Convenio Especial application

[diddydoit]

Does anyone have any up to date information on this? has anyone applied for and received it recently?

[Sam]

Welcome to the forum and sorry for the late reply.

Not applied myself but considering Convenio Especial in the future. The best link to have some up to date information would be probably this one: http://healthcareinspain.eu/living-in-sp...ioespecial

A couple more: www.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo & www.gov.uk/living-in-spain

According to HealthcareinSpain you can make an enquiry and apply at your local healthcare centre, also read elsewhere, Ayuntamiento is good place to ask apparently. You'll need to be resident OR be on the padron for 12 months and for some reason, you won't be getting Spanish EHIC card. I hope the UK one will work instead??

[Robbo]

You'll need to be resident OR be on the padron for 12 months and for some reason, you won't be getting Spanish EHIC card. 

I don't see how this can be right? The Convenio insures you for healthcare on the same basis as a Spanish national, so, as long as your are not also covered by another member state, Spain would assume responsibility for the EHIC. 

Indeed, it says just that on the healthcareinspain.eu page:

"If you are covered by Spain for healthcare, you should apply for a Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea (EHIC equivalent) from your nearest  social security office (Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social) in person or online here."  

Is this not right?

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

On the HealthcareinSpain page it actually says:

No entitlement to healthcare cover? If you are not entitled to healthcare cover from Spain or the UK, you might be able to join the Spanish government’s pay-in health insurance scheme known as the[b] Convenio Especial[/b]. This scheme provides access to the state healthcare system for a monthly payment of €60 per person under the age of 65 and €157 for those age 65+. It covers all pre-existing medical conditions but it does not cover prescriptions. You will not be issued with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for healthcare cover outside of Spain (within the EU).

In order to apply, you must have been registered at the local Town Hall on the ‘padrón’ ([i]Certificado de Empadronamiento)[/i] in Spain for at least 1 year and you must not be in receipt of any healthcare cover from the UK. Please see list below:

It doesn't say it will cover you for healthcare on the same basis as a Spanish national and it quite clearly states it is a 'pay-in health insurance scheme'. So you are not 'covered by Spain' you are 'covered by yourself'!

[Johnrgby]

I found out by chance last evening that a neighbour who has been resident for circa 3/4 years is paying for private medical assistance, and is finding it a bit of a struggle, my knowledge of The Spanish Health System is not great other than as I am retired it is free to us, is it not possible for him to contribute to The Spanish Health System, he is retired, but is not of pensionable age, but I am sure someone told me you can contribute anyway, two questions is this correct, and secondly has anyone any idea of the monthly cost?

[classic]

Yes, that is correct. I am under pensionable age, but pay into the health system here - 60 euros a month (which was what my Private Insurance had cost beforehand).

[Johnrgby]

Yes, that is correct. I am under pensionable age, but pay into the health system here - 60 euros a month (which was what my Private Insurance had cost beforehand).

Thanks, Classic, that was what I thought, but was not sure, could you kind enough  let me have a heads up on the procedure for joining which I will pass on to him, he is currently paying 150€+ for him and his wife, I only realised when my wife mentioned she had been for a check up a couple of weeks ago and he said his cover did not cover that kind of thing

[classic]

As with anything 'legal' I always use Miguel at 'theboxxpro' - I don't trust my Spanish with form filling, and the 'goal posts' keep changing, so what I did over a year ago may not be the same procedure as now. 

info@theboxxpro.com or I expect he is on Facebook too.

[Johnrgby]

As with anything 'legal' I always use Miguel at 'theboxxpro' - I don't trust my Spanish with form filling, and the 'goal posts' keep changing, so what I did over a year ago may not be the same procedure as now. 

info@theboxxpro.com or I expect he is on Facebook too.

Thanks, Classic I used to use Miguel, I will point him towards the person I now use.