Medical bill from Spain

[Kris47]

I did the Camino de Santiago in May of 2015 and had to go to a clinic near Tricastela for a hurt ankle. I spent maybe 20 minutes with a doctor there who told me to go to the Pharmacia and get anti inflammatory medicine, a brace and Ibuprofen. Just a week ago I received a bill for $260.00 - 2 years later. They did take my insurance information when I was there and did not ask for me to pay anything. The bill is accompanied by a notice that is in Spanish and I cannot read it.

How should I handle this? thanks so much for any help

 

[Anemone del Camino]

@Kris47 ,

If you take a picture of the letter and post itI would be happy to translate it for you.

My guess is that you will have to pay and get your insurance company to reimburse you.

 

[HedaP]

Wow, that's an unpleasant surprise. You might have trouble making a travel insurance claim two years after the event unless you notified them of the incident within the limited number of days specified in the fine print. Best of luck.

 

[Rick M]

My reaction would be to pay the bill. You saw a doctor and received service; a bill sounds reasonable. If you can recover it from your insurance, great! But either way, the Spanish medical system treated you, and they deserve to be paid. The $260 is no fun, but its a far cry from the $55,000 bill my wife's coworker got from a night's stay at a hospital in Mexico after a fall (In a nightclub!).

 

[alaskadiver]

@Kris47 ,

If you take a picture of the letter and post itI would be happy to translate it for you.

My guess is that you will have to pay and get your insurance company to reimburse you.

And check that they didn't already pay them directly as some travel insurance companies will do. It seems strange that they waited this long. Post the bill so we can read it and translate it for you.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

... its a far cry from the $55,000 bill my wife's coworker got from a night's stay at a hospital in Mexico after a fall (In a nightclub!).

OMG! 55k$ a night! Now I undwratand why my Mexican relatives don't blink when they fly to the US to see a doctor for something more serious than a cold.

But, back on the topic, the issue may not. "To pay or not to pay", but rather "how to" which is why I offered to translate tue letter. Forum members have written in the past about how complicated that can be.

 

[CaminoJoy123]

I did the Camino de Santiago in May of 2015 and had to go to a clinic near Tricastela for a hurt ankle. I spent maybe 20 minutes with a doctor there who told me to go to the Pharmacia and get anti inflammatory medicine, a brace and Ibuprofen. Just a week ago I received a bill for $260.00 - 2 years later. They did take my insurance information when I was there and did not ask for me to pay anything. The bill is accompanied by a notice that is in Spanish and I cannot read it.

How should I handle this? thanks so much for any help

Which Camino were you on?

The medical care to pilgrims is rumored to be nearly gratis along Frances.

But it's regular charges on Norte.

 

[Kanga]

Do not expect free medical treatment anywhere in Spain unless you are from an EU country that has reciprocal health care. I ensure I have travel insurance and if needed will notify my insurer asap if I need health care that is likely to cost more than a few dollars. Last Camino I had a few physiotherapy sessions but I paid for those myself and they were so reasonably priced I did not bother making a a claim.

 

[OTH86]

Absolutely agree - don't expect anything to be free. I have paid with my credit card and been reimbursed by my health care plan, I have paid cash twice when the clinic sent me to a bank - once when I received the bill five months later and paid it the next time I was in Spain, I have received care for free, I have offered a donation when not charged, and have been told with a smile they cannot accept a donation. I have had the doctor tear up the paperwork and toss it in the trash. Things change from year to year and month to month and Camino to Camino - always go with an open mind and pay your bills.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Attached are the 2 letters from Spain.....much appreciate the help.

Got it. Will PM you translation and you can then delete this as it contains personal info. Give me 5 minutes, or 11am est.

