Uk Healthcare Benefits For Brits Living In Thailand

[Mobi]

Up until quite recently, I had been under the impression that the UK National Health Service had now been effectively closed to all UK nationals who had lived overseas for more than 6 months, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are certain exceptions to this - one being for Brits who receive UK State pensions and who have resided in the UK for 10 years at some point in their lives.

Here are the relevant paragraphs from the UK government Dept. of Health website:

If you have a UK state retirement pension and have lived in the UK (or been employed as a UK crown servant) for ten continuous years at some point in the past, you will be exempt from charges for treatment the need for which arises during your visit to the UK. This means treatment needed where the diagnosis of a condition is made when first symptoms arise during a visit to the UK. It also applies where, in the opinion of a doctor or dentist employed by an NHS hospital, treatment is needed quickly to prevent a pre-existing condition increasing in severity, e.g. dialysis. It does not include routine monitoring of an existing condition such as diabetes.

This exemption extends to your spouse, civil partner and children (under the age of 16, or 19 if in further education) as long as they are lawfully present with you for the duration of your stay.

The above wording is clearly open to interpretation and caution is advised before jumping on a plane back to the UK and expecting to have surgery free of charge without checks being made to ascertain when the medical problem first arose.

Indeed, another website by the UK CAB also contains much information on this subject and a relevant extract states:

Medical opinion may also be needed, for example, to prove that your illnesses began or got worse during your visit to the UK.

However, in general terms it is comforting to know that ALL visitors to the UK, regardless of their residence status or nationality are still entitled certain free services, as explained on the CAB website:

Some hospital treatment is free of charge for everyone who needs it, regardless of how long they have been or intend to stay in the UK. This is:-

• treatment for accidents and emergencies as an outpatient in a hospital’s accident and emergency department. Emergency treatment in a walk-in centre is also free of charge (England and Wales only). However, if you are referred to an outpatient clinic or admitted to hospital from an accident and emergency department, you will be charged
  
• compulsory psychiatric treatment
  
• In England and Scotland, compulsory treatment under a court order
  
• treatment for certain communicable diseases, such as tuberculosis, cholera, food poisoning, malaria, meningitis and pandemic influenza. Testing for the HIV virus and counselling following a test are both free of charge, but any necessary subsequent treatment and medicines may have to be paid for
  
• family planning services.
  

At the end of the day, nobody will be turned away.When there is a clear need for emergency medical treatment, this will be duly undertaken, after which, a determination will be made as to whether the costs should and can be recovered.

The CAB website also goes on to explain in some detail about UK non-residents who are in receipt of state pensions being entitled to certain free health benefits during visits to the UK.

For those interested, there is a wealth of information on the UK Government Department of Health website, which can be found:

HERE: (Dept of health)

And the CAB website, which can be found:

HERE: (Citizens' Advice)

[theoldgit]

Those are very useful links, thank you.

However I don't suppose that if I am taken seriously ill in Thailand, I can just hop on a plane, assuming I'm fit to travel, and get treated on the NHS, unless of course I had maintained an address in the UK and can claim that I am returning to settle.

Nevertheless useful info.

[Chivas]

Those are very useful links, thank you.

However I don't suppose that if I am taken seriously ill in Thailand, I can just hop on a plane, assuming I'm fit to travel, and get treated on the NHS, unless of course I had maintained an address in the UK and can claim that I am returning to settle.

Nevertheless useful info.

Well yes you can if you fit into the category listed ??

Thats why the OP has posted ??

[theblether]

Why would you want to take advantage of this so called loophole? If you can't afford your medical treatment in Thailand you shouldn't be here. Before the usual band of flamers come on the scene the majority of UK tax payers pay tax via Pay As You Earn, ( PAYE ), what people don't realize is that the welfare system is a Pay As You Go system. In effect, not one coin of your annual tax payment is invested into your personal future. Basically every penny in tax collected is paid out in the same year.

Also before people start jumping about and screaming " I've paid my dues ", very,very few people pay more into the tax system than they take out in benefits over a lifetime. In effect the system is front loaded, by the time you hit 16 years of age you've already ran up a bill of multiple thousands ( sometimes hundreds of thousands of pounds ) due to medical and educational costs during that period.

These discussions always end up with some single guy saying that he has paid in more than he has taken out, but they always forget the basic educational and medical costs when factoring in the equation.

If you can't afford your medical insurance in Thailand......bye bye.

