Healthcare following Brexit

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pepsipuss
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Healthcare following Brexit

Post by pepsipuss »

Our current understanding is that as UK pensioners resident in Spain we get our health card because the UK government pays GBP3,500 into the Spanish Social Security system per person, and the Spanish government pays an amount into the UK system for Spanish nationals resident in UK.

I can't find anything on line which confirms this, and I am trying to clarify it. Someone told me this morning that the arrangement is not an EU thing but a private one between UK and Spanish governments and thus not affected by UK leaving EU, and indeed I found this on the Expatica site which says that EEA members also benefit and I can't see us not being part at least of that:
EU/EEA/Swiss nationals
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals whom have reached retirement age in their home country are entitled to free health care in Spain. In order to qualify they must obtain a Form S1 (previously known as E121) from their country of residence. Acquiring this form prior to departure is advisable and will help simplify the registration process in Spain.
Does anyone have any concrete info on this?
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kevsboredagain
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Post by kevsboredagain »

It's hard to say what will happen. Switzerland for example is not in the EEA so no reciprocal agreements here on health care. Being in the EEA also means giving in to other agreements, which would be against what the Leave campaign has promised. It will all depend on who gives in to what.

I'm be worried about your pension too. EU pensions are inflation linked. Move outside the EU and they get frozen.
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pepsipuss
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Post by pepsipuss »

Yes we are worried about our pensions. Our state pensions will almost certainly not increase but the OH's occupational pension increase always suffers a deduction of the amount by which the state pension increases, so double whammy!!
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French Cricket
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Post by French Cricket »

kevsboredagain wrote: I'm be worried about your pension too. EU pensions are inflation linked. Move outside the EU and they get frozen.
Not quite accurate, kev. Here's the list of countries where pensions are frozen - as you'll see, it excludes the EEA, Gibraltar, Switzerland, and a number of other countries with which the UK has a social security agreement: https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... te-pension

Pepsipuss, the current situation in France vis-à-vis health care is very similar. I've assumed that it's EU-wide, though I may be wrong.

I guess the short answer to what will happen after the final leaving date is that nobody yet knows and it will depend on what arrangements are negotiated between the UK (I use that term only because there isn't yet another :wink: ) and the other country.

Here in France, even if we lost our S1 cover we should retain the right, as residents, to enter the health system on the same basis as a French person - we'd pay 8% of our taxable income for the same cover that we currently enjoy as S1 holders. Would there be a similar system in Spain?

A large number of us here are forming a support group to begin the process of applying for French nationality. At least that's a positive move we can make.
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pepsipuss
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Post by pepsipuss »

Yes there is a voluntary system, FC. At the moment I can't find anything that tells me whether this is restricted to Spanish residents who are citizens of an EU country or whether it applies to anyone.

The deal is pretty good if you are under 65 - €60 a month. Over that it increases to €157 so even if your taxable income is relatively modest it is quite a chunk. Also medicines prescribed for purchase outside of hospital are not subsidised when you are on this system whereas we only pay a very small contribution which is limited to €18 a month.
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kevsboredagain
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Post by kevsboredagain »

French Cricket wrote:
kevsboredagain wrote: I'm be worried about your pension too. EU pensions are inflation linked. Move outside the EU and they get frozen.
Not quite accurate, kev. Here's the list of countries where pensions are frozen - as you'll see, it excludes the EEA, Gibraltar, Switzerland, and a number of other countries with which the UK has a social security agreement:
OK technically not EU but EEA, I agree. I tend to mix the two without paying attention. Assuming they dropped out of the EEA due to demands of the Leave voters, agreements with other countries would have to be made in the same way it was for all those other non EU/EEA nations. As there will be 1000s of such agreements, who knows how long this will take and what the in limbo state will actually be.
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Post by pambon »

kevsboredagain wrote:
I'm be worried about your pension too. EU pensions are inflation linked. Move outside the EU and they get frozen.
Unless the UK makes a Reciprocal Agreement with its European partners, yes indeed this is a big concern.
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