Over one million health cards in operation in the Balearics

DURING April the number of health cards active in the Balearics exceeded a million, 16.2 percent more than in 2002, because of the sharp rise in the population during the last five years, which makes the Balearics one of the Spanish regions with the highest percentage growth in this area, according to the Balearic Minister for Health and Consumer Affairs, Aina Castillo. She said that, in total, the Balearics had 1'004'940 health cards active in May, of which 788'332 were on Majorca, 125'935 were on Ibiza and Formentera and 90'673 on Minorca. Of the million health cards, 160'665 belonged to the foreign population, which is 16 percent of the total. Within this group, 41'456 belong to immigrants considered “without resources”, which is to say they are part of the population who have a right to assistance but don't pay Social Security, a number which has grown by 338 percent in the last five years. The Minister for Economy, Tax and Innovation, Lluis Ramis de Ayreflor, explained that the Government will spend 20 percent more on the health service than the State, making the health expenditure per person in the islands 1'034 euros which is above the national average of 901 euros.