[ludditeman]

Why would you want to take advantage of this so called loophole? If you can't afford your medical treatment in Thailand you shouldn't be here. Before the usual band of flamers come on the scene the majority of UK tax payers pay tax via Pay As You Earn, ( PAYE ), what people don't realize is that the welfare system is a Pay As You Go system. In effect, not one coin of your annual tax payment is invested into your personal future. Basically every penny in tax collected is paid out in the same year.

Also before people start jumping about and screaming " I've paid my dues ", very,very few people pay more into the tax system than they take out in benefits over a lifetime. In effect the system is front loaded, by the time you hit 16 years of age you've already ran up a bill of multiple thousands ( sometimes hundreds of thousands of pounds ) due to medical and educational costs during that period.

I still pay tax in the UK, why shouldn't I get medical care?

I paid my 30 years NI contributions, why shouldn't I still get the benefits linked to those payments?

Why do you post such rubbish?

Seems to me you are just a troll, just posting inflammatory remarks.

Edited January 1, 2012 by ludditeman

[Huayrat]

Just jump on a plane they have no way of knowing you have come from Thailand and just give a family members address... Dont see the worry with it

[theblether]

Why would you want to take advantage of this so called loophole? If you can't afford your medical treatment in Thailand you shouldn't be here. Before the usual band of flamers come on the scene the majority of UK tax payers pay tax via Pay As You Earn, ( PAYE ), what people don't realize is that the welfare system is a Pay As You Go system. In effect, not one coin of your annual tax payment is invested into your personal future. Basically every penny in tax collected is paid out in the same year.

Also before people start jumping about and screaming " I've paid my dues ", very,very few people pay more into the tax system than they take out in benefits over a lifetime. In effect the system is front loaded, by the time you hit 16 years of age you've already ran up a bill of multiple thousands ( sometimes hundreds of thousands of pounds ) due to medical and educational costs during that period.

I still pay tax in the UK, why shouldn't I get medical care?

I paid my 30 years NI contributions, why shouldn't I still get the benefits linked to those payments?

Why do you post such rubbish?

Seems to me you are just a troll, just posting inflammatory remarks.

Garbage, as per usual the whining brigade kicks in. If your still a UK taxpayer then your entitled to UK services, if your not, then you are not. Your NI contribution covers many things including your pension and you are as aware as anyone that your pension is still payable to you in Thailand when it falls due.

Just because I don't agree with you doesn't mean I'm a troll...........and people choosing to live in Thailand that can't afford to pay their healthcare here need their heads looking at.

[Mobi]

it is not a 'so-called loophole', it is the law, and it is a specific entitlement to certain overseas Brits, no different to any other UK law.

You can agree or disagree with it, but to decry anyone who qualifies for certain benefits under this law and takes advantage of them is clearly ridiculous. Their entitlement is their entitlement, no different to any other entitlement that UK citizens may claim from time time. So presumably you would you take away our State pension, as well?

As for just giving a 'family member's address', well I'm afraid those days are long gone. The authorities have long since wised up to all that stuff, and unless you have only recently left the Uk and are still on the list of a GP then you have virtually no chance of getting away with it.

When I was in the UK earlier this year, an old friend of mine, a lady in her 80's, who was born and bred in Northamptonshire and has lived in the UK all her life was asked by her local hospital to provide documentary proofs of her residence in the UK and was required to fill in a raft of forms before she was admitted to have a hip replacement.

Dream on, my friend.

[theblether]

it is not a 'so-called loophole', it is the law, and it is a specific entitlement to certain overseas Brits, no different to any other UK law.

You can agree or disagree with it, but to decry anyone who qualifies for certain benefits under this law and takes advantage of them is clearly ridiculous. Their entitlement is their entitlement, no different to any other entitlement that UK citizens may claim from time time. So presumably you would you take away our State pension, as well?

As for just giving a 'family member's address', well I'm afraid those days are long gone. The authorities have long since wised up to all that stuff, and unless you have only recently left the Uk and are still on the list of a GP then you have virtually no chance of getting away with it.

When I was in the UK earlier this year, an old friend of mine, a lady in her 80's, who was born and bred in Northamptonshire and has lived in the UK all her life was asked by her local hospital to provide documentary proofs of her residence in the UK and was required to fill in a raft of forms before she was admitted to have a hip replacement.

Dream on, my friend.

