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Applying for your Spanish prescription charge reimbursement

- Updated: 31/07/2012
Applying for your Spanish prescription charge reimbursement

There has understandably been much confusion and many questions arising from the recent changes made by the Central Government to the Prescription charges which apply in Spain. The simple truth is that this has not been adequately communicated by the Ministry of Health – as such we are grateful to Abaco Connect for compiling a brief procedure to enable Spanish residents to familiarise themselves with how they can recover some of the costs associated with buying prescriptions in Spain.

We now have more information about prescription charges in Spain, and in this article we summarise the current situation and explain how you can apply for a reimbursement if you have exceeded the maximum amount you must pay each month.

Gradually we have seen more information about Spanish prescription charges coming through. It has been a slow process and uncertainty around who will pay what, has caused quite a lot of anxiety amongst residents of all nationalities.

We are now clear that :

  % Payable Towards Cost Max. Payable Per Month
Pensioners with an income below 18,000€ 10% 8€
Pensioners with an income above 18,000€ but less than 100,000€ 10% 18€
Pensioners with an income above 100,000€ 60% 60€
Non-pensioners with an income below 18,000€ 40% N/A
Non-pensioners with an income above 18,000€ but less than 100,000€ 50% N/A
Non-pensioners with an income above 100,000€ 60% N/A

Your income is established through your Spanish annual resident tax declaration (IRPF). If you haven’t made one of these you will always be charged a set percentage and will not be eligible for any reimbursement once your maximum payment has been reached.

In order to get your money back on your prescription charge in Spain if you’ve made your IRPF and you’ve gone over your 8€ or 18€ limit there is a process to go through. This varies according to which region you live in, however, here is an example of what you must do if you live in the Comunidad Valenciana :

1. ) Keep all your receipts for the medication you’ve paid for and a copy of the prescriptions

2.) Collect two forms from either the Salud or by downloading from the internet :

A.) Modelo de domiciliación bancaria – includes your bank details, address and contact details. Click HERE to download a copy.

B.) Modelo solicitud general – the basis for your request. Click HERE to download a copy.

3.) Complete the forms with your details and attach :

* A photocopy of the receipts from the pharmacy

* A photocopy of your passport

* A photocopy of your residencia (green paper)

* A photocopy of your SIP card (both sides)

(It would also be a good idea to keep a copy of all of the documentation that you send for your own reference purposes)

4.) Take both forms, a copy of the forms and attachments to either your nearest post office or town hall – also take the originals of the documents listed above with you

5.) In three months the additional money you’ve paid out should be returned to your bank account

It is a process that will take a little practice and everyone is learning as they go along exactly how it will settle in the long term. If you do have a fiscal representative in Spain you might reasonably expect them to receive some advice on completing your first forms. Hopefully after that the process will become a little easier.

For those with health problems this represents an added concern at a time when they need it least. No doubt the pharmacies and town halls aren’t overjoyed either. However, it’s important to remember that this process applies to Spanish nationals too and that the welfare and health system in the UK is going through a similar process of reform. A sign of the times that there’s probably no escaping wherever you might choose to live.

If you would like to make sure that your Spanish prescriptions charges accurately reflect your income you need to have made an annual resident tax declaration (IRPF). If you would like more information about this you can contact Abaco Connect by clicking on the link HERE .

Comment on this Article

 
we live in Murcia and can not find any info on this subject local to us, so this article gives us some hope of finding out how to retrieve a refund as the doctors know nothing and the town hall is the same, as l don't speak Spanish l will translate you page and take it to the town hall thank you
Ronald Raw - Tue 14th Feb 2017
Thanks for this artcle. Our Farmacia has stopped issuing receipts some time ago, but I have wads of older ones. Is there a specific date from which you can claim? Will back dated payments be made?
Iona Goodman - Mon 17th Jun 2013
From finally getting my SIP card changed so that only 10% can be charged (I am a pensioner) I am now being charged 40% however there is no official notice from either the Spanish or the UK Government. Why is this? And what can be done?
Barbara O'neill - Tue 29th Jan 2013
I have all the details as above and taken them to our local town hall and they said that they didnt know anything about it and what did you expect them to do with them !!!! The spanish pensioners are now being reimbursed !
Carol - Tue 8th Jan 2013
I have been asking at the medical centre and the pharmacy, but nobody could tell me how to get my money back. I have kept all the receipts, amounting to a large amount, but did not keep the copy of the prescriptions. Does this mean I cannot claim ?
June Wain - Fri 23rd Nov 2012