With summer comes a influx of visitors to Spain. And with visitors comes the usual question: what happens if I fall ill whilst I’m there? The answer is that the LAMal provides some cover, but there are conditions that you should understand before you start looking for a doctor.
The first thing you need to know is that Switzerland is not a member of the EU, so whilst your family members living in Spain have a European Health Insurance Card, you do not. In Switzerland, such a card does not exist. What the LAMal covers abroad are medical emergencies – that is, situations that could not wait until you returned to Switzerland: appendicitis, an accident, a heart attack. Reimbursement is limited to twice the amount that LAMal would pay for the same treatment in Switzerland. In practice, as prices in Spain are generally lower than in Switzerland, this amount is usually sufficient to cover the actual cost.
The problem arises when it’s not an emergency. If you have a fever, go to the out-of-hours GP for a urinary tract infection or need to renew a prescription, that’s not an emergency in the legal sense of the term, and the LAMal is unlikely to reimburse you. In such cases, you’ll have to pay yourself. The solution many people opt for is supplementary insurance that includes cover abroad for routine care, not just emergencies. It isn’t free, but for anyone who travels frequently or spends weeks in Spain, it’s worth comparing options before you travel. And in any case, it’s always a good idea to keep your receipts and medical documents, because without them, you won’t be able to claim a refund.