Big leap in logic there, I pointed out that the NIC ensured your right to a pension, then you say........ "So presumably you would you take away our State pension, as well?". Have you lost the ability to read what is written? If your going to put words in my mouth make sure they are the correct one's please huh?

In your OP you also pointed out that the clause you brought up was open to interpretation, your right, it certainly is. It will be interesting to see the first test case going through the courts. I've seen plenty of ex-pats dragging themselves back into the UK after as much as 40 years abroad because they burned out their luck and health insurance in their chosen new home. I saw one case last year where a guy who had lived in Spain for 38 years was told by the Spanish NHS that they wouldn't pay for any more treatment for him, so he duly turned up in Glasgow with his hand out for a new home, and treatment at British taxpayers expense.

It's the hypocrisy that sickens me, we've already had someone on this thread suggest defrauding the NHS.........so here's what I think and it will be my last contribution to this topic.

If your in Thailand without medical insurance your a nutter........and there's plenty of them around.

If your in Thailand thinking that the NHS is your insurance of last resort then you need to have a long look at yourself..........how do you propose to travel from Thailand to the UK for treatment if you've just had a stroke or heart attack?

It is clear to every UK national living in Thailand that as soon as you made the choice to live in Thailand you gave up your rights to the NHS. It's a Pay As You Go service, just like car insurance, and if you didn't claim you can't get your premiums back for that year. When you stop paying in or getting credits you lose it. It doesn't matter that you paid NIC for 40 or 50 years, you made the choice to move country, live with it.

So the only answer is make sure your Thai insurance is as good as it can be, and forget about the NHS.

The government is getting tighter on this type of NHS Health Tourism, and rightly so.

ps Mobi........can you explain this line from your OP?........."a determination will be made as to whether the costs should and can be recovered".

To me your OP reads along the lines of.......while you are visting the UK we won't allow you to die in a gutter of a heart attack, we'll take you to the hospital and provide you with the necessary treatment to make you better.......once we've done that we'll hit you with a bill for your treatment.

Maybe you would just be better buying travel insurance here in Thailand before you travel to the UK huh? After all you don't qualify for British travel insurance as you've lived out of the UK for more than 6 months.

Edited January 1, 2012 by theblether

[theoldgit]

It is clear to every UK national living in Thailand that as soon as you made the choice to live in Thailand you gave up your rights to the NHS. It's a Pay As You Go service, just like car insurance, and if you didn't claim you can't get your premiums back for that year. When you stop paying in or getting credits you lose it. It doesn't matter that you paid NIC for 40 or 50 years, you made the choice to move country, live with it.

Maybe you would just be better buying travel insurance here in Thailand before you travel to the UK huh? After all you don't qualify for British travel insurance as you've lived out of the UK for more than 6 months.

I agree with the point you have made about the way the National Insurance works, it's a "Pay as you go service" with current contributions paying for current expenditure, that is certainly how it works, but by adding that "When you stop paying in or getting credits, you lose it", I think makes your point flawed, thinking that point through you could argue that you are saying that when people reach a certain age in the UK and stop working they stop paying National Insurance, and if they have the required level of contributions they don't receive credits either, so you could argue that pensioners wouldn't be entitled to HNS cover either. I know that's not what you're saying but it does make the whole system a little unfair.

I also agree with your point that the purchase of travel insurance for ex-pats visiting the UK is a good idea, it's something I do and will continue to do so when I reach Sate Retirement age.

I'm not sure you are correct about the point you made in your earlier post when you said:

Garbage, as per usual the whining brigade kicks in. If your still a UK taxpayer then your entitled to UK services, if your not, then you are not.

I don't believe it is correct that if you're still a UK taxpayer then you're still entitled to all UK services, are you sure about that? In the link the OP provided it indicated that full entitlement to NHS services is decided by "residence" alone, it mentions nothing about being a taxpayer. I am a UK taxpayer and as I far as I know that entitles me to very little, certainly not a full NHS service.

Edited January 2, 2012 by theoldgit

[ludditeman]

As for just giving a 'family member's address', well I'm afraid those days are long gone. The authorities have long since wised up to all that stuff, and unless you have only recently left the Uk and are still on the list of a GP then you have virtually no chance of getting away with it.

When I was in the UK earlier this year, an old friend of mine, a lady in her 80's, who was born and bred in Northamptonshire and has lived in the UK all her life was asked by her local hospital to provide documentary proofs of her residence in the UK and was required to fill in a raft of forms before she was admitted to have a hip replacement.

