Spain’s commitment to health equity and the protection of vulnerable groups has been increasing over the years. With this, the Government has been approving different reforms and adjustments in the pharmaceutical copayment for those people who have a lower financial capacity to cover medical expenses.
One of these aids is the total exemption on pharmaceutical co-payments designed to combat the increase in the cost of living and inflation. Thus, it seeks to alleviate the pockets of Spaniards by allowing them to pay for their essential drugs so that they reduce the expense derived from their ailments.
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Thus, by meeting the requirements, a window of opportunity opens to protect patients with chronic pathologies without the cost in the pharmacy posing an insurmountable economic barrier.
How do I get free or capped medications?
The initiative behind this aid comes from the Ministry of Health, which has promoted a legal reform to adjust the contribution percentages in prescription dispensations.
To access the total exemption that covers 100% of the pharmacological cost, it is necessary to demonstrate the collection of minimum supplements in the contributory pension, that is, the amount paid by Social Security, this being the difference between the resulting pension and the minimum pension. In general, previously it was requested not to exceed a fixed income threshold, which caused many seniors to lose the right when their benefits were revalued.
Also, a dynamic criterion is introduced in the law so that the limit is updated automatically, guaranteeing the continuity of aid and proving true support for the most vulnerable.
Now, the co-payment percentage varies depending on the user’s income, so the lower the income level, the greater the State’s protection. Thus, the range goes from three to six contribution levels for active workers and from three to four levels for pensioners.
On the other hand, these general contributions have maximum monthly limits to protect equity and spending can be limited to only 8.23 euros per month for active and lower-income pensioners.
Thus, specific situations such as requiring medication for chronic diseases or long-term treatments usually generate a high accumulated expense, which qualifies for semi-annual reimbursement from the autonomous community if the limits are exceeded.
To maintain this exemption without charging the minimum supplement, the beneficiary must prove that they were already exempt under the previous legislation. Furthermore, if income verification is carried out, the rule requires that the annual income be less than 5,635 euros or 11,200 euros if one is not required to declare.
Thus, this free benefit directly covers pensioners who are Social Security holders and also applies to all people who appear as their legal beneficiaries. To obtain this exemption or the application of the caps, it is not necessary to carry out complex procedures, since the level of income is crossed with the tax data. Thus, finally, although the standard and criteria are state-based, management is carried out through the health services of each autonomous community.