Make sure you know the emergency number you need to call for your Spanish health insurance company. Store it in your phone.
The emergency number you need to contact is usually on the back of the plastic card your private health insurance company provides you. Call this number and ask for an ambulance. This will ensure that the ambulance is from your private insurance company. They will take you to an affiliated hospital.
If you ring the normal emergency services, they will take you to a state hospital. Your private health insurance in Spain will not cover the costs of a state hospital.
If you end up in a state hospital because you were not in a position to contact your private insurer then make sure you contact the insurance company the following day or as soon as possible. If you cannot contact your private insurance company then ask a friend or family member to call instead. The private insurance company in Spain will then coordinate with you to have you transferred to one of their affiliated private hospitals.
The costs you incur in any hospital (including state hospitals) that is not affiliated with your private health insurance company are your responsibility. There are exceptions, depending on the insurance company. For example, some Spanish health insurance companies might agree to pay some or all of the initial costs if it was an emergency and there was no way you could have communicated to someone that you had private medical care.
For more information visit our page on health insurance in Spain.
