UK expats soon to be denied free healthcare in the UK

[theoldgit]

As sustento has already pointed out, the article in the Mail is years old and current thinking has overtaken what was written back then, the date on the Mail website defaults to the current date.

UK Pensioners, who have lived in the UK for ten years at some stage, can receive free NHS treatment if they are taken ill on a visit to the UK, and a person who has come to the UK to take up permanent residence is entitled to free NHS care from day one, for example, if you are a former UK resident who has returned from abroad, or if you have been granted leave to enter or remain as a spouse. help_with_health_costs_e/nhs_charges_for_people_from_abroad.htm you simply say, in the event you are taken ill and return, that you have returned to take up residence, as another poster had experience of.

Far more recent thinking is that Expats could actually have their NHS entitlement restored, and is reported in a Telegraph article from six months ago, not the Mail article from many years ago http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/expathealth/10303008/Brits-abroad-could-have-rights-to-free-NHS-treatment-restored.html

Despite what Kitten Kong says, the UKVI don't track people in and out of the UK, e-borders was intended to do this at some stage but it hasn't been fully implemented yet. The swipe of your passport at the UK Border is a check on your passport, it doesn't log you into the UK, and on leaving the UK there are no embarkation checks, they were done away with in the late 90's, but they are supposed to be reinstated by 2016.

[sms747]

The anti immigrant immigrants to Thailand can then complain about all the foreigners wrecking Britain from behind their keyboards in Pattaya.

Virtually no expats here are 'immigrants' we are aliens only here on a temporary basis

[AyG]

I love the part about, "pensioners coming to spend their final years in Britain will still be eligible for free healthcare"....awwww, such a touching sentiment.

It's actually very cynical. These pensioners will have no chance of being deemed non-domiciled, so their entire worldwide estate will be subject to inheritance tax upon their death. The tax raised could well be a nice little earner for the government, even after paying the costs of the "free" healthcare provided.

[mrtoad]

Just like other countries you leave your home country for more than 6 months you get nothing England is just moving with the times at last.

Time for you all here to get your heath Insurance before you fall though the cracks

You legally can't be denied emergency treatment in the UK

Correct.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[kingalfred]

It shows that the "UK .the so called "Great Britain" is no longer and hasn't been for British born people for sometime.It's now a place where East Europeans can take advantage of some mad,failed experiment called the "European Union" never contributed but be entitled to a wide range of benefits .Whereas expats who are still paying tax on their non "uprated annually"pension from the country,and contributed for 30-50years in insurance are only entitled to "emergency medical treatment". Ahh the "great" is certainly a description one can remove from the Kingdom.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited March 11, 2014 by kingalfred

[Ulysses G.]

Just like other countries you leave your home country for more than 6 months you get nothing England is just moving with the times at last.

Time for you all here to get your heath Insurance before you fall though the cracks

You legally can't be denied emergency treatment in the UK

That is also the case in America, but you are on your own after you get out of the emergency room.

[UKCanuk]

Just contact them via the BUPA website. Worldwide coverage is available and I've never had any problems with them, and I've been with them since 2007 or so. As a bonus on the last renewal they gave me a year's free travel insurance.

I'd prefer not to buy from a Thai company but in a jurisdiction with good consumer-oriented regulation of such insurance.

And for US coverage, USD 2-3 million per year would not be a high maximum, a catastrophic event can hit that easy.

Not interested in routine preventative care, a USD 20,000 deductible would be OK.

BUPA is not Thai, its a UK based company

OK, if you think they'll have something that fits my stated specs, I should try to contact them in London?

[taiping]

As far as I can see there is nothing new here. I've known about these rules for years, but if push comes to shove you can state that you are returning to live in the UK permanently.

In practice, as others have indicated, I doubt if there would be any problem getting free medical treatment, especially with a NHS card.

By the way, my NHS card is something like 40-years old, printed on paper - what do the current ones look like, and how do I go about getting a new one?

[Estrada]

Just contact them via the BUPA website. Worldwide coverage is available and I've never had any problems with them, and I've been with them since 2007 or so. As a bonus on the last renewal they gave me a year's free travel insurance.

BUPA is not Thai, its a UK based company

OK, if you think they'll have something that fits my stated specs, I should try to contact them in London?

BUPA is in Thailand most private hospitals can sign you up. Only problem I found is that BUPA's B5Million coverage which cost B99,000/year has so many exclusions that my B1Million Hospital bill I incurred in Australia would have only have been covered for B86,000. For instance their B5Million is actually B1 Million/incident, then I.C.U. is only B16,000 per night against the Aussie Hospital cost of B160,000/night. So if I had taken out BUPA 20 years ago I would have paid around B2Million and only got back B86,000! I put B1million in a secure investment that gives daily interest with a BBL fund which invests in letters of credit. Any amount can be cashed in at any time in the event that I have to cover substantial medical bills.

http://www.bupa.co.th/en/individuals/health-insurance/index.aspx?gclid=CJO8ncuzib0CFYyu4godel0AMA#.Ux5wnO1WGpo

[Estrada]

Before I retired and moved to Thailand I paid much more tax and national insurance than the average person. One reason I left the UK was that I considered that it is now a third world country. This has now been proven as the British Government continues to attack us and steal money from our pensions which should be indexed linked and now our NHS entitlement to medical treatment that we have already paid for.

