055: Medical Care in Spain

What to Know Before You Go

On rare occassions, I dip into a Camino Facebook group. I don’t much care for most English-language Camino Facebook groups as in so many there are people who think their answer is the best—which is certainly not in the spirit of the Camino. So at the moment I follow just two English-language groups—one with a long history of kindness and the other is a new one I’m testing out to see if I want to stay.

Anyway, the other day I read about someone’s experience with medical care along the Camino. He was not happy with his experience and I’m a little mystified as to why.

• He took a bus to a hospital he found online—a private hospital chain we have here in Spain.

• There was an electronic check-in that required a Spanish ID number, which he didn’t have. So he went to the front desk and they called an interpreter, who explained he’d have to pay for services. This is normal if you are not a citizen of the European Union.

• He was given a ticket with a code and watched the monitors for when his code showed up.

• He went to triage first and had pulled up relevant information on his translation app. So that went well.

• After triage, it was back to the waiting room to wait to be called for the doctor.

• The doctor ordered a test. The test was done. The patient was given 3 prescriptions.

• The patient asked about bloodwork. The doctor said this was unnecessary. (This is also common—in the US, they’ll test you to “rule out” all kinds of things. In Spain, tests are only prescribed if they feel it’s necessary.)

• The patient was given his prescriptions, paid the less than $350, and left.

He ended his post by saying he wouldn’t recommend the hospital he went to. And I wondered, “Why not?”

The only thing I could think of is that he’s from a country that has nationalized healthcare and therefore is not used to paying much, if anything, for healthcare. Because to an American? When was the last time you went to an ER, had any sort of test, and only had to pay $350?!

But I also share the above example to let you know what it’s like when you walk into a private hospital in Spain—the electronic check-in, the ticketing system, triage, etc. is a sequence I’ve seen multiple times in various private hospitals.

When people ask me about healthcare on the the Camino, there are a few things I talk about. (Note this is for Americans—I don’t know how it works for you, dear readers, in other countries.)

Travel Insurance

I highly recommend travel insurance. This is not the same as medical insurance.

• Call your medical insurance company and ask what they’ll cover abroad and what you’d need to do to get reimbursed.

• In most cases, you’ll pay for your services up-front, get a receipt, and then submit that to your insurer when you get home.

Travel insurance, however, covers a lot of other things depending on the policy:

• Trip cancellation/interruption (illness, family emergency, etc.)

• Travel delays (meals, hotel during delays)

• Missed connections

• Lost, stolen, or delayed baggage

• Emergency medical evacuation (transport to nearest adequate hospital or back home)

• Non-medical emergency evacuation (natural disaster, political unrest)

• 24/7 travel assistance services (coordination, translation, logistics)

• Coverage for prepaid, non-refundable expenses (tours, lodging, flights)

• “Cancel for any reason” (CFAR) upgrades (optional add-on) If you need to change your flights, need to stay in a hotel near a hospital to recover for a few days, etc.

Be sure to check what’s covered and read reviews before purchasing a policy.

Emergencies

• Dial 112 from any cell phone. Even if you’re not on a data plan. Even if you don’t have a local SIM card. As long as you have a cell signal, it should work. It’s the emergency number for all of the European Union—so use it whether you are on Camino in Portugal, France, or Spain.

Health Centers (Centro de Salud)

If you need care, but not a hospital, find the nearest Centro de Salud. Do not expect that someone there will speak English.

When I lived in a town of 6500 in Spain, our nearest hospital was a 20 minute drive away, but the Centro de Salud was right in town. They were open weekday mornings and afternoons (with the exception of the usual Spanish closing time from 2pm-5pm or so). And when they weren’t open? You’d walk in the other side and enter urgent care.

Not every Centro de Salud has an urgent care. But if they don’t, they’ll be something on the door telling you who to contact.

Pharmacies

Walk into any pharmacy along a popular Camino route and the first thing you’ll often see are knee braces, blister treatment, sunscreen. They know their audience.

There are small towns that might not have a Centro de Salud, but do have a pharmacy. (And note you’ll also walk through towns that have none of the above!) The pharmacists that I’ve worked with on various Caminos and during my years living in Spain were all wonderfully helpful. Again, do not expect that they’ll speak English.

If you need to see a doctor, the pharmacist will tell you as much and will also be able to tell you which Camino town ahead has a health center.

Some pharmacies will close for the usual Spanish afternoon break (approximately 2pm-5pm). And if it’s a town that has more than one pharmacy, they have a rotation as to which one is open late/open on Sundays/etc. It’s usually posted in the window.

Other Help

I covered other sources of assistance back in November in this post:

With love,

Rebecca

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Scenes from the Camino

This week I visited Oloron-Sainte-Marie, a town on the Arles route in France (not too far from the Somport pass, which pilgrims on this route use to cross the Pyrenees).

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Camino Conversations is on pause as I complete my travels in France.

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🥾Ready to start planning your Camino?

Rebecca Weston
Camino Planning & Preparation Guide (for People 45+)
Rebecca@TheCaminoCalls.com

Your Camino adventure should feel exciting, not stressful — here are some ways I can help you get ready:

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About me: I’ve walked more than a dozen Caminos since my first in 2012. I’ve spent many days volunteering along the trail, and if I’m not walking one now, I’m planning the next—and would love nothing more than to help you plan yours, too.