I have been living in Thailand for nearly three years and are about to retire and so was thinking about going back to the UK for a holiday, I was wondering what would happen if I became seriously ill while away, as I read somewhere that now I'm out of the UK and have no financial ties that I would have to pay for it or take out insurance. Can someone confirm?

Yes, the new rules effecting British Citizen expats have been discussed at length in a couple of threads last year and earlier this year: It seems you have to be ordinarily resident in the UK to qualify for free NHS treatment after any emergency care, the fact that you might have made NHS contributions and be a current UK Taxpayer count for nothing. There are examples in these threads of expats who've been charged for treatment.

Expats are advised to take out travel cover, but you need to be aware that Thai insurers normally expect you to settle the bill and claim back on your return.

Paying for treatment on the NHS if non resident in the UK

UK residents in Thailand the harsh truth about the NHS service

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/813369-UK expats liable for cost of NHS treatment

On to a lesser extent this one Access to medical treatment in EU

As this is not visa or migration related, I'll move your post to the Home Country Forum.

Many thanks theoldgit, as I thought, I'll try to check out some insurance companies.

This is a tricky situation for all of us and we will only know the real result when it happens to us, so what do we know.

In an emergency situation the NHS will deal with the the situation anything further is likely to be charged at 150% of cost. If you have a UK address you can use then this might change the situation considerably.

Dont use a UK Insurance company, they usually requie you to have been resident in the UK for 6 months prior to you taking out the Insurance for it to be valid, after that its really just you taking the chances.

Today I dont bother with travel Insurance, I am to old or life in the wrong place. So all I need to worry about is getting to the plane, then the airline takes the worry, when I get off and collect my luggage its down to me.

If you feel ok then its a chance you take if not then you need to think about it, self insure yourself. When you are 60+ you are not a good risk anymore, thats life, thats the way insurance works, the older you get the bigger the risk, how you deal with that is up to you, the flight to the UK is 12-15 hours,do you feel lucky?

if you are not on any repeat medication, and still have family in the UK, local to your old doctors, they will not know you have been out of the country, just that you have not been for a while.

Same in Sweden. A Swedish citicen and tax payer (pension) who officialy lives here have not the right to health care in Sweden. Immigrants who is not citicens and never payed a cent in tax does. Don't missunderstand me. They should have this right to health care, but it is a bit frustrating that I, who have payed tax since I was 17 years old doesn't have that right.

Basically the UK government is saying we have the money you paid throughout your working life to ensure treatment when you need it. Now f*** off.

I'm sure I read somewhere that expats in receipt of a state pension are treated slightly better. NHS treatment is free for them as long it isn't for a pre-existing condition. So break your arm while on a trip home and your treatment is free. Break it over here and go back to the UK to have it mended, then you'll have to pay.

Could it be that this is recompense for expats not getting pension increases?

If you still have an address in England how would the NHS know that you left the country.

Not like we have to show a passport when entering hospital.

I'm sure I read somewhere that expats in receipt of a state pension are treated slightly better. NHS treatment is free for them as long it isn't for a pre-existing condition.

That used to be the case, the Government even indicated they were going to improve cover for those in this category, in the end they went completely in the opposite direction and made the rules more punitive.

Document issued by Rotherham Health Authority to their hospitals.

Go to emergency, get treated, then tell them you have no money to pay the bill.

By the time they get round to suing you for the money, you will be back here.

Never heard of anyone being extradited to pay a hospital bill.

You paid into the system long enough.

Many thanks for your inputs, the sitution is as a thought that I should pay, lets see how it goes and I'll drive carefully

I found this on a NHS website, its looks as if "emergencies" would be covered, I think they are trying to cut out where you come here for non emergency treatment.

"Both NHS hospitals and GPs have a duty to provide free of charge treatment which they consider to be immediately necessary or emergency, regardless of whether that person is an overseas visitor. It should be noted however, that being registered with a GP, or having an NHS number, does not give a person automatic entitlement to access free NHS hospital treatment"

Just enroll with bupa a far better service than the primitive Nhs it served it's purpose in the 1950s but times have moved on since then

I have no health insurance I am 71

If I returned to the UK and asked air crew to arrange for ambulance to meet me, when it too late for plane to divert elsewhere then it would probably happen

So in emergency get emergency treatment, then say you have returned permanently, and ask for benefits and social security, you may at this stage be Ok, I own nothing in the UK

Also your frozen pension will be increased to current levels

If after 3/6/9 months and have recovered you can change your mind and leave again

Also I have Lloyds Premier bank account Isle of man, that gives me free travel insurance, but does not cover me in thailand

The UK may not be friendly to expats but when you are there you can be safe and cared for

Document issued by Rotherham Health Authority to their hospitals.

They must think that we are as dim as they are.

UK National living in TH going back to UK for a holiday

" have a good trip ''

This is a tricky situation for all of us and we will only know the real result when it happens to us, so what do we know.

In an emergency situation the NHS will deal with the the situation anything further is likely to be charged at 150% of cost. If you have a UK address you can use then this might change the situation considerably.

