Expatriates living on the Costa Blanca in Spain will not longer get free healthcare, according to international health insurance news. International health experts are advising expatriate Britons to take out private health insurance policies to ensure that they are covered.
Some half a million UK expats on the Costa Brava, the vast majority of whom are under 50, and all other European residents of the Valencia region will now be denied heath care.
The provincial government of the region previously provided free healthcare to all expats, with the aim of encouraging house price investment. However, with house prices falling the concession has been withdrawn,
According to a report from the health ministry of the region, it was said: It is costing us an extra £ 1bn (£790m) annually to look after a million new residents as well as long-stay tourists and our services are at saturation point. Some come to Spain to have their heart operation or hip replacement here at a better standard and more quickly than in their own country.
Tags: health Insurance