 

[jburr3708]

When I received medical treatment for a minor issue on the Camino I asked for a bill, paid cash and was reimbursed by my travel insurance when I got home. When I broke my ankle on the VDLP and had to be taken by ambulance to a hospital in Seville, I contacted my insurance company who worked out a direct payment to the hospital. The total cost for ambulance, operation and 2 nights in a hospital was US$4000. Much less than it would have been in USA. When I got home my doctor told me the treatment had been "excellent".
It is not reasonable to expect free treatment in Spain without being an EU resident with an EU insurance card.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Ok, you can delete the photos.

So, you have to wire money from your bank to theirs at the account and address they show on the second picture, on the bottom left, in the square titled "forma de pago", to the left of the stamp. The account number is where it says Ingreso a la cuenta. They also provider you wit the SWIF and IBAN numbers your bank will need, so bring this with you to the bank.

The second page tells you the deadline to pay. It depends on when you received the bill. And they make sure you get a headache reading it!

If you received it between the 1st and the 15th of the month, you have until the 20th of the following month.

If you received it on the 16th or later in the month, you have until the 5th until not the following month, but the next.

So if received on the 13th of August, you have until september 20th. You received it yesterday, you have until October 5th to pay.

You must also add the invoice number on the wire. It is found on the second page in your photos, in the second box on the left hand column, Numero de factura.

I hope this helps! If you have other questions, just ask.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

@Kris47 ,

I need to step out for an hour or so, will be able to get back to you after that of you need me to. Back around 12:20 EST.

 

[Kris47]

Ok, you can delete the photos.

So, you have to wire money from your bank to theirs at the account and address they show on the second picture, on the bottom left, in the square titled "forma de pago", to the left of the stamp. The account number is where it says Ingreso a la cuenta. They also provider you wit the SWIF and IBAN numbers your bank will need, so bring this with you to the bank.

The second page tells you the deadline to pay. It depends on when you received the bill. And they make sure you get a headache reading it!

If you received it between the 1st and the 15th of the month, you have until the 20th of the following month.

If you received it on the 16th or later in the month, you have until the 5th until not the following month, but the next.

So if received on the 13th of August, you have until september 20th. You received it yesterday, you have until October 5th to pay.

You must also add the invoice number on the wire. It is found on the second page in your photos, in the second box on the left hand column, Numero de factura.

I hope this helps! If you have other questions, just ask.

Thank you so much!!!!! I will take it to my bank today. I really appreciate the help. Kris

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thank you so much!!!!! I will take it to my bank today. I really appreciate the help. Kris

You're most welcome.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I have to agree that on the surface this situation appears to have elements of a scam, my perception by someone from the US. I had a similar situation with a scamming Texas doctor.

Would this "billing" be common in Spain? What do some of our Spanish members think? Is this really legitimate?

Perhaps do a little research first before wiring the money.

What? A scam? Who, what, where, why?

Many will to receive their hospital bill from Spain a long time afger they got back home.

Not a scam.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Each country has differences in medical billing, how long after treatment a bill can be expected. It is useful to have an idea that from Spain, billing can be delayed quite a bit longer than might be expected by someone from the US.

Get a speeding ticket from Italy: it will be mailed to you months after, and just before prescription kicks in. Such is life.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hola @Kris47; I had to attend the University Hospital clinic in Salamanca back in 2013. I did not get out of the place without them handing me my account, (E104.80). The account included BSB & Account number (if I wanted to pay that way), or places in Salamanca I could pay in cash. So I agree with Kanga - please pay up. Cheers

 

[alaskadiver]

Hola @Kris47; I had to attend the University Hospital clinic in Salamanca back in 2013. I did not get out of the place without them handing me my account, (E104.80). The account included BSB & Account number (if I wanted to pay that way), or places in Salamanca I could pay in cash. So I agree with Kanga - please pay up. Cheers

She already said she was heading to the bank to pay. She never said she was trying to get out of paying.

 

[Saint Mike II]

She already said she was heading to the bank to pay. She never said she was trying to get out of paying.

Ok, my system was running a bit behind the play!

