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Home Community answers Does private Spanish health insurance include coverage for knee replacement surgery?

Does private Spanish health insurance include coverage for knee replacement surgery?

Last Updated on March 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi

Question

Has anyone had knee replacement surgery on private Spanish health insurance?  Did they cover everything?  We are considering retiring there, but know that I will need knee replacement surgery sometime in the future.

Answers

These are the answers of some Facebook group members:

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“My friend had her knees done privately. You have to pay for the actual replacement joint, which was three thousand euros. Unfortunately, the second knee didn’t seem to be recovering as well as the first, and it appeared that the cement holding it in place had failed. She had to have a second op on that knee and pay for the new joint again, making it a total of 6K as they can’t re-use the joint.”

“I’ve been quoted 4500 euros for the knee joint. Everything else is covered by insurance, as I understand it. If you have an existing issue with your knee, I think it would be a pre-existing condition and therefore wouldn’t be covered by insurance? Good luck.”

“Anything pre existing prior to taking any insurance policy is usually not covered”

“Cover depends on the plan you contracted. ASSSA for example doesn’t include the actual knee or hip joint in their Basic package, but the Master package does!”

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“My wife has had two knee replacements on our insurance (Adeslas) and not had to pay a cent! Only the medication from the Farmacia afterwards.”

📖 Related Reading: For a complete overview of what insurance you need, which providers are accepted, and costs, see our Health Insurance for Spain Visas: The Complete Guide.

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author avatar
Bruno Bianchi CEO & Spain Immigration Expert
Bruno Bianchi is the founder and CEO of Spainguru, Spain's largest expat immigration community with 150,000+ members. Since 2014 he has helped thousands of people relocate to Spain through expert guides, webinars and vetted professional services covering visas, residency, taxes and life in Spain.