he Catalan healthcare system is defined by its commitment to guarantee universal healthcare.

People with financial resources who are excluded from or not covered by the public healthcare system may also have access to the public healthcare system.
These people must fulfill the following requirements:
· They must be registered with any town hall in Catalonia and be able to provide proof of their residence by means of the registration certificate issued by the town hall.
· They must not be legally obliged to pay contributions to the Social Security system or any other public healthcare system.
· They must be unable to legally access a public healthcare protection system.  
· They must not be a beneficiary of a public healthcare assistance system.  
· They must make a regular financial contribution to gain access to public healthcare assistance.

Beneficiaries

The following people may access the public healthcare system as beneficiaries of the main cardholder: the spouse, descendents, adoptive children, brothers and sisters and ascendants, provided these family members live with the cardholder, do not have remunerated employment and do not receive income or a pension for an amount that is twice that of the minimum interprofessional salary.

How to apply

Applicants must submit the original and a photocopy of the following documents to the citizen service unit in their healthcare region:

a) For applicants over the age of 14, an identity document (Spanish Identity Card DNI, Foreigner’s Identity Card, NIE, passport, etc.).

b) The identity documents or passports of the beneficiaries.

c) The family register (llibre de família) in the case of minors.

d) A residency permit in the case of foreigners.

e) The individual tax return of the last financial year (when applying for healthcare assistance for beneficiaries).

f) A certificate from the town hall where the applicant lives certifying that the applicant and his/her beneficiaries are registered with the town hall’s census rolls. To claim a disability, a certificate is required from the competent authorities stating that the applicant has the indicated level of disability.
Applicants must also fill in the application forms for access to public healthcare assistance at the citizen service units and the forms for direct debit of the financial contribution required to access public healthcare assistance.

Cost

The amount of the financial contribution to be paid by the cardholder is equivalent to the amount established for medical and pharmaceutical care for common illnesses paid by groups that do not belong to the Social Security system. The monthly amount established for 2007 is €87.34.

The financial contribution may be paid monthly, quarterly or annually by direct bank debit.