 

[oursonpolaire]

I have had occasion to explain to Canadian pilgrims that they should always expect to pay for medical services, and should always get travel health insurance when they go on the Camino. I tell them that they may be billed on the spot, or some time afterward (a Spanish friend suggests that there are people who do their year's paperwork all at once), or that their insurance provider might get billed directly, or that they might never get billed at all. Canadians -- as well as others-- are accustomed to a different model of paying for treatment, but need to remember that Spain is another country. In any case, this thread gives us some great practical tips on how to handle this.

 

[Giopomerol]

Luckily I'm European. In one of my Camino walks I had to get medical treatment. This was made simple because I had taken out European cover which incidentally is free and you can get it done over the Internet. I guess It's prudent to flag this for those Europeans (sorry UK) planning to walk. GET YOUR COVER FOR FREE and have peace of mind. As an aside, the hospital ended up writing to me - thinking I had received an invoice. In fact it was just a letter telling me if I was not happy with the treatment I received I could write a letter of complaint in the self addressed envelope provided! Well, you could've knocked me down with a feather!! On my next Camino I might drop in and give them some flowers.

 

[dougfitz]

When my wife needed treatment, we went to the Emergency at Burgos hospital. It would have been possible to walk out and get the bill later, but we insisted on paying at the time. What followed was a delightful rigmarole with what seemed like a grand tour of the hospital administration involving several different hospital staff. We realized that, at least in this hospital, they are not set up to bill people nor to accept payments. It took some time to generate an invoice, and more time to work out that they could only accept cash on the premises if we wanted to pay immediately. If a large hospital has these issues, I expect that many smaller health centres might be even less well prepared.

If you are in this position, I still would recommend trying to pay on the spot, even if it is going to take some of your cash reserves on the day. In our case, the amount was below the excess we had on our travel insurance, and we had no other claims to make. But if we had to make a claim, there was a clear time limit for that on our policy, I think about three months. The delay experienced @Kris47 would certainly have seen us paying ourselves in any case.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Luckily I'm European. In one of my Camino walks I had to get medical treatment. This was made simple because I had taken out European cover which incidentally is free and you can get it done over the Internet. I guess It's prudent to flag this for those Europeans (sorry UK) planning to walk. GET YOUR COVER FOR FREE and have peace of mind. As an aside, the hospital ended up writing to me - thinking I had received an invoice. In fact it was just a letter telling me if I was not happy with the treatment I received I could write a letter of complaint in the self addressed envelope provided! Well, you could've knocked me down with a feather!! On my next Camino I might drop in and give them some flowers.

You are referring to the European Health Card issued by EU member states - including the UK until any alternative future arrangements are made. There have been threads about this in the past. It is important to have this but it doesn't cover everything such as repatriation, emergency travel expenses etc. and so it is not a substitute for travel insurance.

 

[Addicted]

In 2015 I attended a clinic on the Primitivo . Saw Dr and got ice packs, examination and prescription. Did not ask for insurance even when offered. Dr just smiled and told us to have a great Camino .

 

[OTH86]

... realized that, at least in this hospital, they are not set up to bill people nor to accept payments. It took some time to generate an invoice, and more time to work out that they could only accept cash on the premises if we wanted to pay immediately. If a large hospital has these issues, I expect that many smaller health centres might be even less well prepared.

If you are in this position, I still would recommend trying to pay on the spot, even if it is going to take some of your cash reserves on the day.

This is exactly what happened when my bill was substantial, the wait for administration to process things was worth the outcome - the bill was paid using my credit card, insurance reimbursed me, and no further worries ...

Something for US folks to know and think about, if you receive a bill from the Spanish health system after you get home, the bank charges to wire money to another country can be substantial.

Stay healthy and safe my friends!

 

[nomadko]

Which Camino were you on?

The medical care to pilgrims is rumored to be nearly gratis along Frances.

But it's regular charges on Norte.

