Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

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Kitchuche
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Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Kitchuche » Mon Dec 17, 2018 2:21 pm

Hello, I'm new to the forum and hope to give answers to others in time, but for now I have a major question to be answered.

My wife and I are moving from the UK to Granada Province in January 2019 to live their permanently. She has a Polish Passport and I am British.

I am 56 years old, my wife is 55, we will not be working but living off of capital and a pension pot in 10 years time.

My wife has Lymphoma but no treatment is needed at the moment other than regular blood tests. She is not taking any medication.

We have contacted 8 different health insurance companies but none will give a policy to my wife because of her cancer. Therefore she will not be able to apply for residency and will supposedly be an "illegal" after 3 months. We understand from the new laws that public healthcare in Andalacia should be free for everyone without any insurance. Has anyone out there obtained healthcare as non-pensionioners?

We are committed now, we've sold our house here and bought a house there already.

Any help would be appreciated.

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gerryh
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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby gerryh » Mon Dec 17, 2018 2:30 pm

Welcome to the forum.

Is your wife in the UK health system and the UK benefits system?
When we moved here we were both under retirement age.
Because of my wife's medical condition she was on incapacity benefit from the UK.
This entitled her to be regarded as a pensioner here and registered with the Spanish health system.
I was regarded as her dependant and was also registered in the Spanish health system.
Cheers
Gerry
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Lyric
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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Lyric » Mon Dec 17, 2018 3:31 pm

Think Wicksey has and is under pensionable age, she is certainly "in the system" at the same health center as me.

TorreDelAguila
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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby TorreDelAguila » Mon Dec 17, 2018 8:30 pm

Similar here: when my wife reached pensionable age, although I hadn't, I was accepted on to the Health System here as a dependent. When I reached retirement age, I was re-categorised and issued with a new card.
Chris

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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby elusive » Mon Dec 17, 2018 9:57 pm

As gerry says. If you wife is on any benefits because of her illnessyou might be able to transfer them here.which will get you an S1 (uk cover for spanish healthcare) if you havnt already look up citizens advice bureau spain website and facebook page. Ive read quite a few cases the same as yours on there. They are very helpful. People have been able to apply for the covenio especial who have lived here less than a year (normally you have to be here a year)it could be worth trying to apply for that even though at the min they are scrapping it in andalucia and putting everyone registared on it into the system for free.alot are applying for it as a way in.

Paddy Pumpkin
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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Tue Dec 18, 2018 9:54 am

Some people have had success registering for healthcare in Spain since the law changed allowing anyone to use the system who is resident in Spain

https://www.citizensadvice.org.es/faq/n ... 2018-faqs/

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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Tue Dec 18, 2018 9:59 am

btw myself and wife had a similar issue when we came here, in that we could get healthcare but it had so many exemptions because of previous conditions that it was worthless.

In the end we got coverage with Axa through a broker. The broker was very knowledgeable, we told them what we had and they told us which company and which policy to get.

https://www.isalud.com/

There are English speaking staff there.

Kitchuche
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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Kitchuche » Tue Dec 18, 2018 12:26 pm

Many thanks to everyone for your helpful replies.

We are bot registered on the NHS in the UK but not on any benefits. My wife so far has no symptoms other than the terror of being diagnosed with an incurable cancer.

We have done an enormous amount of research and have seen the Spanish CAB website where people have taken legal action to get care. We understand that the Convenio Especial has been scrapped and people are receiving refunds and in fact it was never legal anyway, just wrongly interpreted to tax people.

Largely, it's the residency bit that is impossible as it's a vicious circle and my wife cannot qualify for it without private medical insurance which she has been denied

"Paddy Pumpkin" thanks for the isalud link, it's one we haven't tried. When you eventually got the insurance, did it cover pre-existing conditions? Was it ridiculously expensive (over €10k)?

Thanks again all.

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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Manchesteral » Tue Dec 18, 2018 5:25 pm

Kitchuche wrote:Many thanks to everyone for your helpful replies.

We are bot registered on the NHS in the UK but not on any benefits. My wife so far has no symptoms other than the terror of being diagnosed with an incurable cancer.

We have done an enormous amount of research and have seen the Spanish CAB website where people have taken legal action to get care. We understand that the Convenio Especial has been scrapped and people are receiving refunds and in fact it was never legal anyway, just wrongly interpreted to tax people.

Largely, it's the residency bit that is impossible as it's a vicious circle and my wife cannot qualify for it without private medical insurance which she has been denied

"Paddy Pumpkin" thanks for the isalud link, it's one we haven't tried. When you eventually got the insurance, did it cover pre-existing conditions? Was it ridiculously expensive (over €10k)?

Thanks again all.
Does your wife have a diagnosed form of cancer or does she not !

Either way she qualifies for the same healthcare as everyone else providing she lives in Spain, residencia is not necessary !

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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby El Cid » Tue Dec 18, 2018 5:51 pm

How do you arrive at that conclusion? Residencia is a legal requirement and you won't get it if you don't have health cover. Yes, in theory, the new law gives free health care to all residents, but if you haven't registered you cannot get it - catch 22 again!