Just how would they go about proving you were not a UK resident?

How could anyone actually prove they were a UK resident?

Many people live in a family home without having bills in their name, getting very popular these days.

All my bank accounts, pensions, investments are registered to a UK address.

I don't even admit to owning a passport!

Edited January 2, 2012 by ludditeman

[Eff1n2ret]

I don't believe it is correct that if you're still a UK taxpayer then you're still entitled to all UK services, are you sure about that? In the link the OP provided it indicated that full entitlement to NHS services is decided by "residence" alone, it mentions nothing about being a taxpayer. I am a UK taxpayer and as I far as I know that entitles me to very little, certainly not a full NHS service.

I would say that is the case, unfortunately.

[gamini]

This whole matter is still very unclear. If for instance I should decide to return to the UK and retire what would be the situation. I am 80 and suffering from a lot of medical problems including cancer and I may not be able to continue the high costs of treatment and medication here. If I turned up at a hospital in the UK, surely they would not refuse treatment. I worked in the UK for 6 years and all the deductions for social security were taken from my salary.. But since I worked less than 7 years there I am not entitled to anything? This is grossly unfair .

[theoldgit]

"gamini"

What nationality are you?

[theoldgit]

There is no requirement for you to prove anything.

If I should need hospital treatment what documents will I need?

The Regulations place a responsibility on individual hospitals to determine whether, in accordance with the Regulations, a patient is liable to be charged for treatment or not. In order to establish entitlement, hospitals can ask you to provide documentation that supports your claim that you intend to live permanently in the UK. It is for you to decide what to supply, however examples of evidence could include:

• documentation to prove you are entitled to live in the UK such as British Passport, permission from the Home Office; That bit's ok
  
• but what about this bit? documentation that proves your intention is to reside here permanently such as sale of goods/property overseas, receipts showing shipping of goods, looking for work, application for benefits, children are attending school.
  

OK it's a bit vague, but you may well have to prove entitlement.

If anyone asks, you and your daughter are intending to settle full time in the UK.

Obviously not in the case of the OP whose daughter is just visiting the UK so that would be a lie, if the hospital were to ask "what school does the child attend?" how would you answer that?

[Mobi]

it is not a 'so-called loophole', it is the law, and it is a specific entitlement to certain overseas Brits, no different to any other UK law.

You can agree or disagree with it, but to decry anyone who qualifies for certain benefits under this law and takes advantage of them is clearly ridiculous. Their entitlement is their entitlement, no different to any other entitlement that UK citizens may claim from time time. So presumably you would you take away our State pension, as well?

As for just giving a 'family member's address', well I'm afraid those days are long gone. The authorities have long since wised up to all that stuff, and unless you have only recently left the Uk and are still on the list of a GP then you have virtually no chance of getting away with it.

When I was in the UK earlier this year, an old friend of mine, a lady in her 80's, who was born and bred in Northamptonshire and has lived in the UK all her life was asked by her local hospital to provide documentary proofs of her residence in the UK and was required to fill in a raft of forms before she was admitted to have a hip replacement.

Dream on, my friend.

Big leap in logic there, I pointed out that the NIC ensured your right to a pension, then you say........ "So presumably you would you take away our State pension, as well?". Have you lost the ability to read what is written? If your going to put words in my mouth make sure they are the correct one's please huh?

In your OP you also pointed out that the clause you brought up was open to interpretation, your right, it certainly is. It will be interesting to see the first test case going through the courts. I've seen plenty of ex-pats dragging themselves back into the UK after as much as 40 years abroad because they burned out their luck and health insurance in their chosen new home. I saw one case last year where a guy who had lived in Spain for 38 years was told by the Spanish NHS that they wouldn't pay for any more treatment for him, so he duly turned up in Glasgow with his hand out for a new home, and treatment at British taxpayers expense.

It's the hypocrisy that sickens me, we've already had someone on this thread suggest defrauding the NHS.........so here's what I think and it will be my last contribution to this topic.

If your in Thailand without medical insurance your a nutter........and there's plenty of them around.

If your in Thailand thinking that the NHS is your insurance of last resort then you need to have a long look at yourself..........how do you propose to travel from Thailand to the UK for treatment if you've just had a stroke or heart attack?

