Health & Wellbeing on the Orihuela Costa.

One thing we like to know is that if we need to see a Doctor here on the Orihuela Costa, or the Costa Blanca, then we can. The good news is that Spain has an excellent ( and rather efficient) National Health Service, along with the options for either Private healthcare or private health insurance to access Spanish NHS or Private clinics and Hospitals.
There are 2 local Hospitals in the area, Vega Baja Hospital (in San Bartolome and just outside Orihuela City) & the Hospital de Torrevieja, newly opened in 2007 (situated just off of the N332 and next to the Water Desalinisation Plant), both Hospitals for use for people in the Orihuela Costa.
The Orihuela Costa has a local clinic also, the Centro de Salud, situated in Cabo Roig just off of the N332 and at the top end of the Cabo Roig strip ( going South).

There are also private Hospitals in and around the region, the nearest to the Orihuela Costa being San Jaime Hospital.

Getting Healthcare.
The Spanish system offers expats from EEA (European Economic Area) Countries, the oportunity to see a Doctor through the national health when we have a S.I.P. (Sistema de Información Poblacional) card, which are readily available to those individuals who fit a certain criteria, including:-

 

To get access to a SIP card, you will need to take your passport, N.I.E. or residencia certificate and either your pension papers or social security papers to the desk in you local Centro Salud (Clinic or Health Centre, to apply for a SIPcard),where you will given a temporary card until your permanent one arrives (which you really need to chase up). In the Orihuela Costa, the Salud is located at the southern end of Cabo Roig, just alongside the N332.
It can take up to 2 years to get a perminant card, and the temporary cards can last anything from 2-6 months. You need to call back and they replace the temporary cards when they run out, until you have the permanent one.
and run alongside the Spanish system.
 

Although S.I.P. cards are free for some people, for those on early retirement some changes have recently taken place. The Valencian regional government has decided to take away free healthcare for many Britons who have voluntarily taken early retirement and now reside in the Valencian Region, of which the Orihuela Costa is a part of, most of them on or near the Costa Blanca. Until now Britons residing in the Valencian region were entitled to a healthcare card which meant they could get free healthcare on the basis of simply being registered as residents in their local town hall despite not having paid any contributions to the national health system (seguridad social, literally translated as social security). This was due to a loop hole in Spanish law which was meant to protect certain categories such as the widows of military personnel.

However, this also meant that British expats could get free healthcare and treatment for all sorts of common conditions such as angina and cataracts. The problem of free healthcare is particular to those Britons who reside in Spain and have taken voluntary early retirement. Pensioners and those who have been forced to take early retirement are covered by European funds. It doesn’t affect tourists either who are entitled to an EHIC European Health Insurance Card (formerly known as the E-111) which gives them the right to cetrain free and emergency healthcare in Spain for up to a year. The new measures which come into effect immediately respect the expiry date on health cards which have already been issued.

The best solution for those affected by these changes to the healthcare system in Valencia is for them to take out private health insurance to cover their future healthcare needs until they reach retirement age when they will be entitled to free healthcare once again.
Emergency healthcare services will still be provided free of charge. Private English speaking Doctors surgeries are available and run alongside the Spanish system.
Many Spanish Doctors require a translator if you don’t speak Spanish, and more often than not it is cheaper to see a private Doctor than pay a translator.

About the EHIC Card. Using in on the Orihuela Costa and Communidad Valencia.

(mainly applies to European residents)
Take your EHIC card (and photographic I.D. e.g. passport, ID card etc) to any Centro Salud in the region  ( Cabo Roig for the Orihuela Costa) and you should get access to treatment.

Anyone who is resident in the E.U. should  have access to an EHIC card, when they travel in all EEA countries and carry it with them. Remember to check the validity of the EHIC
Applying for the card is free and it's valid for up to five years. Presenting a valid EHIC entitles you to treatment that may become necessary during your trip, but doesn't allow you to go abroad specifically to receive medical care.
However, maternity care, renal dialysis and managing the symptoms of pre-existing or chronic conditions that arise while abroad are all covered by the card.

The EHIC enables access to the same state-provided healthcare as a resident of the country you are visiting, but many countries expect the patient to pay towards their treatment, and even with an EHIC, you might be expected to do the same, the general idea being that you claim for reimbursement on return to your home Country. The EHIC is NOT an alternative to travel insurance. It will not cover any private medical healthcare or the cost of things such as mountain rescue in ski resorts, repatriation to the UK or lost or stolen property. For these reasons and others, it is important to have both an EHIC and a valid private travel insurance policy. Some insurers now insist you hold an EHIC and many will waive the excess if you have one.
Applying for an EHIC in the U.K. is easy and it is always a good idea to get one.

For those who need regular ongoing treatments.
If you require regular scheduled treatment whilst on the Orihuela Costa or the Comminudad Valencia, you can obtain an E-112 form from your insurance company and bring it along with your other documentation and I.D. to any of the Centro Salud in the Communidad Valencia.