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Citizens from the USA moving to Spain - Are you applying for a visa for Spain ?
Here we provide some information to assist US citizens who may be looking to obtain a Spanish visa: NLV, Student visa, Nomad Visa or Golden Visa.
Over the years at Tailor Made Healthcare Spain, we have assisted many American citizens in setting up their Spanish Private Healthcare Insurance.
Choosing the correct policy that meets the specific criteria set out by the Spanish authorities is key and some of the necessary questions and requirements to set up a policy can leave you confused.
We have dealt with many Spanish Consulates around the world and are very familiar with the differences in their approach. For instance we are aware that the Consulate in Los Angeles may have different tick boxes to the Spanish consulate in Florida.
Let us start off with the criteria and what exactly a Spanish medical insurance needs to include to meet the criteria.
If you tell us you need the policy for the purpose of a Visa then we have 7 policy levels we can offer that meet that criteria and we will not present you with the 3 policy levels that do not comply.
1. National Medical network across all of Spain.
2. Full Primary care.
3. Full Specialist Care.
4. Hospitalization.
5. No copago (no policy excess).
6. No limitation on treatment cost.
7. Annually contracted/Annually renewable.
For residency/visa you will need to start the policy on a chosen month so it is already set up and active to present on appointment at the consulate.
This, for many, means having the policy issued perhaps a month or two before the actual move to Spain.
The policy needs to be an annual insurance and needs to be contracted for the full 12 month term. The insurance must also be contractually renewable - this means that like many Spanish insurances from car insurance to home insurance it will simply auto-renew unless you have given the correct notice to terminate the policy at least a month before the expiry date.
The Consulate will also ask to see proof that the policy has been paid upfront in full for the 12 months.
Having said that, occasionally we hear from clients who tell us they were approved even when opting for monthly premium payments but most officials will check the payment period and will insist on a policy with the term paid up in full.
The actual policy to be presented must be a Spanish Insurance, but for your convenience Tailor Made Healthcare will also will provide you with the English translated version of the policy's terms & conditions.
Tailor Made Healthcare will also provide the required "Certificado Garantias", organized within minutes of the policy going live. This is a certificate the Spanish authorities expect to see, as it saves them the trouble of reading through all your policy documentation at the application appointment.
Once you have agreed on which medical insurance policy you want to apply for, there are several potential obstacles you may need to work out in order to apply for the insurance. The main issue is that most Spanish Healthcare providers require an address in Spain. There will be some reading this who will not have a Spanish address until they arrive in Spain to find one.
We have a simple solution and we suggest to customers that you can use our address to set up the policy and then once you arrive and find accommodation we simply notify the Insurance Company of your change of address.
The next issue often seen is that the insurer will require to collect the payment direct from your bank account via the European Direct Debit system. The application process will normally ask you to provide your Spanish or European bank account IBAN number (an international account number with identifier).
Again we have a means to an end and Tailor Made Healthcare can offer you (if required) a Spanish IBAN account (where you can transfer the payment to just before the day the policy is due to start).
Then on the activation date the Insurer will collect the payment by direct debit from that account.
In addition to the medical insurance for US citizens, the authorities ask that you also arrange a repatriation insurance that repatriates you back to the USA in the event of death. Some of you may have been looking at several Spanish medical insurance policies and made a note that they do mention repatriation cover.
Many US citizens present the Private Medical policy and show the representative at the Spanish consulate the clause/paragraph detailing that there is repatriation cover and the Consulate representative will nod in acceptance and move on to other things. However be aware that any reference to repatriation in a Spanish medical insurance is there only to repatriate you back to Spain! Many people seem to present the Spanish authorities with a medical insurance indicating it has repatriation and, through lack of checking, end up not needing it.
REPATRIATION POLICY
The only policy in Spain that offers repatriation back to the land of your birth/origin will be in the very low cost Spanish funeral policy. The Funeral insurance provides an option that if you do not require a funeral in Spain you can opt under the policy for repatriation to your homeland.
A Spanish Funeral Insurance for say a 60 year old living in Alicante will mean a single payment of just under 150,00 € for the first year's cover (price indicator as at April 2022).
Tailor Made Healthcare Spain will assist you and present you with the Private Health Policy prices and go through the various policy options with you answering all your questions by email or if you prefer at your request over the phone.
If you are taking any insurance in Spain and if you do not speak Spanish very well then always use an agency that will provide ongoing help and support beyond the start date of the policy. Good health and healthcare can only be achieved if you understand the policy and how to use it.
For all medical insurances in Spain be aware of the "Carencia" (Period of Grace) as ALL medical insurance policies have a few exclusions for certain things that will not be covered in the early stages of the policy.
For our policy (DKVSeguros) we have probably the least exclusions in the Period of Grace of any other Spanish Insurer.