It is clear to every UK national living in Thailand that as soon as you made the choice to live in Thailand you gave up your rights to the NHS. It's a Pay As You Go service, just like car insurance, and if you didn't claim you can't get your premiums back for that year. When you stop paying in or getting credits you lose it. It doesn't matter that you paid NIC for 40 or 50 years, you made the choice to move country, live with it.

So the only answer is make sure your Thai insurance is as good as it can be, and forget about the NHS.

The government is getting tighter on this type of NHS Health Tourism, and rightly so.

ps Mobi........can you explain this line from your OP?........."a determination will be made as to whether the costs should and can be recovered".

To me your OP reads along the lines of.......while you are visiting the UK we won't allow you to die in a gutter of a heart attack, we'll take you to the hospital and provide you with the necessary treatment to make you better.......once we've done that we'll hit you with a bill for your treatment.

Maybe you would just be better buying travel insurance here in Thailand before you travel to the UK huh? After all you don't qualify for British travel insurance as you've lived out of the UK for more than 6 months.

1. So what makes you think that paying 'NIC' contributions entitles to you to State pension and not free medical treatment? Indeed the purpose of NIC (National Insurance Contributions)was ostensibly to pay for just that - free medical care, not your pension. But decades ago, the link between what you contribute and what you get was removed and there is no more a a pot of money accumulated by the government from your tax payments to fund your pension than there is from your NIC contributions or tax to fund your health care. There is no fund for either, so your point is totally invalid and my question to you is totally valid.

The underfunding of pensions, and the fact that people are living much longer is one of the many reasons the nation's economy is in such a mess.

2.I totally dispute your statement that "It is clear to every UK national living in Thailand that as soon as you made the choice to live in Thailand you gave up your rights to the NHS. It's a Pay As You Go service...' Frankly that is complete garbage.

If it is a 'pay as you go service' as you state, why is it that a massive percentage of people in the UK get absolutely free medical treatment - such as the unemployed, the single parent mothers, those seeking asylum and to just about anyone who becomes a 'landed immigrant on those shores, just about any resident of an EU country and of of course to all UK pensioners, to name but a few.

I ask you; what's the difference between someone like myself - a non resident - who paid NIC contributions all my working life and also a substantial amount of income tax until I retired due to ill health at the age of 60, and those who reside in the UK? In the later years of my working life I paid literally hundreds of thousands of pounds in income tax, and still to this day pay tax on my UK based income.

So where does my right to free health care differ from a pensioner who has stayed in Britain? Indeed, I have saved the nation considerable expense by not living there for the past 11 years and not availing myself of free medical treatment and free prescriptions, (as a diabetic, all my mediation is free under the National health), which currently runs at around 400 pounds a month, which, of course, I have to pay myself.

So just because there are people out there who are abusing the system, does this mean that the genuine people should not exercise their rights? There are people in the UK who defraud the government every day of the week - e.g. by claiming unemployment when they are working or claiming a disability payment when they are perfectly fit - but does this mean that the rest of the public should be deterred from making genuine claims?

Indeed, I do accept that in recent years, and the economy being what it is, then certain of my health rights have been restricted and although I am not particularly happy with this, I accept it. It is also highly unlikely that I will avail myself of the opportunity to return home and seek medical help. But if we have these rights under the law, then who are you to tell me and others that we are not entitled to take what is our due? It may well be that if I did ever decide to return home and it was established that I required surgery, then I may well be asked to pay for it, and if is the case, then so be it. I merely started this thread to provide information for those to whom it may apply, and so that they can consider their LEGAL options.

PS re your PS :

"ps Mobi........can you explain this line from your OP?........."a determination will be made as to whether the costs should and can be recovered",....

I can only suggest you read the the two government websites which I have linked to my OP where the meaning of my line will become obvious, even to those who may be intellectually challenged....

Calm down, stop bad mouthing everyone and make sure your health insurance is adequate to cover you for such problems as anger management....

[Mobi]

Duplicate post

Edited January 2, 2012 by Mobi

[Mobi]

This whole matter is still very unclear. If for instance I should decide to return to the UK and retire what would be the situation. I am 80 and suffering from a lot of medical problems including cancer and I may not be able to continue the high costs of treatment and medication here. If I turned up at a hospital in the UK, surely they would not refuse treatment. I worked in the UK for 6 years and all the deductions for social security were taken from my salary.. But since I worked less than 7 years there I am not entitled to anything? This is grossly unfair .