Dont use a UK Insurance company, they usually requie you to have been resident in the UK for 6 months prior to you taking out the Insurance for it to be valid, after that its really just you taking the chances.

Today I dont bother with travel Insurance, I am to old or life in the wrong place. So all I need to worry about is getting to the plane, then the airline takes the worry, when I get off and collect my luggage its down to me.

If you feel ok then its a chance you take if not then you need to think about it, self insure yourself. When you are 60+ you are not a good risk anymore, thats life, thats the way insurance works, the older you get the bigger the risk, how you deal with that is up to you, the flight to the UK is 12-15 hours,do you feel lucky?

Why are you posting this on the assumption that the OP is ill?

I have exactly the same problem when my mother-in-law comes to visit. She's in her 70s and trying to find travel insurance for someone in their 70s with a pacemaker that doesn't live in a "western" country (Australia, US, UK, etc.) is actually really difficult. The only ones I found were for worldwide cover, including the US, and because of that, ridiculously expensive...

Today I dont bother with travel Insurance, I am to old or life in the wrong place. So all I need to worry about is getting to the plane, then the airline takes the worry,

Thats probably the most misleading statement I've seen on TV to date this year ! Couldn't be more wrong.

Go to emergency, get treated, then tell them you have no money to pay the bill.

By the time they get round to suing you for the money, you will be back here.

Never heard of anyone being extradited to pay a hospital bill.

You paid into the system long enough.

True, but I understand that those of our American cousins who are in arrears on (e.g.) child support payments back home find themselves unable to renew their passports in due course and are instead issued with ETD's which are only valid for a 1-way trip back to the States to face the music.

Wouldn't put it past our "beloved" Government to introduce a similar measure for expat Brits who owe money to the NHS, etc at some stage.

NHS cover eligibility

Returning to the UK to settle; summary of 6.2 below

Citizens who return to the UK on a settled basis will be classed as ordinarily resident,

and will be eligible for free NHS care immediately.

6.2 British citizens, European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and non-EEA nationals with

indefinite leave to remain returning to resume properly settled residence in the UK will meet

the ordinary residence test (assuming their residence is lawful and voluntarily adopted), most

likely from the date of their arrival.

Basically if you have a UK passport holder, without restrictions, and state 'you intend to return to UK on a settled basis' you are entitled to immediate free NHS care in full. The chance that the UK government could prove that the statement 'you intend to return to UK on a settled basis' was not made in good faith is NIL.

If you are happy in Thailand stay there. If you develop a serious illness, go back to UK and settle with a relative "in good faith". Your health cover with NHS is then 100%.

If you are just going on holiday, take out cover if you can get it but remember EMC is still available for everyone in UK as is GP access. You may be charged but on a 'reasonable ability to pay basis'.

Lastly an observation. Tory politicians say they 'want to protect the NHS for taxpayers' . I am a full UK tax payer but don't have access to the NHS anymore? They do say no taxation without representation!

I would favour a 94 day rule (if you stay in the UK for more than 93 days you are 'ordinarily resident for tax purposes'). How about if you stay in the UK for 94 days per year you are entitled to tax funded NHS services - just a thought to any budding politicians reading this.

I would NOT take out insurance. If the NHS refused to treat a tax paying UK citizen i would lie down and die in the street outside a NHS hospital. See how that looks on the news.

Many thanks theoldgit, as I thought, I'll try to check out some insurance companies.

I take it you are traveling alone. I don't bother if I go back alone but if I am with my wife we always have insurance for the both of us. We use AXA(Thailand), fairly reasonable.

I would NOT take out insurance. If the NHS refused to treat a tax paying UK citizen i would lie down and die in the street outside a NHS hospital. See how that looks on the news.

They wouldn't refuse to treat you, but they may well charge you for any treatment you received.

Whilst I'm as angry as you that as a British taxpayer I don't qualify for free access to the NHS, I'm not sure that I would want to put my health at risk to make point.

I kept a UK Address and any time i go back, i always just turn up at the ''GP'S'' for a Check up, nothing said, and if i get a prescription, get that free too...

Handy or what...

Suits Me....

don't forget to get a bus pass while there, saves a lot!

I kept a UK Address and any time i go back, i always just turn up at the ''GP'S'' for a Check up, nothing said, and if i get a prescription, get that free too...

Handy or what...

Suits Me....

+1

On a recent UK holiday I managed to get 365 days travel insurance covering Asian travel around Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

£240

Many thanks theoldgit, as I thought, I'll try to check out some insurance companies.

I take it you are traveling alone. I don't bother if I go back alone but if I am with my wife we always have insurance for the both of us. We use AXA(Thailand), fairly reasonable.

I also use AXA Thailand for my wife when we go back to the UK to see family.

Very reasonable - only 2007 baht for 31 day cover, with coverage up to 3 million baht if you peg it when over, and for emergency treatment and repatriation.

Up to two million baht for medical treatment if you fall ill or have an accident.