Perhaps this is the first time you are asking yourself this question, or maybe you have already had some health problem while in Spain and that is why you want to know more about how the public health system works in this country. Having the right information is essential to be able to feel secure and protect your loved ones.
That is why, if you are asking yourself: Does Spain have free healthcare for foreigners? This article is for you. In this brief guide, we will talk to you about the coverage available to foreigners in Spain and also about the benefits of having private insurance. Being able to choose is your right, informing you so that you can choose is our pleasure.
To be able to answer the question that brought us here today, it is important to be clear about who we are talking about when we talk about foreigners. Although all foreigners share the lack of Spanish nationality, they are not all equal in case they need medical assistance in Spain.
On the one hand, there are foreigners who arrive in the country as tourists traveling from outside the European Union or Switzerland. That is to say, people who are passing through the country, and who arrive with the sole intention of enjoying a brief stay, which will be a maximum of 90 days. We could refer to the people in this group as non-community tourists.
On the other hand, we find foreigners belonging to the countries that make up the European Union, who travel to Spain only as tourists. They have no intention of becoming residents. We will call them EU citizens.
Finally, we will talk about foreigners who live in Spain legally, either for personal or professional reasons. These are resident foreigners, who have their Spanish documentation (what is commonly known as NIE, Número de Identidad de Extranjero.)
Now, taking these three profiles into account, we can start by saying that all of them have some type of coverage in case of an emergency in Spain. However, the same does not happen if we talk about regular medical consultations or with specialists.
Currently, Spain has a universal healthcare system which is financed through taxation. This means that it is a contributory system. The so-called SNS (Sistema Nacional de Salud) guarantees coverage for all residents, regardless of whether they are employed or not. This implies that those we have previously called resident foreigners are covered in the same way as a Spanish citizen and will be assigned a social security affiliation number and their own health card. In this way, they will have free access to primary care consultations, specialists, emergencies, hospital admissions, etc. In the same way, they will have important discounts on their prescription medications.
On the other hand, those we have previously called EU citizens and arrive in Spain as tourists do not have all the coverage. In the event that one of them had an emergency during their stay, they would have coverage by presenting their European Health Insurance Card. They would be treated the same as a Spanish citizen to help them, but subsequent consultations would not be covered and the emergency coverage will not always be 100% free care. This will depend on the circumstances and the Autonomous Community in which they receive care.
Finally, those we have called non-community tourists would be the most exposed people since they do not have free healthcare in Spain. Non-community foreigners must have private health insurance upon arrival at their destination, and said insurance will cover the costs of any medical emergency they have in Spain. If they do not have that insurance, they would have to pay themselves all the costs derived from their care or admission to a Spanish public hospital. As you can imagine, these costs are usually quite high, so it is not recommended in any case to go on vacation without having good medical insurance.
In any of the previous cases, having private health insurance is an advantage. Not only because of the certainty of being covered, but also because of the peace of mind of having a series of services and amenities available that streamline procedures and guarantee patient satisfaction.
If you are a resident foreigner in Spain, this probably sounds familiar to you. Today, health insurance is not considered a luxury service but rather an almost essential benefit when what we are looking for is availability and speed in our health care. Unfortunately, the Spanish public health system currently suffers from a shortage of professionals in many of its centers, which causes delays and long waiting lists for certain diagnostic tests, consultations with specialists, and surgical procedures.
If you are interested in having the coverage of good medical insurance, I recommend that you take a look at Caser Health Insurance. On their website you will find different options, all of them designed to meet the needs of expatriates like you who live in Spain. You will see that the different plans are designed to cover specific needs, such as Integral, Adapta+Dental or Caser Salud +60. Beyond the differential characteristics of each plan, all of them offer essential services such as 24/7 coverage, telemedicine service, emergency home assistance, diagnostic tests, etc. And best of all: you will see waiting times reduced thanks to the great medical team that Caser puts at your disposal throughout the Spanish geography.
As I always recommend, the best thing is for you to see the details of each plan yourself, analyze which one best suits your current needs and get your personal quotation. It is not the same to think about individual coverage, a family plan, or even the coverage you need during your retirement. We started this article by asking ourselves: Does Spain have free healthcare for foreigners? and I sincerely hope that by reaching the end of it, you have things clearer and can decide how to take care of your health and that of your loved ones.
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If you are searching for health insurance in Spain, Caser Expat Insurance has the right policy for you!
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