Health Care costs in France & Spain

[smallblueplanet]

Thanks for clarifying that TonyF. I do hope J is well soon.

5 euros (and the insurance!) seems a small price to pay for access to one of the 3 best health systems. All this just cos you're lucky enough to live in the Dordogne - I reckon you should have to pay more to make us lot feel better!

[smallblueplanet]

Manda, that's sort of right. One person can - at the moment and that may well change - have an E121 and the partner can be a dependant. However, there is some discussion atm about stopping this because women with no uncome other that the UK state pension are coming over, their partners are registered as their dependant when the partner has a private pension, the argument now being the wife is actually the dependant not the bloke.

Ah yes I had wondered about that, cos I'm a sort of dependant but older than the OH.

Oh well better keep saving for the house and the medi-care!

[Jardiniere]

Thank-you for all your posts Tony, you've given good explanations!
We were just about to change over when the new rules came into effect and have thrown us into disarray - investigating OH being my dependent currently - he's only 58 but I am 61.
bit of a nightmare but i suppose it is fair..................

[scarey55]

As Tony says, we do have very good health care here. KK has to have blood tests for High blood pressure cholesterol etc and we were amazed to find that the lab sent a medical technician to our home to take the necessary blood tests.

As I said in my PM to you Manda, we are not complaining and we understand that if we want to continue enjoying this sort of health care we expect (and are willing) to pay, it's just a bit of a shock to find out that despite all the planning and investigation we didn't know this before we moved here.

And, of course, Tony is quite right - we know we are very lucky to live here and we wouldn't change it for the world.