The differences between medicine in Spain and Europe

The healthcare system in Spain is considered one of the best in the world. How is it different from Russia and what does the healthcare in each country have in common? How can you get public and private medical services? When can get free medical care? This article will answer these questions and more.

Areas of medicine in Spain and Europe

The Spanish healthcare system is considered one of the best in the world with state, universal and free medical care for any citizen. In 2019, the country entered the ranking of the healthiest countries.

In Spain, there is a public and private healthcare system while in Europe, healthcare has 3 areas - public, municipal and private.

The differences between medicine in Spain and Europe

State healthcare system

There are 543 public hospitals and 13,096 medical centers in Spain. You have to pay contributions to the National Insurance Institute to use the state healthcare system.

It’s estimated that 90% of the Spanish population uses the public health system. It covers medical consultations (except ophthalmological and dental), hospitalization costs in public institutions and medicine. In Europe, 80 to 92% of the population gets treatment in public hospitals.

Public medicine in Spain and Europe is divided into primary and specialized care. Primary healthcare provides basic services like consultations, examinations, courses for pregnant women and emergency care. Specialized care is provided in specialized centers and hospitals, in both outpatient and inpatient settings.

You have to register in the social security system to use public healthcare in Spain.

TSE Medical Card

Getting a social security number in Spain is free and fast. After registering in the system, you need to contact the nearest medical center at your place of residence to apply for a medical card (TSI). The necessary documents for this are a passport and a certificate from the social insurance fund.

People who can receive state medical care in Spain are:

working residents in Spain;
foreigners working in Spain;
children under the age of 18;
pregnant women;
officially working residents who have a residence permit.

To enter the country, the government requires that all foreigners staying in Spain have medical or travel insurance. If not, state medical care is only provided for accidents, serious illnesses and childbirth.

European TSE Medical Card

If a person is a citizen of a European Union member country, he/she can receive medical care in the Spanish public health system if they can show their European Medical Card (TSE). TSE is a personal document that provides access to medical care throughout Europe in any of the 27 EU member states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

European countries offer 3 ways to apply for a TSE Medical Card:

via the Internet on the website at sede.seg-social.gob.es;
in Social Welfare Centers (CAISSE);
in local administrations.

The document takes 10 days to be issued.

Private healthcare system

There are about 460 private hospitals in Spain. There are 3,156 private clinics in Europe. 15% of the population uses private clinics in Europe.

One of the advantages of private clinics in Europe and Spain is that they offer some services that aren’t available in the public health system. Patients also don’t have to wait as long for treatments.

The differences between medicine in Spain and Europe

Municipal healthcare in Europe

The main task of Europe’s healthcare system is to provide primary medical care as well as individually specialized services to the population.

The responsibilities of municipal management bodies in the medical sphere are:

increase the level of sanitary and hygienic education of the population;
ensure public access to a guaranteed volume of medical care;
exercise control over the quality of medical services.

Medical tourism

Medicine for tourists in Spain is very developed. In 2020, 140,000 tourists were registered to come to the country for treatment. Germans make up the largest percentage of this number.

Medicine in Spain is much cheaper for citizens than medicine abroad and is just as good quality. European tourists who come to Spain for treatment are the second largest group in the country.

10 best hospitals in Spain

Jimenez Diaz Found.
La Paz Hospital.
Gregorio Maranhon Hospital.
Clinical Hospital of Barcelona.
Val De Hebron Hospital.
Quironsalud Hospital (Madrid).
University and Polytechnic Hospital of La Fe (Valencia).
San Carlos Clinical Hospital.
Ruber International Hospital.
Chiron Hospital Barcelona.

Pharmacies

The Spanish pharmaceutical industry is one of the 4 most important industries in the European Union for total drug sales. Pharmacies in Spain are called Farmacia and medicines are sold strictly by prescription. Pharmacy working hours are from 9.30 to 14.00 and 17.00 to 20.00. There are also round-the-clock pharmacies.

There are 76,821 certified pharmacists and 22,137 state pharmacies in Spain, with an average of 2,144 citizens per pharmacy. 88.1% of active pharmacists work in state pharmacies.

Patient treatment in Spain and Europe

In Spain, evidence-based medicine uses the results from research to create a protocol of observation, examination and treatment of the patient. The latest, modern technologies greatly reduce how long people are sick and increase the speed of healing.

In Europe, healthcare is based on prevention, early detection and treatment.

Average incidence rate

According to statistics, there are 778 people with socially significant diagnoses 14 to 90 years in Europe per 1000 people (77%).

In Spain, there are 87 people with socially significant diagnoses from 14 to 90 years (9%) per 1,000 people.

The differences between medicine in Spain and Europe

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