Healthcare in Madrid
Expats will find that healthcare in Madrid is supported by a large number of public facilities as well as a diverse private sector.
As is the case with all other regions in Spain, the national government provides basic coordination and legislation, and the region is in charge of managing and planning public healthcare.
Free healthcare can be received in Madrid when expats begin to pay into social security, a facility that can only be arranged by those expats with residence permits who have obtained an Empadronamiento and a health card. If working, this payment is usually arranged through an employer as an automatic deduction from an employee’s pay check. Self-employed expats will have to pay into social security themselves to begin to receive healthcare.
Once a health card is obtained, expats must register with a general practitioner and can then start to take advantage of the system. Those not registered are still eligible for emergency care.
There are an impressive amount of public hospitals in Madrid, and a large network of health care centres and pharmacies.
A medical centre popular with expats is Unidad Médica. Here English speaking doctors and staff familiar with non-EU expat insurance procedures can provide help and information. They also provide dental services.
Many expats also opt to utilise private healthcare in Madrid. This sector eliminates the long queues that often plagues the public entity, and also provides individuals with more choice when it comes to specialists and practitioners.
Expats will need to have private insurance if they wish to take advantage of these facilities; many times a service that can be negotiated in an expat package beforehand.
Madrid has a number of well-respected private health care centres as well as a few foreign based hospitals, such as MD Anderson Houston - one of the most prestigious centres in the world for cancer treatment.
As is the case with all other regions in Spain, the national government provides basic coordination and legislation, and the region is in charge of managing and planning public healthcare.
Free healthcare can be received in Madrid when expats begin to pay into social security, a facility that can only be arranged by those expats with residence permits who have obtained an Empadronamiento and a health card. If working, this payment is usually arranged through an employer as an automatic deduction from an employee’s pay check. Self-employed expats will have to pay into social security themselves to begin to receive healthcare.
Once a health card is obtained, expats must register with a general practitioner and can then start to take advantage of the system. Those not registered are still eligible for emergency care.
There are an impressive amount of public hospitals in Madrid, and a large network of health care centres and pharmacies.
A medical centre popular with expats is Unidad Médica. Here English speaking doctors and staff familiar with non-EU expat insurance procedures can provide help and information. They also provide dental services.
Many expats also opt to utilise private healthcare in Madrid. This sector eliminates the long queues that often plagues the public entity, and also provides individuals with more choice when it comes to specialists and practitioners.
Expats will need to have private insurance if they wish to take advantage of these facilities; many times a service that can be negotiated in an expat package beforehand.
Madrid has a number of well-respected private health care centres as well as a few foreign based hospitals, such as MD Anderson Houston - one of the most prestigious centres in the world for cancer treatment.
