Go Back  British Expats > Living & Moving Abroad > Moving back or to the UK > Citizenship/Passports and Spouse/Family Visas (UK)
Reload this Page >

British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Old Dec 16th 2012, 2:31 pm
  #1036  
WhiteRabbit
 
rebeccajo's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 1,480
rebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by alliekat
Source of your "well known fact", please?

Anyone can pay into the National insurance scheme. Voluntarily, while living abroad or non-national. There is a very convenient chart on the HMRC website of how much one should pay based on category. Immigration could have just as easily required the payment of and proof of payment into the insurance system for a specified number of years before qualifying.
I agree that some sort of alternative such as this would have been far better than the new rules.
rebeccajo is offline  
Old Dec 16th 2012, 2:43 pm
  #1037  
WhiteRabbit
 
rebeccajo's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 1,480
rebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by alliekat


Not true. It's 67 now (with plans to raise the minimum age). Also, you can access medicare if you are permanently disable and have never paid into the system. If you receive SSI, (the "welfare" portion of Social Security - which even if you are disabled, you are switched to once you hit a certain age, even if you receive SSA) you may not retain in your ownership assets exceeding $2,000 (the figure I had in 2008 - may have changed since). There is no "allowance" for housing, vehicle, clothes, jewellery, etc. It's an 'across the board' number. If your assets exceed that number, the government puts a lien on and seizes your assets so that they can sell your assets and recoup their costs for your care prior to your death. That includes your house. They will sell it and split any overflow of proceeds to your heirs. That is, IF there are any proceeds left.
Mmmmmmm......you can't access Social Security disability unless you've earned enough work quarters. (I paused because I had to look it up). Here's the link below.

http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/credits3.htm

US citizens who don't qualify for SS disability through work receive SSI (Supplemental Security Income). SSI is means tested, and immigrants to the US who have been here less than five years can't access any Federal means tested benefits.
rebeccajo is offline  
Old Dec 16th 2012, 4:49 pm
  #1038  
Forum Regular
 
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 85
alliekat is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by rebeccajo
Mmmmmmm......you can't access Social Security disability unless you've earned enough work quarters. (I paused because I had to look it up). Here's the link below.

http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/credits3.htm

US citizens who don't qualify for SS disability through work receive SSI (Supplemental Security Income). SSI is means tested, and immigrants to the US who have been here less than five years can't access any Federal means tested benefits.
Thank you for the link. It must have changed in the years since I dealt with the process for a family member - who had very little work history but nevertheless qualified for Social Security Disability benefits (the non SSI kind).
alliekat is offline  
Old Dec 16th 2012, 7:16 pm
  #1039  
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: May 2010
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 9,618
SanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

[QUOTE=alliekat;10435992]

Last edited by SanDiegogirl; Dec 16th 2012 at 7:17 pm. Reason: Formatting all wrong.....
SanDiegogirl is offline  
Old Dec 16th 2012, 7:23 pm
  #1040  
Forum Regular
 
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 85
alliekat is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

??

Last edited by alliekat; Dec 16th 2012 at 7:24 pm. Reason: Quoted post deleted
alliekat is offline  
Old Dec 16th 2012, 7:56 pm
  #1041  
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: May 2010
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 9,618
SanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by alliekat
Source of your "well known fact", please?
Source??


Yes they were prepared to pay for insurance and the mother has her own savings. The family said as much in the article.



Anyone can pay into the National insurance scheme. Voluntarily, while living abroad or non-national. There is a very convenient chart on the HMRC website of how much one should pay based on category. Immigration could have just as easily required the payment of and proof of payment into the insurance system for a specified number of years before qualifying.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/nic.htm

Did you know that loads of British folks with the same access to NHS don't pay in and continue to access NHS? For self employed folks, for instance, the weekly pay in is about 3 quid and some folks opt out for decades, figuring "if I get caught they can only go back a few/several (low end - under 10) years." For some it's worth the risk not to pay their 150 quid per year to get away with something like that. I have found that "stick it to the government" is quite a prevalent attitude in the UK, especially among the children of the baby boomer generation.



I'm sorry, but what does US health care costs have to do with this article, or my reaction to it? I certainly am no fan of it, as I am an individual who was bankrupted by a single major medical event just as I was coming out of college and 'starting' life as it were. I'm no more a fan of US health care than I am of these new UK immigration policies, and I never said I was.



Not true. It's 67 now (with plans to raise the minimum age). Also, you can access medicare if you are permanently disable and have never paid into the system. If you receive SSI, (the "welfare" portion of Social Security - which even if you are disabled, you are switched to once you hit a certain age, even if you receive SSA) you may not retain in your ownership assets exceeding $2,000 (the figure I had in 2008 - may have changed since). There is no "allowance" for housing, vehicle, clothes, jewellery, etc. It's an 'across the board' number. If your assets exceed that number, the government puts a lien on and seizes your assets so that they can sell your assets and recoup their costs for your care prior to your death. That includes your house. They will sell it and split any overflow of proceeds to your heirs. That is, IF there are any proceeds left.