I walked the Frances in March last year and had to seek medical services. I was charged $289 Euro at the hospital and then received another bill the beginning of this year for $189 Euro - no gratis offered. I do agree that if you receive medical services while in Spain that you should pay, however, I do not understand why a second bill was sent (also in Spanish). Oh... and the doctor that treated me did not speak English... nor did I speak Spanish (note to self... learn Spanish before my next Camino!).
Good luck!

 

[nomadko]

I walked the Frances in March last year and had to seek medical services. I was charged $289 Euro at the hospital and then received another bill the beginning of this year for $189 Euro - no gratis offered. I do agree that if you receive medical services while in Spain that you should pay, however, I do not understand why a second bill was sent (also in Spanish). Oh... and the doctor that treated me did not speak English... nor did I speak Spanish (note to self... learn Spanish before my next Camino!).
Good luck!

BTW... I did have travel insurance which covered my expenses

 

[SYates]

.... The medical care to pilgrims is rumored to be nearly gratis along Frances....
But it's regular charges on Norte.

Both statements are not true. Just imagine the amount of money this kind of free health care would cost with close to 300,000 pilgrims on the road each year.

Luckily I'm European. In one of my Camino walks I had to get medical treatment. This was made simple because I had taken out European cover which incidentally is free and you can get it done over the Internet....

What you are referring to is the reciprocal health care citizens of the EU receive in other EU countries, but it does NOT cover things like getting you home and it certainly isn't free - you pay for it by paying your regular health insurance at home.

Buen Camino, SY

 

[PEI_Heather]

If you are injured and need to seek medical treatment while walking to Santiago, and the injury/condition is substantial/serious enough that it involves more than a band-aid (or a kind doctor who will rip up her bill), contact your insurance company asap and let the rep you speak to know you have been injured or worse. Give the person the name of the hospital/medical centre, address (at least the city), your insurance information, the type and amount ($) of post-care treatment (meds and tensor bandages, for example--keep the reciepts or mail them to your insurer asap with the information you gave the rep, and more if you missed any). The insurer will contact the hospital and pay the bill unless it was for something not covered (you went bungee jumping after drinking copiously, for example). And you should get reimbursed for your out of pocket expenses when you get back home.
Your travel insurance starts the moment you leave your home until the moment/date you arrive back.
You probably will have to foot this bill yourself; after two years your insurance for the trip will most likely have expired...
That's too bad, but it sounds like you got excellent care and since you were a foreigner in Spain, healthcare would not be covered for you. It would be the same here if you visited Canada, though I'm pretty sure get a bill well before two years. Probably what happened is that your file was put in a pile and got missed until it was found. It happens.
My comments are based on experience dealing with insurance companies hat provide extended healthcare, both through my work and through my travels (and fortunately--knock on wood--I've never had to seek medical help while on the Camino. I could seriously used a chiropractor when I walked last autumn, but had to wait until I got home. But that's another story!)

 

[mistermac]

I did the Camino de Santiago in May of 2015 and had to go to a clinic near Tricastela for a hurt ankle. I spent maybe 20 minutes with a doctor there who told me to go to the Pharmacia and get anti inflammatory medicine, a brace and Ibuprofen. Just a week ago I received a bill for $260.00 - 2 years later. They did take my insurance information when I was there and did not ask for me to pay anything. The bill is accompanied by a notice that is in Spanish and I cannot read it.

How should I handle this? thanks so much for any help

I had a similar experience and the bill reached Australia more than a year later. Contact your travel insurer for the period of your camino. When I did that they simply charged me the excess and dealt with it from there.

 

[peregrina2000]

Both statements are not true. Just imagine the amount of money this kind of free health care would cost with close to 300,000 pilgrims on the road each year.



What you are referring to is the reciprocal health care citizens of the EU receive in other EU countries, but it does NOT cover things like getting you home and it certainly isn't free - you pay for it by paying your regular health insurance at home.

