Co-Payment Prescription Meds – Maximum

Update 2023.  Information from the INSS:

All medication is partly paid for unless your income is under 11,200 annually and you are exempt from presenting tax declarations.

Regulations are regional so please check at your health centre or social services at your town hall.
Since 2006, Spain´s public health system knows a co-payment for certain prescription medications, with maximum monthly aportations for pensioners.

Each year, those monthly maxima are adjusted in correspondence with the Index for Prices of Consumer goods over the months Jan-Nov of the current year, for the adjusted maxima to be valid as of January 1st of the next year.

Income under 18.000 euros a year – copago is 10% of costs. Max monthly contribution was 8,26 euros – for 2019 it will be 8,23 euros.

N.B. In the Valencia region pensioners do not pay anything if their income is under 18.000 euros.

Update February 2020: pensioners in the same situation, resident on the Canary Islands do not pay anything either, retro-actively per 1.1.2020 as stated in a Royal Decree Law from the 16h of January 2020. There was a different system in place for 2019 as well, subsidising the co-payment, but continuity for 2020 was voted down earlier this year.

Income between 18.000 and 100.000 euros a year – copago is 10% of costs. Max monthly contribution was 18,59 euros – for 2019 it will be 18,52 euros.

Income over 100.000 euros a year – copago is 60% of costs. Max monthly contribution was 62 euros – for 2019 it will be 61,75 euros.

The maximum contribution for medicines on the ´reduced co-payment list ATP´ has been lowered by two eurocents  to 4,24 euros per prescription (was 4,26 euros).

UPDATE 2.3.2017  In January this year the Minister has announced plans for a fairer co-payment system for those pensioners with income between 18.000 and 100.000 a year, increasing with income, in three different ´scales´. We will let our members know as soon as this comes into effect.

Update June 2018: The new PSOE government has announced the cancellation of the co payments for prescription meds, but not specified a specific date when this will come into effect. Financing has to be found from other sources first.

Update March 2019: the proposal to eliminate co-payments for prescription meds hasn’t made it in the approval round before the General Elections on April 28th.

Update December 2019. The new government announced on the 30th of December:
“We will proceed with the progressive elimination of co-payments introduced in 2012, throughout the legislature, starting with pensioners and households in a situation of greater vulnerability”. But no further legislation to this effect has passed.

Please note: The information provided is based upon our understanding of current legislation. It is not legal advice but is provided freely to enable you to be properly informed. We recommend that if you are considering taking action, you should seek professional advice.