Health Insurance in Spain – an FAQ guide for foreign residents

When living overseas, health and safety are as important as they were in your country of origin, but it is imperative to make sure you are properly covered in case of any accidents or illness. With this in mind, in this sponsored article from Golden Leaves International, backed by the Spanish insurance company ASSSA, bring you these frequently asked questions about health insurance in Spain for foreign nationals and its many benefits including being able to see the specialist you want when you want, access to the best medical teams and no waiting periods.

14 Frequently asked questions about health insurance and visa applications

1. Who are ASSSA?
ASSSA is a reputable national health insurance company in Spain with over 80 years of experience. They offer a diverse network of medical centres and clinics to cater to your healthcare needs.

2. Can I use the policy for the EU residency application?
Absolutely, the ASSSA policies can be used for the EU residency application, ensuring you meet the necessary health insurance requirements.

3. I am a British/American citizen and need to apply for the non-lucrative visa, do the policies meet the requirements?
Yes, the Standard, Plus, and Master policies offered by ASSSA and Golden Leaves International meet the requirements for non-lucrative visa applications and investor visas, providing the necessary medical cover for your Visa application.

4. Can the policy be used by Expats in Spain?
Certainly, the policies are specifically designed with expats in Spain in mind. The doctors and medical centres associated with our policies can communicate with you in your language, ensuring a smooth healthcare experience.

5. I am a British citizen, can I take a policy even if I don’t live in Spain full time?
Absolutely, whether you travel to and from Spain regularly, own a holiday home here, or plan to live here permanently, different policy levels are offered to meet your needs, ensuring you have the necessary medical cover.

6. Is there cover for outside of Spain
Yes, all Golden Leaves and ASSSA policies automatically include international medical assistance of up to €15,000 for medical emergencies during stays of up to 90 consecutive days. Repatriation is also included.

7. Are there any co-payments?
No, all the policies come without co-payments, providing comprehensive coverage without additional costs. This is especially important when needing health insurance for the non-lucrative visa or the investor visa.

8. Can I pay monthly?
If you are not applying for a visa, you have the option to pay monthly, quarterly, or half-yearly, allowing flexibility in managing your health insurance payments. We always aim to make our service as flexible as possible to meet your needs.

9. Is there an age limit or a price increase due to age?
There is only an age limit for new policies; for the basic policy the age limit is up to 79 and for the other levels of cover the age limit is up to 74. The price does not increase as you age, except in line with annual inflation, and the price you sign up at is the price it stays. Furthermore, the contract will not be cancelled due to age or illness, once a policy is in place it is there for life (or until you cancel).

10. Can you have a family cover?
Yes, you can add as many immediate family members who live at the same address as you need to your policy.

11. Can I use the policy straight away?
There is immediate access from day 1 to primary care such as GPs, Specialists, X-rays, blood tests and emergency treatment. Other services have a qualifying period. Once the qualifying period has been met there are no waiting times for the services covered.

12. What if I have a pre-existing medical condition?
As is the case with most health insurance policies, you can still contract a health insurance policy however the pre-existing conditions would be excluded form the cover.

13. What about annual check ups, dental and ambulances, are they covered?
The Golden Leaves health insurance plans backed by ASSSA include an annual check-up when choosing the Plus and Master policies. There is a small amount of dental cover included on all health policies and a separate dental insurance is also available. Ambulances are covered in case of emergencies (only one way to the hospital).

14. Is cancer covered in the policy?
In the unfortunate event that you are diagnosed with cancer, you can rest assured knowing all policies have clinical Oncology cover and the Standard, Plus and Master policies cover chemotherapy.

To contact Emma and the team for more information:

💻 www.goldenleavesinternational.com
📧 info@goldenleavesinternational.com
📞 +34 966 493 082