Health-care coverage for holders of a scholarship awarded by the Agency for Administration of University and Research Grants

On 12 February, 2004, a collaboration agreement was signed between the General Directorate of Financial Policy and Insurance of the Department of Economy and Finances, the Catalan Health Service and the Agency for Administration of University and Research Grants with a view to regulating the extension of health care coverage, which was subsequently extended to cover the following group:

The beneficiaries, generally of AGAUR mobility grants, who may be university students, university graduates and university administration and service personnel or personnel from the public administrations of Catalonia linked professionally to university or research management; besides pre-doctorate and post-doctorate grant beneficiaries.

This coverage is subject to the provisions of the rules of each one of the announcements of grants.

1. Sphere of application

   Health care coverage is provided for stays in our country by nationals and foreigners of community and non-community member states, as well as for stays outside Spain, provided that the announcement of grant establishes this possibility.

   Group:
   The beneficiaries, generally of AGAUR mobility grants, who may be university students, university graduates and university administration and service personnel or personnel from the public administrations of Catalonia linked professionally to university or research management; besides pre-doctorate and post-doctorate grant beneficiaries.

2. Stay in our country

   • All Spanish nationals with normalised access to public health coverage. If the person does not have the corresponding document of accreditation issued by the Catalan Health Service (SCS) or by any of the other competent organisations (Health Services of the Autonomous Communities or General State Mutual Health Companies), they should contact the nearest health centre to their home to complete the relevant formalities. Information can also be obtained from the CatSalut website (www.catsalut.net) or on the Sanitat Respon number 902 111 444.
   • The general requirements for accessing public health care through the CatSalut (Catalan Health Service) are:
     • Be registered in any of the municipalities of Catalonia and be able to substantiate actual residence.
     • Accredit membership of the Social Security as holder or beneficiary.
     • Access formalities can be undertaken in the Primary Care Centres as a person without resources pursuant to Decree 55/1990.
     • Formalise access in the Health Regions as a person with resources pursuant to the decree 178/1991.

   • In the case of nationals from other European Union member states, it should be mentioned that these countries have entered into health care coverage agreements. Moreover, the legal status of the scholarship holders in their country should be analysed as this may be a decisive point in knowing whether the scholarship holders come to our country with health coverage or not. The scholarship holders must find out whether the agreement exists in their country of origin and any relevant before coming to Spain. In most cases, the scholarship holders will come to our country with health care from their country of origin.

     Formalities required:

     • Accreditation of the E 111 form (immediate care, temporary stay for a maximum period of three months).
     • Accreditation of the E 128 form (necessary care not subject to immediate requirements if the stay is longer than three months).

     In any event, even if they have coverage, to obtain the SCS card it is necessary to be registered and apply for the INSS card. With these documents the SCS will issue the corresponding accreditation card.

   • People who travel to our country without health coverage and without the possibility of doing so in their country (countries with which there is no agreement), the form of access is pursuant to the aforementioned decree 55/90 in section II, and they must register and make a statement that they have no resources other than the scholarship. These people must prove to the AGAUR:

     • That the scholarship is their only economic resource
     • That they do not have health coverage

     The AGAUR will formalise health coverage for this group with the SCS.

   • Coverage: the coverage is applicable to the relatives of the scholarship holders that live with and are dependant on the scholarship holders and their income to a second degree of blood relationship. This situation must be accredited by means of documentation. Unmarried couples are expressly excluded from this health coverage.

3. Travel grants

   If the scholarship holders are staying abroad, a distinction must be made between two possible cases:

   • Countries with which Spain has Social Security agreements: the specific conditions for health care coverage and its scope must be known (Annex I countries with an agreement with the Spanish health system).

     Formalities required before the corresponding institution (Remembering that preliminary formalities must be carried out with the Social Security from the CatSalut, the need to obtain these documents should be taken care of in advance in cases where access has been obtained through decree 55/90):

     • Accreditation of the E 111 form (immediate care, temporary stay for a maximum period of three months).
     • Accreditation of the E 128 form (necessary care not subject to immediate requirements if the stay is longer than three months).
   • Countries without an agreement and scholarship holders that do not have access to E111 and E128: the AGAUR will arrange the corresponding insurance policies with the General Direction of Financial Policy and Insurances (exclusively for holders of the scholarship, not for the relatives).

4. Comments

   • AGAUR enviarà les targetes sanitàries corresponents, un cop realitzats els tràmits, a university or centre receiving the scholarship holder, which will deliver the cards to the scholarship holders.
   • With regard to the countries that have recently joined the European Union, the specific situation of the citizens from these countries will have to be checked.

ANNEX I

List of countries with agreements with the Spanish Social Security

List of countries with agreements that do not provide for health care coverage