I was charged for prescriptions today.
Has anyone else been charged? 
I read an article recently, saying that as pensioners, and being part of the E.U. we would not be charged here!

Ritaratbag wrote on Jun 26^th, 2012 at 2:16pm:

I was charged for prescriptions today. Has anyone else been charged?  I read an article recently, saying that as pensioners, and being part of the E.U. we would not be charged here!

hi rita,same problem here roy had to pay for his 2nd prescription for his eye drops but not for the first lot two weeks earlier  ::) a bit daft dont you think? zero the first time 16 euros the 2nd time .

Hi Rita & Nen,
I think this is a new charge recently brought in by the Spanish Government.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/9214928/Spain-tells-pensioners-to-start-paying-for-prescriptions-as-part-of-Prime-Minister-Mariano-Rajoys-austerity-measures.html

I have also heard that maybe the Catalan Government already have or will be applying an extra charge here. 
:(

I've been informed from August everyone will have to contribute towards prescriptions - but the amount varies and pensioners will pay but not as much as non-pensioners - irrespective of whether you are from the EU or Spanish and we may have to pay a portion towards CatSalut like before.

Also if you look a the bottom of your computerised prescription it gives a total cost of your medicines.

Similar as in Jesùs hospital as an in-patient you have to pay towards your accommodation and care as it is not fully funded by the government.

Signs of the times - not enough money in the healthcare pot! :o :o

I had to pay today 1 euro per item

As our medication is aupposedly paid for in full by the British government does this mean that they will be charged 1€ per prescription less by Spain, and if so can I claim that euro back from Britian ?
Daft question as I already know the answer - Spain will be making 1 euro over the odds on each of our prescriptions !!

1 euro is a little different from 16 euros must have charged us the full amount for the 2 bottles of eye drops and it was a prescription from the hospital  ::)

Nen, I think they gave you a green prescription at the hospital. if you are retirement age, red prescriptions are issued.
They mistakenly issued me a green one in Mora hospital last week, and when i pointed out that i was a pensioner, they quickly changed it for a red one. had we taken the green  1 to the chemists, they would have charged me full rate. hope this helps explain they system.

Now it seems that over 400 types of medication, normally available on prescription, will have to be paid for in full, with no discount available!

Ritaratbag wrote on Jun 28^th, 2012 at 1:15pm:

Now it seems that over 400 types of medication, normally available on prescription, will have to be paid for in full, with no discount available!

hi rita x
lets hope we dont need prescriptions to often then if thats the case xxxx hope you are ok

Ritaratbag wrote on Jun 28^th, 2012 at 1:15pm:

Now it seems that over 400 types of medication, normally available on prescription, will have to be paid for in full, with no discount available!

Hi,
Upon going to our farmcia for my repeat prescription we were informed that certain items were no longer free of charge but to return to our doctors who would issue a new prescription form which would replace the item now being charged for with a similar item which would again be free and this is what happened. Hope this is some help to all.

One for the linguists here.
http://www.typicallyspanish.com/docs/1808.pdf

or
http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_35121.shtml

So please don't get piles or develop a cough...
:-/

A very good friend of mine is a registered pharmacist here in Catalunya. She advises anyone on prescription medicine who notices a rise in the charge of regular prescriptions to ask for the generic name of the drug, instead of brand names.

It´s kind of like buying the blue and white striped label in Tescos as opposed to brand names.

But lets not get all upset about this, just remember how much 1 item on prescription is in the UK!!!!!!!!!

Also how much have most people paid into the ´´Spanish pot´´ to deserve this cheap medical service.

I´m sure that I will get some sarcastic replies from certain memebrs of the forum, but it´s true, and probably the same ones who complain about running the NHS into the ground in the UK by ´´immigrants´´ .........lol

Thank you for the info.

I know from last year that any imported dementia (not for me personally, I may add) related medicines had to go the Concierge (spelling¿?) of Neurology in Barcelona for finance approval. Now the hospitals have been asked to try and use local products.
Well everything "local" here seems to be olive oil, almond, citrus or aloe vera based- so it will be interesting to see what is prescribed next time.

We wait on baited breath! :o

Good to hear that local pharmacists are helping to reduce the affect of the new charges for sick folks,i do remember that was the case in the UK when prescription charges were first introduced.I also remember that the UK charges were initially set at around 20p per item in those days,that seems a very long time ago, now that they are paying around 7 pounds for a prescription!  How long will it take for Spainish  prescriptions to get to around the 7 Euros mark?    ::)

Prescription charges will depend on one's earnings here now, even as a pensioner.
So if you have several pensions, savings with interest, money coming in from rental etc. this will affect the charges.