The exclusions in the policies that we sell only include as follow: NO surgery or hospitalization in first 6 months, no pregnancy cover in the first 8 months and no transplants in the first 12 months. Our nearest medical insurance competitor Sanitas will have more initial exclusions and they also add in a NO Oncology in first 9 months which DKV do not have.
So, knowing that there are these exclusions, if you find your visa appointment date is 2 months before your travel date then at least those 2 months eat into your Period of Grace.
As a very experienced Agency in respect of setting up Medical Insurance for a Visa we have encountered and successfully overcome many odd nuances that have arisen over the years.
If you hit across a conundrum with your arrangements in connection with any issue eg dates, exclusions of pre-existing conditions, an address in Spain or the issue of a bank payment for the premium, please feel free to email myself or Andy and we will provide you with the answers that we know will work gleamed after many years of tried and adapted solutions.
If you want to check our credentials feel free to contact DKV Seguros quoting agency 001289.
We are listed as one of their Agencies of Excellence. You can also Google ¨Tailor Made Healthcare Spain¨ and check out our customer Google Reviews.
Wishing you all the best with the application and process.
Francis Payne
Tailor Made Healthcare Spain
Our Latest Blog Entry
April 2022
Your health and wellbeing in Spain
We dream of living by the Mediterranean and the very thought of a life in the sun projects dreams of a wonderful future of health and happiness.
Peace of mind is key to the enjoyment of the special lifestyle Spain has to offer and beyond owning a dream home those planning a move seriously need to consider healthcare. The importance of making provision for regular checks, tests and preventative screening as you grow older becomes paramount as early detection is key to living longer and properly managing a serious condition will mean you can enjoy the benefits of living in Spain for years to come.
The good news is that Spain´s Costa del Sol has an excellent choice of private medical clinics, surgeries and hospitals.
For private healthcare in Spain there are two different types of medical insurance. The option you choose will depend very much on your lifestyle and below we provide some detail. Both options detailed below provide direct access to Specialists no need for referrals or Insurers permissions and guess what Spain is the place in the world where Private Healthcare Insurance is more affordable.
WORLDWIDE
1. A Spanish private health insurance can be an insurance where you have freedom of choice to use any doctor you want anywhere in the world. This style of policy normally means you pay upfront for the treatment and make a claim to recover the costs.
In Spain this type of medical policy is known as a Reembolso policy (reclaim policy). With this insurance you can opt to use some of the best medical doctors and consultants wherever you are in the world and tailor your policy reflect the high or low costs of the main countries you will travel to.
SPAIN ONLY
2. This is a very affordable insurance policy in Spain known as a medical network insurance. This is a medical policy where you always use a Doctor or Consultant that is affiliated with the medical insurer. With this policy there is no upfront payment you simply show a medical card and receive treatment.
There are many insurers to choose from in Spain but be aware that the majority of the network insurances will include a lot of exclusions and price limits on treatment. However there are some very good policies which have a category 1 rating for the highest levels of cover and least exclusions.
VISA / RESIDENCY SPAIN
Both types of policy can be used in Spain for visa or residency applications as long as they comply with Spain´s strict requirements.
When choosing a medical insurance policy for residency you need to check that it has all the required parts that qualify it for a visa or residency application.
These are as follows:
1. Medical network across all of Spain.
2. Full Primary Care.
3. Full Specialists Care.
4. Hospitalization.
5. No copago. (no policy excess)
6. No limitation on treatment cost.
7. Policy must be Annually contracted/Annually renewable.
The policy to be presented at the Consulate must be a Spanish Insurance as the authorities do not accept foreign medical insurance even though the insurance you have may have worldwide cover.
The policy needs to be fixed annual term and normally they insist on proof the full premium paid up.
It is a requirement to produce a Certificate of Guarantee of cover to the Embassy or the Police authority as they generally do not want to be reading through policy documents at the appointment. The Certifcado de Garantia is a summary reflecting 1 to 7 above.
With modern technology a medical insurance is simple to arrange and can be set up over the phone and signed by using online activation.
As with virtually all countries around the world the State Health system here in Spain has been hit hard. At the beginning of the Covid19 pandemic the Spanish Public Health Authority announced that all non-essential healthcare treatments and surgeries were cancelled with immediate effect. All those people who had patiently waited for treatments were told they must restart the process when life returns to normal and to this day cancellation of none life threatening treatments and surgeries has been a common thread in the Spanish news media.
Many people planning to move here are already aware of the issues facing public health and for many of those who are planning to start working in Spain, or setting up a business, the decision has already been made to go for private medical care simply for the peace of mind of knowing that this means they will receive faster and more efficient attention.
Tailor Made Healthcare Spain: Our agency provides our customers very detailed information regarding our insurance products pre policy and after arranging a policy we continue to support our customers in assisting them to get the best out of their medical insurance.
