Healthcare in Spain

Since I have been living here, I have had private healthcare. It's quite decent, and there are a few things that stand out to me:

1. I pay approximately 40 Euros per month for the plan itself. If I go to the doctor, the copayment is 1 Euro, unless it's urgent care (4 euros).
   
2. Medicine is not on a copayment system, you just pay for the price of the medicine. But it seems to me that most medicine is reasonably priced.
3. If I get any tests (blood analysis, x-rays, etc), the results are mine to take home. It's my responsibility as the patient to keep those documents and show them to the doctor. When I had pneumonia, I had 3 x-rays of my lungs over a period of 2 months, and I still have these at home. Patient accountability - what a concept!
4. Tests and analysis aren't very expensive. I think I pay an extra 2 euros or something. In any case, the doctors here are quite reluctant to prescribe medicine to their patients without all appropriate tests first. This is the complete opposite from the US, and I think it's because the tests tend to be quite expensive and not covered by our health insurance.

Today I signed up to the public healthcare that is covered by social security (since I'm working, I am eligible). It was relatively simple - I just had to prove my residency, social security and work status.

They gave me a temporary card that I can use for going to the public hospital, and if I need to go to urgent care and for whatever reason cannot go to my private hospital, I will be taken care of free of charge at the public hospital. Oh, and apparently when I purchase my medicine, it will be cheaper than if I were purchasing it with a prescription from my private healthcare doctor.

I asked for an appointment to meet my primary care physician, which will be this afternoon. I'm not sick or anything, but I am interested in learning about the system and will ask some very basic "I'm a stupid foreigner" questions.

Take a look at my appointment -- they print it out on a receipt!!!