Buen Camino, SY

I think the source of this persistent "Camino legend" is the fact that in many small medical offices in villages along the way, there is simply no mechanism for payment. There are doctors who show up once or twice a week to treat the residents, and if you happen to be injured and walking through, the doctor is likely to treat you and that is that. I had a tick bite checked out in La Robla when I was walking the Vadiniense. When I offered to pay, the doctor gave me a big tongue in cheek lecture that was clearly expressing her opinion about the US health care system, but the bottom line is that these places have no cash registers, no billing system. These small offices don't do major treatments, they are more like a triage center, and if you wind up in any clinic or hospital it will be very clear that you are going to be charged.

 

[tabbyCat]

What? A scam? Who, what, where, why?

Many will to receive their hospital bill from Spain a long time afger they got back home.

Not a scam.

This really sounds like a scam. I went to the emergency room in Leon this past July (based on advice for this forum - thank you!!!!) and was required to pay the 110 euro bill before I left the emergency room. They explained that 110Euros was the "pilgrim price" and it covered all the necessary services including x-ray, anti-inflammatory cream, prescription for pain pills, walking advice and a delightful conversation with the doctor. All in all it was a great experience.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

This really sounds like a scam. I went to the emergency room in Leon this past July (based on advice for this forum - thank you!!!!) and was required to pay the 110 euro bill before I left the emergency room. They explained that 110Euros was the "pilgrim price" and it covered all the necessary services including x-ray, anti-inflammatory cream, prescription for pain pills, walking advice and a delightful conversation with the doctor. All in all it was a great experience.

Well, if we are each going based on our single personal experience, I could be tempted to say you have been scammed since I was never charged for any health care, and because I doubt very much the authorities have decided on "pilgrim rates" vs other tourists' rates.

It is not a scam, it's how things work in Spain. Let's just be grateful it's not like in some other countries that will not be named.

 

[dougfitz]

This really sounds like a scam.

You might have a different perspective if you had some sense of the historical development of this as a general discussion on the forum. Your recent experience is a relatively new development. Just a year ago in Burgos, it was necessary to ask for an account, and it only possible to pay it in cash. Before that it was not uncommon for forum members to find themselves waiting months for an account and only being given the option to pay it by expensive international bank transfers. I think you should be grateful that the hospital you attended has found a way of easing the administrative burden, and not subjected you to a two year wait and a range of charges to make the payment.

To me, your experience is a sign of progress, and it is unfortunate that you have interpreted it as a sign there has been criminality in someone else's experience.

 

[SusanMB]

It is easy to see that everyone has different results when requiring medical treatment. On the VdlP last year my partner received free medical treatment from a Local GP who gave excellent advice and attention to his injury. Her reply when we questioned how much we needed to pay was "it is too complicated and I do not charge Pilgrims or Australians. Grateful ++.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Here at home we are just starting to see some fees for which a person can be charged for. And we also now have clarity of what they cannot charge for. Before this, any admin person would have been at a loss of what to do to bill and receive payment.

Which does not mean one should expect not to pay, even after the fact, and formthis to be a scam.

 

[Tim Greig]

I walked the Via Podiensis in May/June and popped into the hospital in Cahors for some minor treatment. I gave them my European health care card and assumed the 30 minutes was free as the UK and France have reciprocal arrangements. Nobody mentioned any bill until it arrived just 2 days ago, 67 euros. It seems that the card only entitles UK citizens to the same cover as is available to French citizens who have to contribute to the costs of all treatments. This cost is too small to worry about but if it had been larger I would have had to keep all documentation from the hospital and had filed a claim on my insurance company at the time. Beware.

 

[Sparrow in Texas]

Here at home we are just starting to see some fees for which a person can be charged for. Before this, any admin person would have been

Which does not mean one should expect not to pay, or for payment request, even afwe the fact, to be a scam.