Over the last 5 years we have assisted over 1900 people with advice on medical insurance for Visas and Spanish residency. Not all of these have signed up with us but many who did not eventually returned on renewal simply because they did not understand the policy they had taken up through their Spanish bank or agent and where they found that Banks and many agents had no offer of support or ongoing assistance simply telling them to ring the dreaded call centre.
Our customer support is very personal and we consider it to be the best in Spain. Don´t take our word for it take a look at the google reviews for Tailor Made Healthcare Spain to see what our customers say about us.
We look forward to hearing from you. Prices and brochures can be obtained by clicking
big yellow QUICK QUOTE button top right corner of our web page www.tailormadehealthcarespain.org
Francis Payne
Tailor Made Healthcare Spain
YOU KNOW RENEWAL WILL MEAN A PRICE INCREASE - Lower the cost of your Spanish medical insurance by switching insurer.
February 14, 2022
As we all know Private Health insurances will increase with age.
By shopping around at renewal you can take advantage from Insurance Companies that offer new customers BIG discounts.
If your medical insurance policy is coming up to renewal and you would like to shop around there are a few things to keep in mind.
First of all before changing any private health insurance consider what illness if any, that you´ve been treated for, because you need to make certain that you will be eligible to obtain a policy and some illnesses may mean that cover will not be offered at all.
You should also check if the Company you are switching to will offer to waive the period of grace (Carencia in Spanish). You may recall that your policy in the first 6 months and 12 months had exclusions for a few treatments not available, these may have included hospitalization and surgery as well as organ transplants. Most Insurers when you change over to them will agree to scrap the period of grace if you prove you are switching from another Spanish Insurer.
Tailor Made Healthcare are an agency for DKV who are currently offering all new customers 36% off for the rest of 2022 and then 4 years further discount from 2023 onward reducing by 6% each year.
We will provide a price and brochures in English version and we will request your proof of existing policy to ensure we can get the period of grace exclusions INCLUDED from day 1. Once we are sure we then provide the new policy with full discount and full cover from day 1.
For more information or to request a price then call us or email us.
Alternatively visit our web page.
Tailor Made Healthcare Spain www.tailormadehealthcarespain.org
tel: 956 777 905
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Why have Private Health when I have an NHS S1 recipricol cover for Spain ?
January 15, 2022
The Spanish state healthcare is extremely good for all day to day medical issues that need treating at the local clinic. The access to a Spanish GP called a family Doctor in Spain is easy to arrange. The problems start when you need a Specialist.
Recently a relative of mine who has S1 cover and a private health policy decided that she would give the public health system a go simply because he wanted to be seen to be in the system and using the system. So with a complaint regarding stomach pain he attended a Spanish Centro de Salud in his town and was seen by the GP who initially gave him some drugs. Three weeks later he was back at the medical center as the pain had increased. The GP was able to book him an appointment for 2 months time with a Gastroenterologist. This appointment was cancelled and rescheduled for 2 weeks later. He finally attended the consultant who gave him an ultrasound and sent him to Admin to book a colonoscopy. The appointment given was for 5 weeks and the results would be available 2 weeks after. He finally returned to the consultant some 5 months after he first complained of the pain and a treatment plan was put in place to treat a very large ulcer.
Unfortunately the Ulcer burst the next day resulting in a dash to emergency department of the state hospital where extensive damage was treated. The shame was that at any time this customer of ours had access to shortcut all this but was determined and laid back despite the pain about giving the public health a go.
I believe he had ideas of cancelling the private policy.
Last month a relative of mine attended the emergency department of the nearest Private Hospital and an ultrasound showed severe inflammation in the intestine. The next day under the private insurance she saw the Specialist Gastroenterologist and within 4 days had the endoscopy. Diagnosis was established as likely colitis and a treatment plan was commenced 7 days to the day of attending the emergency ward.
So you have retired to Spain to enjoy life and to do so you need good ongoing health. In the public health system they are great at dealing with life threatening illness and disease once the diagnosis is established. It is the delay in getting to the diagnosis that means the issue has been exacerbated by the time diagnosis is established.
Your healthy lifestyle and living in Spain should include the freedom to see a Specialist Doctor without needing a referral and without any real waiting time.
Private Health is very low cost in Spain particularly if you volunteer to pay copago (small excess per treatment). When I need a Cardiologist for my once a year check up I simply pick up the phone dial his practice and book myself in normally being offered appointments within 10 days. Same for my wife and her annual Gynaecologist and Dermatologist checks.
When a GP is needed you phone and attend and request blood analysis, a urine analysis, an abdominal ultrasound check etc etc
You tend to do these things when it is easy to arrange and we tend to avoid these things when its not so easy.
Private Health is often less than the cost of an annual holiday and it could save or extend your life to enjoy yourself for longer in Spain.
