Public SS card while still on private, is double cover legal
You're totally fine. There is no law saying you can't have both at the same time and it is actually pretty common for DNV holders once they start paying into the system. I kept my Sanitas policy for a year while having my social security card just because I didn't want to change my GP in Las Palmas. Just make sure you bring your padron to the centro de salud or they won't even look at your application.
just be careful with the dnv requirements. the law says you must have private coverage for the duration of your stay if you aren't contributing to social security. once you start paying your autonomo fees and get the public card, you're covered, but don't drop the private one until you are sure your social security payments are actually being processed. the consulate can be picky about gaps in coverage if you ever need to renew the visa.
it's worth noting that prescription costs are way cheaper with the public card. private insurance usually doesn't cover your pharmacy bills at all, or only a tiny bit. with the public system, you just scan your card at the farmacia and the prices drop by like 50 to 90 percent. that’s why even people with fancy private plans still keep their public card active.
It is definitely legal but keep an eye on your private policy renewal date. Once you get that SS card, you're paying for the public system through your social security contributions anyway. There is no point paying twice unless you really love your private clinics waiting room. I dropped mine the second I got my SIP card and haven't looked back.
i honestly think keeping both is a waste of money once you're settled. 55 euros a month adds up. the public health centers in las palmas are modern and the doctors are the same ones who work in the private clinics anyway. why pay twice for the same doctor? i canceled my private plan the second my tarjeta sanitaria arrived and i haven't looked back.
hard disagree. have you tried to get a non-urgent surgery in the public system lately? the list is miles long. for 55 bucks it is worth the peace of mind to know you can skip the queue if you break a leg or need an mri.
Yeah double coverage is definitely legal. In fact, most the locals I know in Gran Canaria have both if they can afford it. The public system is great for big stuff but getting a specialist appointment for a minor thing can take months. Just don't expect the public doctors to care about your private records. They usually don't even want to see them and will run their own tests anyway.
That's a good point about the tests. I tried showing my private labs to a public doctor at the Negrin hospital and he just handed them back. They have their own internal protocols so keep that in mind if you're trying to speed things up.
it is 100% legal to have both. many locals who can afford it actually keep private insurance alongside the public system. the public system is great for big emergencies and long term issues, but the wait times for a specialist in las palmas are getting pretty long lately. if you need a dermatologist or a physical therapist, you might be waiting months on the public side. sanitas gets you in within a week.
having both is actually the standard for most spanish professionals. private is for the convenience stuff like blood tests and specialists, public is for the heavy lifting like hospital stays and prescriptions. you're just living like a local now. just make sure you aren't accidentally double paying for things like dental which isn't really covered by the public system anyway.
did the centro de salud actually give you the card without a social security number? usually you need to go to the tesoreria first to get your ss number before the health center will even look at you. maybe things are different in gran canaria or you already had your company register you. most dnv people have to show their autonomy payment receipts to get that card.
you definitely need the ss number first. i think the op might have skipped that step in the description. the health center can't generate the card out of thin air without the registration in the social security system. it took me two trips to get it right because i forgot my digital certificate.
quick question for you. which health center did you go to? the one near mesa y lopez or further south? i've heard some are way more relaxed about the paperwork than others. i tried to go last week and they told me i needed a translated version of my birth certificate which felt totally wrong for a simple health card.
i did the same thing when i first moved to the islands. the only thing i would watch out for is that sanitas usually has a renewal window. if you don't cancel a full month before your contract anniversary, they might try to lock you in for another entire year. i tried to cancel mine in month nine and it was a total nightmare with customer service. glad your transition went smoother than mine.
that's actually a huge point. these private companies aren't like monthly subscriptions in the us or uk. they really treat them like annual contracts. you might think you're just paying month to month but you're probably legally bound for the year. double check your paperwork people.