The level of the Spanish public health It is increasingly topical and, above all, due to the testimonies of foreigners who live in our country or visit it. Recently, American TikTok user @techtoddtravles She recounted her experience, pointing out that Spain is doing something right, as the system works and is “cheap”. Likewise, a foreigner living in Murcia included healthcare among the strong points for moving within our borders, as she received “fantastic” treatment.
Now, an American family who lives in France but was visiting Spain has detailed their visit to the emergency room and has praised the emergency system. Social Security.
This family was enjoying the Spanish beaches and everything was going normally, but Erica Jackson, the mother, began to feel unwell. “I felt panic. My head felt Throbbing pain since I hit her at the hotel a few days before. The pain and pressure kept me awake at night along with anxiety from Googling possible symptoms. “I tried every kind of medication I could find, but nothing could stop the hammering in my skull,” she explains in an article published in the American version of the newspaper HuffPost.
Given the emergency situation, Erica’s husband urged her to have a medical appointment by video call through his international private insurance. A few minutes later she recounted his symptoms to a Spanish doctor online using Google Translate. The health professional advised him to go see a doctor in person in order to rule out a brain injury.
The family’s location, in a remote region, did not facilitate the search process, so they decided to go to the Public emergencies closer. “The reception staff asked me for any documents as proof of our public health coverage, but I explained that I had intentional private insurance. He apologized, stating that he would have to pay for the visit to the ER and then ask for a refund from our insurance part,” he explained.
This somewhat contradicted the American, since in the United States a visit to the Emergency Room for chest pain it meant a $2,500 bill months later. Fortunately, in Spain the costs are much lower. The fee is 200 euros for visits to this service, and if additional tests are needed, the total cost may increase.
“I waited about two hours and a young doctor took me to a room very similar to that in American hospitals (…). He took my vital signs, asked me about my symptoms and told me that he was going to ask for a CT scan to be safe (…)”, he explained.
The result was good: There was no brain damage. The doctor indicated that Erica’s headaches may have been amplified by the anxiety and tension that had been generated by the injury. She immediately gave him a prescription to buy a common painkiller in Spain.
“At reception, I prepared to know the total cost, taking into account my bitter experience with a CT scan in the US which can cost thousands of dollars. I was happily surprised when the receptionist said the total bill was 729 euros. After paying, he gave me a disk with the CT results and the necessary documentation to give to the health insurance and obtain reimbursement,” he explains.
Erika breathed a sigh of relief for two reasons. First of all, her for not having a brain injury. Secondly, knowing that she would not have to pay a bill of thousands of dollars.
“I felt sad and frustrated thinking about the huge flaws in our health system in the US, where even a basic visit to the doctor is accompanied by the worry of not knowing how much money you will have to pay to receive the care you need. “More often than should be normal, Americans have to choose between prioritizing their health or their economic stability,” he indicated.
In this sense, he points out that the cost of a visit to the Emergency Room can vary greatly depending on the location. Of course, the average bill is normally higher than the 2,000 euros without insurance. “Even with insurance, the numbers can be astronomical for an average American family,” she concludes.