Sid

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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:00 pm

Kitchuche wrote:Many thanks to everyone for your

"Paddy Pumpkin" thanks for the isalud link, it's one we haven't tried. When you eventually got the insurance, did it cover pre-existing conditions? Was it ridiculously expensive (over €10k)?

Thanks again all.
My wife also has an incurable condition and Axa (via i Salud) were happy to take on her condition once they had established it was managed and controlled by medication and prior to joining them it had not progressed beyond certain marker points unique to the condition. Note though that the private healthcare does not cover medication (very rare and expensive to find healthcare to cover medication), which is why I will register on heatkcare system as soon as I can.

There was a questionnaire about the status of the pre existing condition (no point to lie as when you really need the cover..i.e. a big bill, it is not the time to find out you are not covered)

I would recommend iSalud as I had tried many providers and got knocked back (or they would exclude prior conditions, including as ridiculous as not covering any injury to one leg as I had a surgery 12 years ago, even though I have not had an issue since). I just told iSalud what prior conditions we had and what sort of coverage we wanted (incuding travel etc)and then they told us who would cover us. We pay annually about EUR 1000.

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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby El Cid » Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:21 pm

It's worth knowing that sometimes (depending where you apply) they will reject any registration application that does not have FULL cover, including cover for pre-existing conditions or where any prepayment, however small, is involved.

Sid

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gerryh
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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby gerryh » Tue Dec 18, 2018 6:30 pm

My wife also has an incurable condition but it has been stabilised and was controlled by medication.
She doesn't need treatment or medication now.
Prevision Medica accepted her for everything except for her incurable condition.
Her monthly premium is the same as mine at just under €100 a month.
Cheers
Gerry
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Kitchuche
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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Kitchuche » Tue Dec 18, 2018 7:23 pm

Thanks for the posts again.

"Manchesteral" you asked if my wife has cancer or not.

Yes she has been diagnosed at the Royal Marsden with an incurable cancer it is called Lymphoma (a type of blood cancer) and it invades all the lymph nodes throughout the body. The specialists don't do anything though until symptoms present as that is when chemo or radio therapy is needed most. She needs a CT scan every 3 months and bloods and will eventually need treatment but we don't know when.

It seems that as soon as cancer is mentioned, the insurance companies cut off any further discussion with "sorry but no".

The new junta in spain has declared that everyone regardless of their status is eligible for free state healthcare regardless of residency or not. I'm trying to find out if anyone has moved to Spain and registered for healthcare immediately with such a condition.

Regards
Neil

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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Tue Dec 18, 2018 10:12 pm

Kitchuche wrote:.

The new junta in spain has declared that everyone regardless of their status is eligible for free state healthcare regardless of residency or not. I'm trying to find out if anyone has moved to Spain and registered for healthcare immediately with such a condition.

Regards
Neil
The process for registering for state healthcare makes no reference to any previous health problems. You just register and the start using the system once you have the ID number. However the big problem is registering and like Sid said it is a catch 22.... can't get residence without healthcare can't get healthcare without residence. The best resource I have found about registering is the CAB link.

Alternatively you can could try to come and register in Spain as a student and use your EHIC card as medical cover. Then try to register on the healthcare system here since you are resident.

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Wicksey
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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Wicksey » Wed Dec 19, 2018 3:53 pm

Lyric wrote:Think Wicksey has and is under pensionable age, she is certainly "in the system" at the same health center as me.
Yes I did, Lyric, but that was because I was a tax resident here prior to April 2012, so that wouldn't apply to the OP. Even then, it was tricky to get on the NHS here. I've read that everyone is now entitled to free health care but haven't heard of anyone in that position actually getting it.

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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Wed Dec 19, 2018 8:06 pm

Alternatively you can could try to come and register in Spain as a student and use your EHIC card as medical cover. Then try to register on the healthcare system here since you are resident.[/quote]

Another alternative is that your wife set herself up as self employed in Spain. To prove that you need to register on the Censo de Actividades Economicas.

Then she can register as a resident. Once registered she can then register on the healthcare system (and close her business)

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Devils Advocate
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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Devils Advocate » Wed Dec 19, 2018 10:40 pm

Paddy Pumpkin wrote:Alternatively you can could try to come and register in Spain as a student and use your EHIC card as medical cover. Then try to register on the healthcare system here since you are resident.
Do you mean register as a student even if you are not a student?

Another alternative is that your wife set herself up as self employed in Spain. To prove that you need to register on the Censo de Actividades Economicas. [/quote]

Some have said here that the wife was on incapacity benefits/unfit for work, so that couldn't work surely?
Property owner in Andalucia since 2002. How time flies.

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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Wed Dec 19, 2018 11:41 pm

Original Posters answer to that question.....

'''We are bot registered on the NHS in the UK but not on any benefits. My wife so far has no symptoms '''

There is nothing preventing setting up a business and then closing it once formalities to register for residence are complete.

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Re: Cancer Healthcare - Uninsurable

Postby Devils Advocate » Wed Dec 19, 2018 11:53 pm

So are you saying register as a student even you are not a student, or setting up a bogus business in answer to the original posters question? Isn't that advocating fraud?
I just hope the poster gets better advice than that from somewhere that solves his problem. I also wish his wife all the very best and a healthy and long lived future.
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