Anemone, I think it unfair that you are saying that a few of us, me included, are "screaming" scam about an overly long delayed medical billing. An unfortunate fact is that medical billing fraud and scams, often associated with long delays, are not unheard of in my country or in your's. Moreover, many of us live without universal health care and that is a political situation of which one individual has no control.

None of us suggested not paying the bill, only to do some investigating first.

I think a "take away" for everyone is to be proactive to monitor their travel/medical insurance billing and not assume that bills are being taken care of in the same way they might be at home.

What I have heard in this thread is total agreement from pilgrims about receiving excellent medical care in Spain!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Anemone, I think it unfair that you are saying that a few of us, me included, are "screaming scam" about an overly long delayed medical billing.

Moreover, many of us live without universal health care and that is a political situation of which one individual has no control.

Well, two people used the word scam to describe the bill received by the OP, and I only observed that this may be the product of the system you both live in, a system where money must exchange hands for medical service to be given. And I understand very well it is not a system you have chosen, just that it may explain the reaction.

 

[peregrina2000]

It is easy to see that everyone has different results when requiring medical treatment. On the VdlP last year my partner received free medical treatment from a Local GP who gave excellent advice and attention to his injury. Her reply when we questioned how much we needed to pay was "it is too complicated and I do not charge Pilgrims or Australians. Grateful ++.

Just to clarify (sorry, I don't mean to be pedantic here). I don't think it's exactly right to say that "everyone has different results when requiring medical treatment," because that makes it seem like it is totally serendipitous and unpredictable. That is not the case, though it surely seems that way! The thing that determines whether a non-Spaniard is charged for medical services is the nature of the facility where you go for treatment. If you are in small village, where there is a little doctor's office (with a sign indicating something like "atención primaria"), there will be a doctor there on a regular schedule, usually one day or two a week. If that doctor is there and can treat you when you walk through, he or she is likely to do that. There is no charge only because there is no billing system or cash register in these offices. But if you are in a bigger city, you can be sure that they will take down all of your information and bill you. Since so much of the camino passes through small towns, many people get the wrong impression that this health care is meant to be free for you. Gracious and generous as the Spaniards are, I don't think they intentionally spend their precious health care dollars on giving free care to us non-Spaniards. Though the times I have gotten it, it has always been given with a smile and careful attention to my situation (a tick bite once, an allergic reaction another time), I am sure that if I had needed anything serious, I would have been sent to a city and promptly billed.

 

[Sparrow in Texas]

Laurie and Doug, thank you for taking the time to help all of us understand the nuances of the Spanish medical system and how their billing might work. I shall repeat that so many on this thread have commented about the excellent care they have received and the hospitality of the Spanish people!

 

[jimmcauley]

I did the Camino de Santiago in May of 2015 and had to go to a clinic near Tricastela for a hurt ankle. I spent maybe 20 minutes with a doctor there who told me to go to the Pharmacia and get anti inflammatory medicine, a brace and Ibuprofen. Just a week ago I received a bill for $260.00 - 2 years later. They did take my insurance information when I was there and did not ask for me to pay anything. The bill is accompanied by a notice that is in Spanish and I cannot read it.

How should I handle this? thanks so much for any help

Hi, looks like you are from the States and therefore being a non-European citizen have to pay for any treatment received. If you convert that amount in dollars down to €Euros that sounds reasonable enough to me! Time is not on your side to help you claim back same.

 

[Giopomerol]

Both statements are not true. Just imagine the amount of money this kind of free health care would cost with close to 300,000 pilgrims on the road each year.



What you are referring to is the reciprocal health care citizens of the EU receive in other EU countries, but it does NOT cover things like getting you home and it certainly isn't free - you pay for it by paying your regular health insurance at home.

