Insurance and medical costs

Hi Shawn, there are quit some  privat Health Insurances companies in Spain. All depending on which Insurance company,  you will have to pay some costs for consults or medication. Of course not the total costs but a porcentage of it. But  you can also choose, your monthly payment will be a bit higher if you choose not to pay an extra for doctor consult etcetera. My husband is insured via Sanitas and doesn´t pay extra for doctor consults or prescriptions but I have to say that he doesn´t need a doctor very often! He pays about 75eur/month. I am insured via Social Security system. According to the OMBUDS Organization OCU best privat Health companies are Mapfre, Caser or Asisa. But with them it is not possible to choose the option not to pay the doctor. Another good one  is DKV (origin is German) Insurances.

Good luck with your me to Spain! Have you already chosen an area to live?

Saludos, Christa

Oeps, ...move to Spain...

What about the Spanish health system? As I understand it, you need to register and then it costs 60 euros per month. I didn't see what nationality you are? But again, as I understand it, if you are British and retirement age then the NHS pays for your health care.

Be interested to see what others have to say?

Good luck, Phil

We are Americans and will not be working in Spain, so we are not eligible for the Spanish health care system.

The monthly  60 euro fee for Seguridad Social is the starting fee when you start your own business as a freelancer / autonomo. After 6 months it will increase to 130eur/month, then after 6 months 180eur / month and then up to about 250eur/month.
If you are employed by a Spanish company then automatically you are insured via Spanish Nationa Health insurance. Or when you ve reached the retire age, applying via S1 forms, depending on the authorities of your origin homecountry.

ps Big advantage of the SEguridad Social health insurance as autonomo is that you can insure regardless of serious pre-existing conditions. No Spanish private insurer will insure one if one has those. Also, it is an insurance one can get for the whole family, not just for one person. I suggest though to get supplementary insurance for private clinics for those family members who have no serious pre-existing conditions. That way you have all clinics covered. Note that to get into academic hospitals one often needs the national insurance. Not every insurer has coverage with all academic hospitals included and there are quite some top specialists one may need to see there if one has special conditions. Private insurer DKV has some academic hospitals under contract i my area of Galicia since recently, but I have no idea if that is also so nationwide. They are one of top insurers here. Like Sanitas (part of Bupa) they are part of a German insurer and well prepared for foreign members. Not all Spanish insurers are.

Can anyone please tell me the percentage % of wage deduction or standard fee for Seguridad social is in Spain? I just want to check my contract is correct and that my employer is deducting the correct amount.