Clair Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 British expatriates in Spain foot the bill for medical treatment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Funny because I believed this to have been the case in Spain for some time. Interestingly, private health cover is somewhat cheaper there than it is here - mainly (it's my belief) because the state charges are lower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted June 27, 2008 Author Share Posted June 27, 2008 Could it be that this is agreed at provincial level?It would appear in this instance, that this province alone is acting this way.Edit: after all, if health care in France is supposedly free, it could be that the approach of one province in Spain has been seen to be a generalised one...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjamin Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 This has been a growing problem for some time in Spain; in fact about two years ago the Sunday Times ran an article where the then Spanish Health Minister stated that the Government could no longer afford to support all of the ex-pats from around Europe who retire there.Because the ssytem is free at the point of delivery a great many pensioners did not bother to get E121's when they passed their retirement age thus increasing the burden on the systemI know from the experience of a friend who lives near Malaga who was refuseed access to a hip replacement operation because he was turned 65 years, until he produced and registered a valid E121.If this proposal makes people who are eligible for an E121 actually obtain and register one then it certainly will go a long way towards easing the funding problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 In 2002 the provincial government offered freehealthcare to all expatriates of all EU nationalities in a bid to getforeign investment in the area's property market, which at that timewas booming. The market is now experiencing a similar downturn to thatbeing seen in the UK. The ruling only applies to people who took early retirement and moved to Spain, mainly aged in their fifties.Surely the above part of the report is the crux of the matter. Spain attracted people in their 50s with the promise of free health care in exchange for their investment in the region. Those of retirement age were not affected as they were and are eligible for an E121.6 years down the line, the promise is withdrawn. The poor buggers who believed the promise (and subsequently invested their funds in the region) are now screwed. Perhaps they should have realised that Govt promises are (like Govts everywhere) meaningless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJT Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 [quote user="powerdesal"]6 years down the line, the promise is withdrawn. The poor buggers who believed the promise (and subsequently invested their funds in the region) are now screwed. Perhaps they should have realised that Govt promises are (like Govts everywhere) meaningless. [/quote]Sounds familiar. [Www] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted June 30, 2008 Author Share Posted June 30, 2008 Follow-up article: France and Spain get tougher on benefits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted June 30, 2008 Share Posted June 30, 2008 I posted a reaction to the original article (pointing out - gently I thought - that the difference between us and what the Spanish expats want, was the fact that we wanted to pay for our treatment whereas they want it for nowt) but - surprise, surprise, it was not published. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Update: Expats in Valencia: Reprieve for early retirees in Valencia crackdownand another article, this one about a woman stuck in a healthcare "no man's land". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunday Driver Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Interesting quote from the original Telegraph article:"Bob Houliston, 71, a retired diplomat who is now president of the Claro political party, which represents the 20,000 expat residents of the Orihuela area near Alicante, said the move could have "serious consequences". "The timing of this decision could not have been worse. Now is not the time to cause individual hardship and widespread uncertainty which can only add to the image problems the region has to contend with," he said. "It should surely be possible for the United Kingdom and Valencia government authorities to find solutions for the relatively small number of British citizens living in Valencia who could otherwise face real hardship." Given that (according to Wikipedia) the total population of the Orihuela area is only around 80,000, I don't see how one can describe the number of British citizens as "relatively small". If a significant proportion of them are early retired without E-forms and benefitting from free healthcare, then it's little wonder the local health system is under pressure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just john Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I guess one way of looking at it might be that Healthcare costs for 20K ex-pats picked by the British Gov under existing formula, is relatively small for the UK. Certainly the exit of 20K ex-pats from the region would have a seriously dentrimental effect on the local economy; (ie if someone had an illness serious enough to consider selling up at any price and coming back to healthcare entitlements in the UK; further, if a UK national then returned to incur health costs, they might also require further support, Housing benefits, carers etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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