Buen Camino, SY

Sorry but this is not corrrct. You are splitting hairs. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding. It is free in the sense that I did not have to pay ANYTHINGf for my medical treatment in Spain. Of course I pay my regular health contributions so would, for example an Americano. But I bet they do not get the 'free service' that I, as a European received. They have to pay extra via insurance cover. I do not have to pay anything over and above what my standard contributions are in France where I live. That is so obvious that I didn't think it needed spelling out. Also, I have an ordinary Visa card. If I pay for an airfare to Spain using my card, then I can be repatriated FREE back to France. Most standard European VISA cards allow this. MOST MEANS NOT ALL. You would need to check this out. Please, let's not confuse the issue. To make it simple I will restate that for any European travelling to Spain they do not need to pay anything extra for health cover if they have a European health card which you can get FREE over the Internet.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

To make it simple I will restate that for any European travelling to Spain they do not need to pay anything extra for health cover if they have a European health card which you can get FREE over the Internet.

Sorry, but this is wrong. Citizenship in an EU country does not grant you free medical care. You need to be a resident.

 

[Giopomerol]

Sorry, but this is wrong. Citizenship in an EU country does not grant you free medical care. You need to be a resident.

I'd like to respond but I really have no idea to what part of my comment you are referring too nor what you're trying to clarify. A European is a European who can only get free European health cover if they are contributing basic health cover in the European country that they are living in i e. Resident. It's pretty obvious they have to be resident. Why all this splitting of hairs? Look at the internet site. It's all there and very clear as to who can apply for a card. Surely anyone who thinks they qualify can simply go on site and follow the step by step idiot proof instructions. If they don't qualify computer says no. If they qualify your covered.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I'd like to respond but I really have no idea to what part of my comment you are referring too nor what you're trying to clarify. A European is a European who can only get free European health cover if they are contributing basic health cover in the European country that they are living in i e. Resident. It's pretty obvious they have to be resident. Why all this splitting of hairs? Look at the internet site. It's all there and very clear as to who can apply for a card. Surely anyone who thinks they qualify can simply go on site and follow the step by step idiot proof instructions. If they don't qualify computer says no. If they qualify your covered.

It's not splitting hairs: it's giving people accurate information. Without having to log on to try to get a health card/number.

You stated you get free care because you are European. That is not the case. You got free care because you are a European resident.

There are many people around the world who are EU citizens, but not residents, and telling them you got free care because you are European is not doing them a favour.

 

[Giopomerol]

It's not splitting hairs: it's giving people accurate information. Without having to log on to try to get a health card/number.

You stated you get free care because you are European. That is not the case. You got free care because you are a European resident.

There are many people around the world who are EU citizens, but not residents, and telling them you got free care because you are European is not doing them a favour.

Thanks for the explanation. It seems I assume people are reasonably intelligent. Perhaps I shouldn't assume that. Favours or no favours if people think they are entitled to a card I hope they have the intelligence to apply. But then again, I shouldn't be presumptuous .

 

[peregrina2000]

I think we can all agree that this is a VERY complicated and intricate topic, that people are trying to help others, and that we should be able to correct each other without getting snippy. But since the OP has gotten good information on how to pay off the bill, I'm going to close the thread. I think we now know enough to know that the broader question about health care coverage in Spain is dependent on a number of factors, and generalizations are hard to make.

 

[grayland]

One fact that everyone should take away from this thread:

Pilgrims do not receive free healthcare in Spain by virtue of their Pilgrim status.

This myth continues to be posted in various pilgrim forums (including here) such as Facebook and others. There was a time when the healthcare centers (Central de Salud) did not normally bill for care...but that was because they did not have a billing system in place. They do now and you can expect to be billed at some point after you return home. Some still fall between the cracks and are not billed. Do not expect this to happen!
The billing amounts seem to run to both end of the range with some ridiculously low and others reporting much higher than even U.S. charges would be.

ADDED: Obviously if you are covered by a reciprocal National healthcare system with Spain..you may be covered...but not because you are a Pilgrim.