Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

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fyfin
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Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby fyfin » Sat Nov 08, 2014 4:33 pm

Has anyone come across this as it has happened to our friend (or so it appears) and allegedly happened to someone else we know in our town as well.
In both cases tarjeta sanitarias were obtained by the woman as she had attained 60 before the man would reach 65 so he received the card as her dependant. What seems to have happened is that when the man reached 65 and applied in his own right by getting an S1 from Newcastle, somehow the woman's card was cancelled. In one case she had to obtain another S1 from Newcastle and go back to the INSS office to start all over again.

I find this hard to believe but it seems to have happened to our friend who had all her cards stolen when her handbag was snatched. We went with her initially to the local Health Centre to ask about replacement and the guy at the desk put her details in and was able to print out her health card number but wanted an up to date padron. The next day she went back with the padron and was then told that the card had been stopped. We are going back with her on Monday for an explanation if we can get one and have also emailed the Servicio Andaluz Salud to see if they can cast any light on it but I jusy wondered if anyone else had come across this. Seems totally wrong to me.
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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby Trooperman » Mon Nov 24, 2014 12:39 pm

Yup! A friend of mine, who obtained her card (somehow) before S1 forms were the accepted way to go, had her card cancelled. The reason advanced was solely the absence of said S1. I'm not sure how she overcame it but as she is over 65 it was no problem and she now has access.
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fyfin
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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby fyfin » Mon Nov 24, 2014 2:52 pm

Well after going to the INSS office in Huercal Overa apparently it was all a mistake and they had confused her with someone with the same name. (Highly unlikely with her unusual name) What had probably happened was that here husband had been in and had given a different address as he had moved out (he's back again now lol) and I reckon somehow they altered her dob and re-entered her on the system. Anyway all OK now.
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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby truebrit » Sun Nov 08, 2015 5:19 pm

I have a question on the same vein. If a man is 65 and gets his Tarjeta Sanitaria and his wife(who still has 5 years to go)as his dependant gets hers. When she gets to 60(as retirement was then) does she have to go through the same rigmarole again to reapply in her own right? I have just been told by a friend of mine that this is what she is having to do, but now the process all has to be done online.

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby Free at Last » Sun Nov 08, 2015 5:32 pm

Yes, she does. I got an S1 form last year as my husband's dependant, when he reached 65, although I was only 58. The accompanying letter from the DWP made it clear that once I reached state retirement age, which for me will be 66, I must apply for a new S1 form in my own right, which will of course involve re-registering it at the INSS and getting a new Tarjeta Sanitaria.

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby El Cid » Sun Nov 08, 2015 5:48 pm

I was first registered as a dependant of my wife. When I reached 65, some years ago, I received an E121 from DWP. I never bothered to register personally and, so far, have not had any problems.

However, I have heard of situations where the dependant has had his card deactivated for no apparent reason. I have never heard of a case where the original holder has been deactivated, it's just the dependant that seems to have the problem.

I am loathe to rock the boat as who knows what will happen - my scrips and future hospital appointments could get totally screwed up. What I am going to do is get DWP to issue me with a new S1 form as if I turn up to INSS with an old E121 I hate to think what they will do with that! At least that will remove one possible problem, but until the problem arises, I don't think I will bother.

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby truebrit » Sun Nov 08, 2015 6:03 pm

I have just looked through my paperwork and I think I must have filled in the 121 as I can see the copy on file. I too will keep my fingers crossed. My friend said that registering is a nightmare as the old system of arriving getting a number and waiting has now gone and every thing must be done on line including making appointments. She also said machines not very efficient and staff not very helpful. I do agree with you though, sometimes it pays to keep your head under the radar where these things are concerned here.

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby Lyric » Sun Nov 08, 2015 6:28 pm

I might have posted this before but I was my wife's dependent, when I was 65 and issued with an S1 in my own right, I didn't bother with re-registering as I hate the INSS ordeal and everything still worked. Six months, almost to the day, on line appointments failed, just when I needed a Doctor. I got a manual appointment and then found that the issue of new prescriptions didn't work either. Existing repeats were unaffected.
Getting the card re-instated took three months.
P.S. the INSS experience with the appointment in advance is much better than wait your turn with the armpits of the dregs of humanity. :D

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby Free at Last » Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:08 pm

I can't say we suffered any ordeal at the INSS office in Vélz-Malaga. We went down there one morning in December 2014, without an appointment. The pleasant lady on reception asked what we had come for, asked us to take a seat and we only had to wait about 5 minutes to be seen. The man who dealt with us was perfectly polite and efficient.

If I have to make an appointment online to go again in 7 years' time, so be it. Who knows, we may no longer be entitled to S1s by then, and then you'll all really have something to moan about. :lol:

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby truebrit » Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:33 pm

Does anyone have a link online where I can read up about this? By the way I am not moaning, I have never had problems attending to anything in offices over here. I was just reporting what this friend of mine told me.

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby Lyric » Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:48 pm

Google Cita previa INSS but do not use Firefox or you will get a security error.

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby El Cid » Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:49 pm

There is absolutely no doubt that these problems do happen, but there is absolutely no logic as to why they do happen!

