By Ben Harding
MADRID (Reuters) - Britons living in the southeasternSpanish region of Valencia have forced the local government todrop plans to strip thousands of expatriates of the right topublic healthcare, campaigners said on Friday.
Millions of retirees have moved to the Spanish coast inrecent years, many lured by property developers' promises of asunny retirement home overlooking the Mediterranean in resortslike Alicante and Benidorm.
Bill Bridges was a policeman in Kent, England beforeretiring due to high blood pressure and moved to Spain fiveyears ago, opting for Torrevieja in Valencia region because ofa generous local law offering free healthcare.
However recent arrivals have placed such a strain onValencia's health system that the regional government saidearlier this year it would scrap cover for foreigners, even ifthey hold resident status in Spain.
After protests to the British Embassy in Madrid, consularstaff and the region have thrashed out a deal whereby anestimated 3,000 early retirees will continue to receivehealthcare for a 'reasonable and affordable' price.
Bridges welcomed the regional government's move, but saidquestions still remained about its use of free health care tolure sunseeking northern Europeans.
"The Valencian authorities certainly used the health systemas an inducement to get us here," he said. "I feel tricked."
Pensioners are covered by the European Union's reciprocalhealth system, which means the UK picks up the bill fortreatment, but the arrangement does not cover early retirees.
A draft directive published by the European Commission onWednesday would allow patients throughout the EU to travel toother countries for treatment without authorisation from theirown health authority. Britain has opposed the proposal.
However Bridges says expats like him have fallen into ahealthcare black hole: not entitled to treatment in Spain, northe UK because he cannot receive a Spanish health card andtherefore European health cover.
The British Embassy told early retirees to take out privatehealth cover, said Bridges, however insurers would not give himcomplete cover because of his health condition.
"What is really wrong is that the UK government have justwashed their hands of us," he said.
Nobody at the British Embassy or Valencia's health ministrywere available for comment on the agreement which will comeinto effect in January.
(Editing by Matthew Jones)
