21 Jun 2014 3:12 PM:

Latest Update

We returned to the medical centre yesterday, this time to meet with a rep from the INSS (who is here once a month to sort out admin issues). She was really helpful, explaining everything and speaking slowly so that we could understand. She has given each of us a copies of the form "Solicitud de Tarjeta Sanitaria"  (Application for a Health Card) which serves as a temporary card. Note: the Junta de Andalucia DOES NOT ISSUE TEMPORARY HEALTH CARDS, contrary to what the British Embassy states! It may be different in other regions. We were advised that our Health Cards will be sent by post.

I hope this helps anyone else who applies for their Health Cards in Andalucia. However, it does seem to help if you find people who who work in the places where you need help, e.g. the INSS office!

 

Thread: Refused emergency medical treatment

--------------------------------------

13 Jun 2014 5:27 PM:

UPDATE.

I returned to the INSS office with a different gestor and the mountain of paperwork we have amassed and met with a representative who was expecting us. We were told that the S1 forms are no longer valid but, as pensioners, we do have the right to intial medical treatment and consultation with the medico at our local Medical Centre. We were not given temporary medical cards, which our (English) paperwork said we should get, despite our asking. We were instead given a single sheet stating that we are intitled to initial consultations. We were told to register at our local Medical Centre with this letter. At last, I thought! We're as good as there! However, not so. The receptionist at the Medical Centre has told us the paperworkwork we have "No sirve" (is useless). When I asked what we should do he just shrugged his shoulders.

This was just 20 minutes ago. I'm back to contacting the gestor again! There seems to be three sets of rules - the ones that the UK tells you, the ones that the Spanish authorities tell you and the ones that are actually applied!

 

This message was last edited by Scooby2 on 13/06/2014.
Thread: Refused emergency medical treatment

--------------------------------------

11 May 2014 4:58 PM:

Hi johnzx

Brilliant! Thank you. And I can complete it and save it on my PC if I want. And I live in Andalucía.

 

Thread: Refused emergency medical treatment

--------------------------------------

11 May 2014 4:28 PM:

Hi johnzx

Thank you very much for this information - it's invaluable. Thanks for the info about the form, too - all useful stuff.

I have emailed my gestor and mentioned the Hoja de Reclamación. I await her response.

As an aside, your mention of your wife being a Filipina brought fond memories of the place and the lovely people I met in Cebu about 30 years ago...

Thread: Refused emergency medical treatment

--------------------------------------

11 May 2014 3:31 PM:

We thought the clerk was talking rubbish too, as did our gestor. Yes, we are over retirement age, receiving UK state pension but we are not registered disabled. We took letters from the International Pension Centre in Tyne & Wear detailing entitlement but the clerk wasn't interested as they are in English. He didn't give them more than a cursory glance. We subsequently rang the UK Pension Centre and asked for them in Spanish but they don't provide them in any other language. They advised us to get them professionally translated but until our gestor comes back to us witht details of the new laws here in Spain I think that it would be a waste of money.

I took all our certificates of empradonamiento. We had one in 2007 when we first moved here, one for each of the cars we bought (2008, 2012) and the latest is dated February this year. The clerk didn't look at them. He insisted that as we have not paid into the Spanish system, we are not entitled.

Thanks for the tip about the Hoja de Reclamación. I thought it was just for purchases of goods or services which are sold. Our gestor suggested we make a denuncia but suggested we wait until she had checked the law. I'll mention that to her (I'm about to email her to see if she has any news).

I was also under the impression that the Spanish government receives a concession for every foreigner on their health system from the government of the native country of the immigrant, i.e. the UK government pays the Spanish for each expat who has emigrated here and registered on the health system. By making it impossible to register, the Spanish government is missing out (if this is true).

Thread: Refused emergency medical treatment

--------------------------------------