You might think it could be caused when an S1 is issued to a dependant in their own right, but INSS would have no idea that this has happened unless the recipient told them.

Similarly, they could not assume that when a male dependant reached retirement age, that it would automatically mean that they had been issued with one - it's entirely possible, that because of their contribution record, that they would not be entitled to one, but still entitled to cover as a dependant.

It's good that we can share experiences so that maybe we can find a some reason why it happens, but I fear, like many things in Spain, it is entirely random!

Sid

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby truebrit » Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:56 pm

I agree with you Sid but, and not referring to any one participating here, there are those that are terrible scaremongers and by the same token, those who know it all, or not. I have known people panic about things that turned out to be nothing but rumours. We have lived here 16 years and if I had taken everything I heard as real, i would never have slept at night. That is why these forum discussions are a good thing. When we came over it was all down to the local bar to discuss peoples experiences, and learning how to do or not to do things here.

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby Enrique » Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:58 pm

"Google Cita previa INSS but do not use Firefox or you will get a security error."

To get round this.........right click on the "This Connection is Untrusted" box

This Frame ->Open Frame in New Tab -> I understand the risks -> Add Exception

Once you have done the above you're good to go.

Most Spanish Government sites through up this in Firefox............. :roll:
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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby Lyric » Sun Nov 08, 2015 8:06 pm

Well I didn't know that ! and so to my Duck breast .............. :D

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby Miro » Sun Nov 08, 2015 11:05 pm

El Cid wrote: I have heard of situations where the dependant has had his card deactivated for no apparent reason. I have never heard of a case where the original holder has been deactivated, it's just the dependant that seems to have the problem.
Sid
I'm sure I posted a couple of years ago about our experiences with health cards being cancelled with no prior notice and no apparent reason? Slightly different than these cases, as both I and my partner were registered in our own rights as autonomos originally, and then as "personas sin recursos economicos" or some such phrase when we stopped working (and paying autonomo). No problem for years, and then bang! cards didn't work! We had to jump through hoops, prove we had no employment/income (how do you prove a negative?) and get letters from Newcastle stating that we were not entitled to NHS in UK etc. etc. These letters were eventually adequate to re-register us, and with the registration certificate provided by the SegSoc were able to reactivate our cards at our local clinic. Took several months all told. Touch wood, all OK since then, but none of this surprises me.
I recently went to the SegSoc office in Malaga (the same office where we jumped through aforementioned hoops) to get an EHIC: as a persona sin recu....a pauper, I am only entitled to 3 months cover (in any one year, and not necessarily consecutive) and cannot apply online. Initially I was told that I am not registered on the system! (my card has not been cancelled though) They told me I would need a letter from the UK...I showed them the registration certificate they had given me previously, but all they wanted was the old letter from Newcastle. Strange, since I wouldn't have had the registration cert. (issued by them) if I had not first had the Newcastle letter, but they didn't seem to follow that logic. Anyway, it was all sorted out, but unlike truebrit, I don't sleep well at night :( I don't claim to know it all, and I'm not trying to scaremonger, but we've had so much cr4p like this happen to us in 18 years here, that I'm looking forward to getting away for a few days to Germany (with my EHIC) for a few good nights sleep! :wink:
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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby truebrit » Sun Nov 08, 2015 11:30 pm

I wasnt talking about people like yourselves who have had genuine problems and been able to give good sound advice. I am referring to those who work on the premise of Chinese Whispers. They hear something and without knowing facts put the details out there to alarm and sometimes frighten people. Enjoy your trip to Germany!

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby Miro » Mon Nov 09, 2015 12:03 am

:thumbup:
I have had a few good nights sleep, just not whenever we've been put through the mill by Spanish bureaucracy. I truly envy those who have been lucky enough to avoid it. As for those who simply bury their heads in the sand and hope they never trip up, I sometimes wish I could sleep as well as they do, too.
I was chatting at a local cafe this week to a German friend who has been living here for three years now, owns his own apartment, and was indignant that he had received a letter from hacienda demanding non-resident tax on his property. I said "surely you're a resident, though?" to which he said "of course, I'm registered on the padrón, and already pay tax." He meant the IBI. I asked about income tax, to which he replied that he pays it in Germany so doesn't need to pay it here, so I explained (without wanting to sound like a know-it-all) that he should be registered as a foreign resident, and be declaring his income here and paying any tax due here, but since he isn't, hacienda will think he is still a non-resident property owner. He said "but I'm resident here!" and said basically they could go screw themselves. Now, not wanting to be scaremonger, I then proceeded to tell him about an English chap I'd been talking to in the same cafe the day before who was telling how hacienda had embargoed his account due to non-payment of his non-res tax.... :crazy:
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby truebrit » Mon Nov 09, 2015 9:07 am

Having been here nearly as long as you dont you long for those good old days when things were a lot simpler.?

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Re: Tarjeta Sanitaria (Health Card) Cancelled

Postby katy » Mon Nov 09, 2015 4:12 pm

Yes :D OH got in the Spanish health service by default. Used a uk. Health card for kidney stones in the 90's and not long after received a Spanish card, named GP etc. I was not so lucky, had to use private. Suppose he would be struck off now :mrgreen:


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