Spain care co-payments set to fall towards zero

Families using basic long-term care support in Spain could eventually pay little or nothing towards it under a reform expected to reach Congress on 16 September. Social Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy announced the plan in Madrid, but gave no date for ending the co-payments. He said the aim was to bring families’ share down to zero, or as close to zero as possible.

The payments are a source of inequality, Bustinduy said. Social organisations have long called for them to be scrapped.

A year to uncover the real cost

The minister said the government does not yet know exactly how much families are paying. The reform would give Spain’s autonomous communities, town halls and central government one year to gather the figures and show what share of care costs falls on households.

If Congress approves the law as expected, it would go to the BOE, Spain’s official bulletin, the following day. Some measures could start immediately, while others need further rules before they can take effect. Bustinduy did not say which steps the autonomous communities would have to introduce at once.

Targets for waits and new support

The regions running the care system received an extra €500 million in July and August, according to Bustinduy. He said the funding was already affecting both the number of people receiving support and waiting times.

The reform aims to halve waiting times by 2027 and remove them in 2028. Everyone newly accepted into the system would automatically receive telecare.

Bustinduy also said people would no longer be barred from combining different benefits. A needs-based list of support would be created, alongside a temporary payment while applicants wait for the help they requested.

Topics: Social affairs · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com