Question:
We are weighing the options for health service coverage and would
appreciate anecdotal evidence of what to expect...
We will arrive in Palma de Mallorca in late March and start perusing the
Mediterranean coast(s) of Spain before heading back towards the UK via the
French canals... What are your experiences with obtaining ordinary health
and dental services? Hideously expensive? State supported? Good bedside
manners? Pure bureaucrats?
The issue is whether to do some substantive dental repair work before we
leave, or do it more gradually as we proceed. The first more expensive,
perhaps, the latter less traumatic, perhaps? What are your experiences?
Answer:
I have heard some Spanish nationals say that there are different `health
services' in different parts of Spain, so that may bear checking out.
The Health service publish a leaflet for foreign visitors to this country:
http://www.epcc.ed.ac.uk/tracs/patguide.pdf
Not much use, I agree, but I bet they publish a leaflet for Brits abroad
too and there is a contact address on the bottom of this leaflet. I
think the DHSS also publish a similar leaflet for travellers in both the
EU and in non-EU countries.
I would guess that optical and dental services may not be covered by
these reciprocal arrangements - I know they aren't in this country
because I had to do a lot of research on this for the benefit of
visiting foreign students a couple of years ago.
Now, here's the bind... We are US, not UK... We have US health and dental
insurance and were military once upon a time not so recently. But now we're
*retired* military so the SOFA presumably don't apply...
My experience in the UK and Italy with health facilities, supported by one
of the anecdotes you provided, is that once you're in the door, the medical
staff really are just dedicated to making you feel better, and really don't
care about the bureaucratic paper work...
The answer is actually quite simple. These international arrangements
are all entered into on a reciprocal basis, and since the USA has no
state health care system for most of its citizens there is nothing to
reciprocate. What you need is insurance - which you will find is a
great deal cheaper than similar cover at home.