My friend, read the websites carefully.

I am assuming you hold a British passport which entitles you to reside in the UK.

If you decide to return to the UK and live there permanently, i.e. take up residence, then you immediately qualify for ALL free medical treatment.

If you turned up at a hospital in the UK and told them you were back for good, then there may be a bit of paperwork to go through but you would definitely be OK and would not be asked to pay for your treatment. If you have any problems you can contact the CAB who would assist you with this.

This thread is for those British Nationals who do not wish to return to the UK permanently but may be able to obtain certain treatment free of charge during visits there.

Good luck

[Mobi]

I don't believe it is correct that if you're still a UK taxpayer then you're still entitled to all UK services, are you sure about that? In the link the OP provided it indicated that full entitlement to NHS services is decided by "residence" alone, it mentions nothing about being a taxpayer. I am a UK taxpayer and as I far as I know that entitles me to very little, certainly not a full NHS service.

Correct! the government website is absolutely clear on this point.

Thus, a landed asylum seeker, whether or not he has been granted asylum, would be entitled to free medical treatment during the time he is in the UK as he is 'resident' there. He will probably never, ever pay a penny of tax.

[Mobi]

Just how would they go about proving you were not a UK resident?

How could anyone actually prove they were a UK resident?

Many people live in a family home without having bills in their name, getting very popular these days.

All my bank accounts, pensions, investments are registered to a UK address.

I don't even admit to owning a passport!

I think you will find that the whole crux of the checking system revolves largely around whether or not you have a GP.

If you have only recently moved abroad and have succeed in keeping your name on the list of a GP, then you may well get away with it. But GP's are periodically required to check their lists and even if you are on one, sooner or later your name will be removed, unless you have a friend or a relation who fraudulently answers the GP's letters requesting that you confirm you are still living at their listed address.

If you go to a hospital and try to obtain treatment, they will need documentary evidence of your residence and will also need to know the name of your GP. Not having one will automatically alert them to the fact that you may not be resident and they will require proof of your residence.

Remember the system in the UK is a GP system. People do not just turn up at hospitals unless it is an emergency - they go through their GP's who will refer them to a specialist. Trying to get treatment without going through GP will ring alarm bells.

In these days of austerity, every hospital is under the gun to control its costs, and they have all been made fully aware of the need to check the residence status of patients, particularly if the patient is seeking expensive treatment.

I know of one case where a non resident Brit went back to the UK to have heart surgery on the National health. He stayed with his daughter, but they checked into his status (don't forget they can ask to see your passport and if you claim you have none, they can check this as well), and made him pay for his treatment. He told me it was still cheaper than having the surgery carried out in Thailand and he had his family to provide after care support.

Then there was another Brit a few years back who had a heart attack when he was back on a visit and was rushed into hospital where they performed emergency heart surgery. When he was recovering, they came round to ask him to pay for the treatment. He told them he was broke and discharged himself the next day. They sent a bill to his daughter's home, but by then he had skipped the country and didn't pay. I guess they will still pursue him for the money if he ever goes near the health service again.

I am sure that someone with enough knowledge of how the system works, who chooses one of the more lax hospitals and has arranged to have all the necessary documents, (forged or otherwise), to hand, may get away with it. But he is breaking the law, and if caught, could well end up in jail.

[patroller]

There are over 1 million homeless in the UK, no fixed abode how do they prove residency when needing treatment?

[KKvampire]

Why would you want to take advantage of this so called loophole? If you can't afford your medical treatment in Thailand you shouldn't be here. Before the usual band of flamers come on the scene the majority of UK tax payers pay tax via Pay As You Earn, ( PAYE ), what people don't realize is that the welfare system is a Pay As You Go system. In effect, not one coin of your annual tax payment is invested into your personal future. Basically every penny in tax collected is paid out in the same year.

Also before people start jumping about and screaming " I've paid my dues ", very,very few people pay more into the tax system than they take out in benefits over a lifetime. In effect the system is front loaded, by the time you hit 16 years of age you've already ran up a bill of multiple thousands ( sometimes hundreds of thousands of pounds ) due to medical and educational costs during that period.

I still pay tax in the UK, why shouldn't I get medical care?

I paid my 30 years NI contributions, why shouldn't I still get the benefits linked to those payments?

Why do you post such rubbish?

Seems to me you are just a troll, just posting inflammatory remarks.