[KittenKong]

Despite what Kitten Kong says, the UKVI don't track people in and out of the UK, e-borders was intended to do this at some stage but it hasn't been fully implemented yet. The swipe of your passport at the UK Border is a check on your passport, it doesn't log you into the UK, and on leaving the UK there are no embarkation checks, they were done away with in the late 90's, but they are supposed to be reinstated by 2016.

If you would believe that you would believe anything.

UKBA knows exactly which passport holders enter and leave the UK on commercial transport. You can probably avoid them knowing it by swimming or leaving in your own rubber boat.

[theoldgit]

@KittenKong, maybe you could share the source of your information.

When an IO swipes a passport it does no more than check the information on the passport, they can however check the holder against the warning index which identifies persons of interest.

UKVI databases are not linked to those of other government departments, in fact they are not even linked to other systems within the main Home Office, though such things have been talked about for years.

UKVI, do have access to API but that is not designed to catch people trying to sneak in for free NHS.

All that said, you must believe what you want to believe.

[Jay Sata]

Former UK residents living in Thailand are quick to knock the UK until things go wrong or the money runs out.

As others have said you are only here as long a you have a stamp in the passport.

For all the stories you read in the like of the Mail Great Britain is still a great place.,

[uptheos]

Don't let people scare you!

If you want/need to go back (especially if you're elderly or sick) then go, don't let the scare mongers put you off......they probably can't go for various reasons. Probably cheated the benefit system and want others to be scared just like them.

Don't forget you can have more than (10,000 quid) 500,000 baht and still claim all the benefits, without giving up a penny of it.

Regardless of your contributions the government has a duty to make up a 'personal' living income by one means or another.

You will probably qualify for housing benefit if you don't have too much finances (no rent to pay). You won't qualify for more than a 1 bedroom house or flat....but hey it's free.

For sure absolutely no council tax to pay

Free NHS treatment, emergency or not.

Free drug prescriptions.

Free eyesight tests annually.

Free UK bus pass

etc.

It isn't exactly the end of the world and if you ever get a chance to watch such programs as 60 minutes to live, you will see how brilliant the emergency rescue services are. Here if you get schmucked by a car and are alive, throwing you on the back of a pick up will probably kill you!

It's certainly not the end of the world..........and it sometimes snows at Christmas.

[Jay Sata]

I agree 100%

Britain's emergency services are excellent.

Have a serious accident in your car on a country road and the air ambulance is there to whisk you to hospital in minutes.

Here in Thailand you'll die.

Major organ transplants are free whereas in Thailand the first thing they check when you enter a hospital is your credit card.

[oyster]

So if you show your passport and answer all the "quiz" questions correctly then you should be fine.

UK health care - who cares? Last HSBC expat survey showed out of 34 countries for health care France No 1 - you qualify for that with your EHIC card. Thailand No 2.... UK No23. I could quote a very true and long story about a linguil hernia ? basically over a 2 year span - UK a lot of wasted time and effort, or a walk in quickie privately £2500 ++

In Issan visit local hospital Tuesday - please come again tomorrow when the specialist is here, return Wed - booked in for following Monday - op Tue, Thursday "You may leave if you feel up to it - if not stay until you are ready", The only major shock was the bill Tbt 9500 !!! Sub £200.....

My only wish was that all my NHI contributions had been to Thailand..

Thank you Thailand, you can have my money anytime....OH and also the attitude of the staff, happy, smiling, helpful, attentive; we hewar a lot of HUB this and HUB but when it comes to health care there may well be a case.

A major op could probably cost a lot less than the air fare to the UK.

Smile - you're in the right country for it. Chok Dee.

[oyster]

So if you show your passport and answer all the "quiz" questions correctly then you should be fine.

Depends whether they look at your passport to check for the amount of time spent out of the country.

At least they appear to be allowing heart attacks etc now - previously all treatment was believed to be chargeable.

UK health care - who cares? Last HSBC expat survey showed out of 34 countries for health care France No 1 - you qualify for that with your EHIC card. Thailand No 2.... UK No23. I could quote a very true and long story about a linguil hernia ? basically over a 2 year span - UK a lot of wasted time and effort, or a walk in quickie privately £2500 ++

In Issan visit local hospital Tuesday - please come again tomorrow when the specialist is here, return Wed - booked in for following Monday - op Tue, Thursday "You may leave if you feel up to it - if not stay until you are ready", The only major shock was the bill Tbt 9500 !!! Sub £200.....

