover. Tourists from the EU are covered for free health care by the EHIC health card and other groups of people may be covered by contributions they have made to the social security system in their home country.
EU Pensioners – Pensioners from within the EU, or from a country with an agreement with Spain, are eligible for free healthcare in Spain. Contact the Department of Work and Pensions, or equivalent, in your home country before you move, to obtain form E121. Register this form with your local social security office, who will issue you with a health card. Keep this card with you at all times because it has your unique social security number on it and will be required whenever you need medical treatment.
Other EU nationals – If you are of a working age, you may be covered temporarily for health care in Spain because of social security contributions that you have made in your home country. However, you will then need to start paying into the social security system or get private health cover.
Non-EU Nationals – You will not be covered for healthcare in Spain unless your country has an agreement with Spain or you are paying into the social security system or you have private health cover. Do not move to Spain without being covered in some way and make sure that your whole family is covered.
For further information on the social security system in Spain, see : seg-social.es
Private Health Insurance – If you are not covered by your home country and you are not paying into the social security system in Spain, private health cover is vital. You may even have to prove that you have health cover to get a visa or permit to live in Spain.
There are many health insurance companies in Spain and the benefits of private health cover are:
- You will be able to choose a doctor or specialist.
- Shorter waiting lists or no waiting list at all.
- Access to better hospitals and health services.
Shop around and get quotes from different companies If you already have private health cover, check whether it covers you in Spain. Do make sure that you declare all of your medical history and conditions that you suffer from, you do not want to invalidate your insurance.
So, how good is healthcare in Spain? Excellent, so make sure that you can get access to it.
