There is a process of registration that is required by residents to avail of health benefits in Costa Tropical. Residents in this region will have to first apply for their social security to INSS (National Institute of Social Security). If you are living in this region of plan to live then social security is necessary. Once you receive the letter of authorization from INSS, you will need to submit it along with a copy of your passport or ID card (carry a photocopy too), your Certificate of Registration of Residence with the photocopy to the closest health centre in your area. You will need to sign on the application form before submitting with the above-mentioned documents. Your form will then be included in the Andalucian Data Base of Users of the Medical Health Care System (DBU).
Once the process is complete SAS will send you your health card under which, you will get medical assistance, subsidized medicine and emergency treatment. All health benefits are free for those on pension and if you are not on pension then you can get as much as a 60% discount.
As of today, the Instituto Nacional de la Salud covers around 95% of the Andalucian population and is the premier public health scheme in Spain. Some of the primary public health benefits include hospitalization, specialist and general medical care, discount on various medicines and drugs, laboratory services, maternity care, basic dental care, medical appliances as well as transportation. One of the important things that you need to know is that your social security will cover around 75% of the treatment cost while you will need to pay the rest of the 25% or you can have it paid through supplementary insurance schemes.
There is free treatment available in particular hospitals only and the waiting lists are usually quite long. According to INSALUD, there is a higher amount of emphasis on cure as opposed to prevention. Hence, you will find very little preventive medicine but there are regular health check ups and a detailed immunization program for most children in Costa Tropical. Most of the public health service in Andalucia has very limited resources for taking care of outpatient treatment, postoperative care, nursing, geriatric assistance, psychiatric treatment and terminal illness treatment. The salient point however is that most of the treatment that is available is of high standards.
Upon receiving a social security card, you will be assigned a general doctor in your area or the locality where you live in Costa Tropical. You can always switch doctors in the same area but this depends on availability. You will not be required to make any payments while visiting a public health service doctor. All you will need is the social security card.
