Health Insurance

[Cotillo_Tom]

Have been looking at health Insurance in preparation for our residency application. Had quotes from three firms,  each with or without excess payment. They range in cost 125, 220 and 240 with excess to 268, 272 and 285 without (all monthly payments).  We are 60 and 67 years old. 

Be interested to hear from others: how much do you pay, with or without excess, service level, recommended companies etc, including comments on the government scheme .

TIA

Tom 

[Johnrgby]

Have been looking at health Insurance in preparation for our residency application. Had quotes from three firms,  each with or without excess payment. They range in cost 125, 220 and 240 with excess to 268, 272 and 285 without (all monthly payments).  We are 60 and 67 years old. 

Be interested to hear from others: how much do you pay, with or without excess, service level, recommended companies etc, including comments on the government scheme .

TIA

Tom 

Can I ask why you would need private Health Insurance as you appear to be of an age to qualify for the Spanish health sytem

[Emmi Smith]

Thought you had to be in receipt of UK State Pension? Perhaps they are not quite there .....

[Spitfire58]

Certainly one of you should be at 67. The other probably not though. Still worth looking into IMO. Could half the cost until the second one gets to the S1 stage 

[Johnrgby]

Certainly one of you should be at 67. The other probably not though. Still worth looking into IMO. Could half the cost until the second one gets to the S1 stage 

Hiu Ron

according to his profile, he is 67 so must assume his wife/partner is 60, but I had forgotten the retirement age for women has increased in the UK

[Cotillo_Tom]

Hi folks,

For reasons I'd rather not detail here, I don't want to go down the S1 route, hence looking at private health insurance. We don't intend to become permanent residents but we do want to be on the island for about six months or more each year. 

Thanks for your comments so far, but I'm still looking for information about costs of private health insurance. Replies by pm are fine if it's more preferable. 

Tom.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Hi all

Sorry Tom this is not the info you are looking for - I don't have any experience of the private health insurance system here - but I just wanted to add my pennorth to the comments added by others re the S1/reciprocal healthcare.

If one half of a couple is in receipt of UK state pension and therefore entitled to a S1, the other half can also get their S1 as a 'dependent' of the first person.

One thing about the Convenio Especial (the Spanish Health System that you pay for yourself) is that you have to have been resident for a minimum of a year before you can apply for it so you would still need to take private cover for at least a year.

[classic]

Further to Tamara's post, I have been resident for more than a year and am going to 'attempt' the Convenio especial next year - I will post on progress!

[Robbo]

I *think* what Tom means is that he wishes to keep a UK footprint so that he/they can continue to use the NHS, even though they may spend the greater amount of time in Fuerte. 

Eligibility to use the NHS is based on being resident in the UK, so that's presumably why they don't want to go down the S1 route (because that would flag them as being resident elsewhere) - not strictly kosher use of the NHS but there you go....

[Spitfire58]

I actually think it is a sensible idea. Put the shoe on the other foot & any government will screw you for every tax/penalty/charge possible, why not even the score as much as you can !!