My only wish was that all my NHI contributions had been to Thailand..

Thank you Thailand, you can have my money anytime....OH and also the attitude of the staff, happy, smiling, helpful, attentive; we hewar a lot of HUB this and HUB but when it comes to health care there may well be a case.

[chris2004]

If you arrive back in the UK and state that you intend to remain for the rest of your life (whether that's true or not) you are entitled to free NHS treatment.

[hawker9000]

Isn't socialized medicine just WONDERFUL?!

[uptheos]

I'm not saying Thailand is bad, I live here.

All I'm saying is that if someone needs to go back they can and will get treated, especially if elderly.

[uptheos]

If you arrive back in the UK and state that you intend to remain for the rest of your life (whether that's true or not) you are entitled to free NHS treatment.

Most of the time I wouldn't think you'd need to say anything. I just turn up at my Dr's every year or three, ask for some cough medicine, decline my free examination for prostate and occult blood (which I've had) and trot away merrily. The trouble is they keep sending me leaflets telling me I can get this exam and that test done free, just call the surgery if I want an appointment. really nice people (apart from the miserable receptionist) though she's never denied me anything. The surgery practice nurses are great!

If you haven't got a Dr' just register and give a friends address if you don't have one.

[Dogbarker]

From the Daily Mail article "Health Minister John Hutton ". John Hutton was the Health Minister from 1999 to 2005. The article is at least 9 years old.

Yes sustento the current Health Minister is The Rt Hon . Jeremy Hunt MP :

https://www.gov.uk/government/people/jeremy-hunt

Yes the remarks about Health tourism were made by John Hutton during his time as Health Minister .

The problem of course as always is the way the Daily Mail continues to dramatize their reporting and use older reference as support . How accurate is this so called NEWS?? .. there appears to be no mention on the BBC for example ?

[bifftastic]

Try not to read the Daily Mail, it's bad for your health

[Anon999]

Just like other countries you leave your home country for more than 6 months you get nothing England is just moving with the times at last.

Time for you all here to get your heath Insurance before you fall though the cracks

For those of us still paying UK income tax I'll be interested to know what their response will be?

[oxo1947]

"However, pensioners from the UK who live abroad for more than half the year will be denied free treatment.

No matter how much they have paid in tax and National Insurance over the years, such expatriates will now have to pay for NHS care back in Britain."

This is the rule that has been in Australia for some time---we have a health card there, & its now suspended if you spend a certain amount of time outside the country.......... less then the UK proposal, I think 13 weeks (3 months) to regain the health card, you have to return make a Stat Dec that you are now residing there, & yes they want to look at things like utility bills , Rent agreements etc.

And it doesn't matter if you are paying Income tax---as I am, your still excluded.

Edited March 11, 2014 by oxo1947

[soalbundy]

Just like other countries you leave your home country for more than 6 months you get nothing England is just moving with the times at last.

Time for you all here to get your heath Insurance before you fall though the cracks

I paid into mine for almost 40 years - it was called the NHS.

Nobody told me as I made each of those 475 payments that I would ineligible for treatment if I chose to live in Thailand.

This is old news its been in force for years...........who would want to use the NHS anyway? The horror stories of maltreatment have gone around the world, i would rather trust and pay for treatment in Thailand, its not so expensive,i, my wife and my son have all been in a private hospital for treatment involving operations,its affordable and the treatment is good. NHS, was once good but like everything else in the UK its gone downhill.

[samran]

Isn't socialized medicine just WONDERFUL?!

For those of us who do indeed come from nations enlightened enough to have universal coverage, and aren't shitscared if the word 'socialism', yes, our systems are pretty bloody wonderful.

[oldsailor35]

As i understand it, Australia and Gt Britian have medical recriprocal arrangement, so either nationality can get free treatment. I have never had to pay whilst in England from Australia. Is this about to change ?

[kennypowers]

Just like other countries you leave your home country for more than 6 months you get nothing England is just moving with the times at last.

Time for you all here to get your heath Insurance before you fall though the cracks

I paid into mine for almost 40 years - it was called the NHS.

Nobody told me as I made each of those 475 payments that I would ineligible for treatment if I chose to live in Thailand.

Indeed. It's annoying when people say "the NHS is free". It isn't. It is for those who've never paid tax and national insurance. I'm still paying into it and I don't even use it!

[samran]

The anti immigrant immigrants to Thailand can then complain about all the foreigners wrecking Britain from behind their keyboards in Pattaya.

Virtually no expats here are 'immigrants' we are aliens only here on a temporary basis

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck.....

Rather a delicious irony isn't it? Spend your time vilifying immigrants only to become one....