This was on another forum, is it true?
Briefly, a bill has been introduced into Congress (14/05/2010) which would require the Spanish Government to introduce a free and universal healthcare system for all residents (including foreigners) from the start of next year. The bill explicitly removes the need to pay into the Social Security system as a condition of accessing the health services here. Although there is a long and complex story behind this, the key points were unanimously agreed by all main political parties (PP, PSOE, IU etc) back in September of last year, and the proposal received the support of the Government in April (although without a commitment to a firm timetable). The current bill restates what has already been agreed but with a timetable. If the bill is approved , Spain will have a system virtually identical to the NHS from 01/01/2011.