Exactly . 30 years of NI contributions is important and if you have a property in the Uk as I have and registered with a local Gp , then I am covered

[Mobi]

I admit I am wrong. It is a 'Pay as you go' system.

'A precious few pay, and everyone goes' - but not non resident Brits, many of whom have paid for much if not all of their working lives.....

[transam]

Why would you want to take advantage of this so called loophole? If you can't afford your medical treatment in Thailand you shouldn't be here. Before the usual band of flamers come on the scene the majority of UK tax payers pay tax via Pay As You Earn, ( PAYE ), what people don't realize is that the welfare system is a Pay As You Go system. In effect, not one coin of your annual tax payment is invested into your personal future. Basically every penny in tax collected is paid out in the same year.

Also before people start jumping about and screaming " I've paid my dues ", very,very few people pay more into the tax system than they take out in benefits over a lifetime. In effect the system is front loaded, by the time you hit 16 years of age you've already ran up a bill of multiple thousands ( sometimes hundreds of thousands of pounds ) due to medical and educational costs during that period.

These discussions always end up with some single guy saying that he has paid in more than he has taken out, but they always forget the basic educational and medical costs when factoring in the equation.

If you can't afford your medical insurance in Thailand......bye bye.

There's always one that comes out of the woodwork that implies he's loaded so the rest get stuffed, really makes me feel sick.

[Mobi]

There are over 1 million homeless in the UK, no fixed abode how do they prove residency when needing treatment?

Primary care treatment - emergency treatment at an A & E or a 'walk in NHI clinic' is free to all, regardless of status. Even a billionaire Arab, straight of the plane would qualify for free treatment.

I would think that 99% of homeless people's healthcare requirements would fall into the 'emergency' category as they are not known for going to GP's with their medical problems.

If emergency treatment reveals something major that needs attending to, it will be screamingly obvious to one and all that the homeless person is a UK resident. In any case, if you read the websites, you will see that regardless of a person's ability to pay, he or she will receive the necessary treatment. The question of whether to claim the cost back will be sorted later, and obviously in the case of a homeless person, sooner or later it will become clear that he is a UK resident and also that he can't pay.

Maybe the way to beat the system is to pose as a homeless person

[Thongkorn]

My friend who is an American was in England on holiday, he got knocked of his bike, he suffered a broken leg and complications,he was treat in hospital in the UK , He told them that he was Insured ,but the Hospital did not claim from his insurers, Thats the other side of the story,Hospitals not claiming from insured people from who ever or which ever County's they come from.

[chiang mai]

My friend who is an American was in England on holiday, he got knocked of his bike, he suffered a broken leg and complications,he was treat in hospital in the UK , He told them that he was Insured ,but the Hospital did not claim from his insurers, Thats the other side of the story,Hospitals not claiming from insured people from who ever or which ever County's they come from.

That's because the treatment was regarded as emergency care which, if you read the thread, is free to all.

[7by7]

Not strictly the case.

His initial treatment in A&E would have been free, but any follow up treatment, such as treating the complications, should be chargeable. That he had insurance but the hospital didn't charge him is the hospital's fault/concern.

Or maybe they did claim from his insurers directly; did he give them his insurance details?

[Thongkorn]

My friend who is an American was in England on holiday, he got knocked of his bike, he suffered a broken leg and complications,he was treat in hospital in the UK , He told them that he was Insured ,but the Hospital did not claim from his insurers, Thats the other side of the story,Hospitals not claiming from insured people from who ever or which ever County's they come from.

That's because the treatment was regarded as emergency care which, if you read the thread, is free to all.

Not strictly the case.

His initial treatment in A&E would have been free, but any follow up treatment, such as treating the complications, should be chargeable. That he had insurance but the hospital didn't charge him is the hospital's fault/concern.

Or maybe they did claim from his insurers directly; did he give them his insurance details?

Yes he kept telling them but they just never put a claim in or bothered to chase it. he knows because when he returned home he checked and there had been no claims on His insurance,

Not all treatments are free , because some doctors practice are Fund holders they can, and do refuse patience, i know because when i ask my doctor to put my Thai wife on his surgery practice he said she was not eligible, i pointed out that she was , but he just said its my prerogative , i changed doctors with out any problem , but the underlining thing was he did not want to spend funds on her.

[GuestHouse]

Are expats really living in Thailand without health insurance?

Surely nobody's that stupid?!