You will now pay part of your prescriptions in relation to your income submitted to your local tax office in Spain. Everyone who is a resident should by law make a tax return cut off date 30th June even if you have no Spanish income in that case a zero tax return should be made in any event.This will now become paramount in relation to these latest charges as they are calculated from your tax form details of income as Rita states above,These are in turn  passed automatically through from Hacienda (the Spanish Tax Authority) to the Social Security office who issue your Spanish health care or SIP card. (Blue Card)  :(

A Q&A article is below......

http://www.abacoconnect.com/articles/resident-taxes/sip-cards-and-means-tested-prescriptions-in-spain

Further info from the Britsh Embassy in Madrid re this and lots of healthcare issues.

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-spain/access-healthcare/healthcare/healthcare-updates

FAQs (Translated from The Spanish Gov site)

    How does it affect me if I am pensioner reform?
    Am I affected if I am a reform worker?
    What if I'm unemployed?
    Who has the right to health card?
    What will happen to those not entitled to the card?
    What if I have over 26 years and have never worked?

How does it affect me if I am pensioner reform?

    If a pensioner with a non-contributory pension or have a minimum income, you will not pay anything for their medications.
    If you make less than 18,000 Euro a year will pay 10 percent of the price of medicines, up to 8 Euro a month.
    If you earn over 18,000 Euro, the maximum is 18 Euro per month.
    Only pensioners with incomes over € 100,000 will pay 60 percent of medicines, up to a limit of 60 Euro per month.
    In any case, health care is free.

Am I affected if I am a reform worker?

    If you have an annual income less than 18,000 euros, will pay the same so far, 40% of the drugs.
    If your income exceeds € 18,000, but less than 100,000 euros, will pay 50%.
    If you enter more than 100,000 Euro a year will pay 60% of their medicines.
    Health care is free.

What if I'm unemployed?

For the first time, if you receive a minimum income or no longer receive any unemployment benefits, will not have to pay for drugs.
Who has the right to health card?

All Spanish and legal resident aliens are entitled to the card, which guarantees free health care.
What will happen to those not entitled to the card?

    All people are guaranteed basic health care but do not meet the legal requirements for the card.
    If it's under 18 are entitled to the same attention as any Spanish citizen.
    It is also fully guaranteed assistance in pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum.
    In any case, all emergencies will be attended by illness or accident.

What if I have over 26 years and have never worked?

Nothing changes on their right to health care. But instead of receiving it as a beneficiary of their parents, will become owner of his own card.

---

I have a Spanish pension and was charged 1€ when i picked up my monthly prescription today.  That is far less than 10% of the cost of the medication I take.

Update re prescription charges and list of drugs no longer allowed on prescriptions, see www.tumbit.com

Hi all,
We were speaking to a friend recently who is usually gend up on matters such as this and told us, at her bank CX Catalunya Caixa that there are envelopes on the counter and if you are a client, you place your recepts for the tax you pay on prescriptions into these envelopes BUT YOU MUST BE 65YRS OR OVER you then hand it to the clerk and the bank gets you a refund back for these charges. She also told us there is a notice on the wall explaining how this is done. This is what we were told so don't shoot me as I'm only the messenger and can't read Spanish.
Bulldog.   

Some of us women became pensioners at 60, so don't we count,  and will have to wait until we are 65 to claim any money back.

I wish I could become a pensioner at sixty. The last letter I received on the subject (a couple of months ago) said I wouldn't get it until I'm sixty four and a half. Not often I wish I was older than I am! :'(

For your information.

On the British Embassy website this is some information about the changes in the healthcare system in Spain.  Please see link below:

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-spain/access-healthcare/healthcare/

UKinSpain

My wife has been attending hospital to have her leg ulcers dressed.  Today we were given a prescription and told that she now had to get the dressings herself and take them into the nurse for application.

I've just taken my monthly prescription to the chemist and for the first time had to pay 10% of the total cost plus 1€ for the prescription. I don't mind though, I'd rather pay 10% than 100% ;)

We have just been informed that prescription charges here will now be linked to declared tax returns ( including pensioners ) .Does anyone have any further information or have any idea what the situation is for those that havn't made any tax returns ?

The 1 euro charge for each item on prescription ends!