In Barcelona Expats we know how important it is for you while settling in Barcelona the reassurance that whenever you will need medical attention you will be attended and in safe hands. Finding the best health insurance according to your personal situation is crucial to take care about your health and the preventive care. There are two options of health insurance while living in Spain, the public and the private health insurance. You will need to consider that the European health insurance card is for traveling and short term stays but no for longer stays.
Public Health Care
You can access to the public health system if you have the empadronamiento in Spain and the certificate of Social Security. In your town hall they will tell you which health center (centro de salud – CAP) corresponds to your address and in CAP you need to present these documents:
- Passport
- NIE card
- Empadronamiento
- Social security number
The Spanish health system is widely recognized as one of the best in the world characterized by universal coverage and high-quality care, it excels in disease prevention and community care. However it is experiencing “structural exhaustion” and leads with significant challenges in accessibility and speed. This can be seen through the long waiting lists for specialists and non-urgent surgeries, staff shortages and specially the dental and optical care have limited coverage requiring out-of-pocket payment.
Private Health Care
If you decide to hire a private health insurance you will have are many different options, from very inexpensive ones to exclusive premium insurance policies with the major providers as Sanitas, DKV, AXA, Adeslas, Allianz… They provide local plans (dental add-ons, no co-pays for visas) and global options featuring various levels of coverage depending on your needs (hospitalization, surgery, GPs, and specialists).
Hiring a private health insurance in Spain offers faster access to specialists, diagnostics and treatments, greater choice of English speaking doctors and often covers services like dental/visión making it a convenient supplement to Spain ‘s public system (SNS). Key benefits include skipping long public waiting lists (which can exceed months) and securing required coverage for residency visas like non-lucrative or digital nomad applications to prove financial self-sufficiency.
It will help to avoid public system bureaucracy and have guaranteed coverage for emergencies and ongoing care.
If you need assistance in choosing the best private health insurance option for you, don’t hesitate to contact us. In Barcelona Expats we work with the most well known providers of health insurances in Spain and will advice you on the coverages of the different options, depending on your requirements.