Health in Spain - Costa Blanca.
Although healthcare can be a daunting thought wherever you are ,and there are many differences in the Spanish system to that of the UK, in general in the Costa Blanca region we benefit from a superb health service, we have the internationally renowned Torrevieja hospital with top class surgeons and consultants, and private hospital care such as that provided by San Jaime.
There are many statistics indicating that the health services both provide are to a very high international standard.
In the Torrevieja area in particular, there have been many studies that conclude that we have one of the healthiest micro climates on earth due to the famous Salt lakes, in fact many people move here for that reason alone.
Spain has a national health system that provides free or low cost health care for people who contribute to Spanish social security this free service also includes their dependants. People who work in Spain and qualify will need to obtain a S.I.P card. More information about the SIP can be obtained from the local Town Hall.
Members of other EU states can also qualify subject to their status for free healthcare, and pensioners in Spain are advised to properly check their indiviudal situation before they leave thier country of origin.
In each individual circumstance it is highly recommended that advice is sought about the type of healthcare that each person and their family members are entitled too, and to contact insurance providers for quotes and advice about the types of cover available, there are a number of local companies that work specificially with ex-pats.
Pharmacy services are quite straight forward in the Costa Blanca region with most local pharmacies having fluent English speaking staff, and as in the UK you can easily buy basic medicines over the counter. In the Costa Blanca region there is always a list available of pharmacies providing out of hours cover and the servcies are usually excellent.
Visitors’ from the UK will find however that there is one major difference in that medicines that can usually be purchased in our superstores or general stores can only be purchased via a pharmacy. With regards to costs many medicines are comparable in price to those back home.
More information can be found on various websites, via private insurance providers , and in the instance of citizens of the UK via the Direct Gov site.