Premiums and deductibles are part and parcel to Medicare. That is why one should not rely on only Medicare (and everyone is told this, or should know it!). It is why there are so many supplemental insurance policies for older folks. If one is too poor for their own supplemental policy, then he/she most likely is eligible for whatever state medicaid program there is- which covers deductibles, pays medicare premiums and provides prescription coverage.

That said, there are uninformed folks that will rely solely on Medicare for elderly health insurance. It is a huge mistake, and the system was only meant as a supplement program. "SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME"


While I respect your opinion, your information is: a) incomplete, and; b) not at all having to do with the article.

In the article, the woman has her own savings and the family is willing to provide private health insurance for her. That means she would not be accessing NHS.

What is appalling is that under the new scheme, the family is completely unable to be reunited, even if financially independent. AND if the family is financially independent, then the parent MUST stay in their country of origin - because that means that the family can afford nursing care in the other country. THAT is what is appalling.

As far as NHS being lax about who accesses it: I did not find that to be the case AT ALL while living in England. I had a kidney stone while there and not one surgery, pharmacy, or hospital let me in/offered me service for free. I eventually had to come back the the US for medical care because the cost of the surgery I needed exceeded 10,000 quid and my insurance was a policy of reimbursement rather than providing the service. That is a fairly common arrangement with travel/expat insurance. There are some (costly) exceptions.
Some further comments:

- Source: Google "Life Expectancy United Kingdom" and plenty of articles come up. One of the first is a report on the BBC with figures issued by the Office of National Statistics.

Google: Health costs for elderly in United Kingdom. Sorry, could not find article on costs in final years of life, but did come across this article in the Guardian about the escalating costs for the elderly

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/ju...olicy-exchange

- Yes, the children in the article did offer to pay for 5 years of private medical insurance - what then?

- National Insurance contributions are paid by UK residents (usually employed or self employed) in order to receive a State pension at retirement. To be eligible for a State pension the payment period is now 30 years. One can pay voluntary contributions (I think only up to 6 years back)to make up a gap in such payments. National Insurance contributions stop at retirement age.

Are you seriously suggesting that foreign nationals (not resident in the UK) can pay into the National Insurance system (30 years worth) to receive a State pension in the UK?

- What has National Insurance Contributions got to do with elderly health care costs in the UK? Health care/social care are paid for out of taxes. Hence my original statement that the lady in the article, at age 64, will not have paid UK taxes.

- Only mentioned US health care costs for the elderly, because when individuals realise that they are on the hook for medical costs for their Mum or Dad, getting them to the US suddenly does not seem like such a good idea. With the "free" medical costs in the UK, the future liability of aging Mum and Dad on the public service does not enter the equation.

- Medicare is still received at 65. How do I know?....husband just qualified for it when he hit 65 in July.

- While Medicare is not perfect, it truly is a lifeline to the majority of US elderly, compared to private individual healthcare policies.

- Your statement that this family is financially independent and could pay for the mother's ongoing healthcare and/or nursing care is a pure guess on your part. They have offered 5 years of private health insurance not, potentially another 14 years of medical/nursing care.

- Sorry, to hear that you had a poor experience with the NHS. If you had travel/expat insurance, then as a visitor to the UK they were doing their job by not letting you in or offering you anything for free. Emergency treatment should have been offered you.

However, this has nothing to do with the fact that you returned to the US for treatment. Your policy was one which reimbursed you costs instead of agreeing to pay for costs to allow treatment to take place. You were unable to pay the costs up front. Why is this a costly exception to the NHS service?
You chose this policy surely, so should have been aware of its short-comings.
Apart from receiving emergency treatment, did you expect them to perform the surgery and then bill you once you got back to the US?

(Expect more 'flaming" to come my way)
SanDiegogirl is offline  
Old Dec 16th 2012, 8:46 pm
  #1042  
WhiteRabbit
 
rebeccajo's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 1,480
rebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
Some further comments:

- Source: Google "Life Expectancy United Kingdom" and plenty of articles come up. One of the first is a report on the BBC with figures issued by the Office of National Statistics.

Google: Health costs for elderly in United Kingdom. Sorry, could not find article on costs in final years of life, but did come across this article in the Guardian about the escalating costs for the elderly

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/ju...olicy-exchange

- Yes, the children in the article did offer to pay for 5 years of private medical insurance - what then?

- National Insurance contributions are paid by UK residents (usually employed or self employed) in order to receive a State pension at retirement. To be eligible for a State pension the payment period is now 30 years. One can pay voluntary contributions (I think only up to 6 years back)to make up a gap in such payments. National Insurance contributions stop at retirement age.

Are you seriously suggesting that foreign nationals (not resident in the UK) can pay into the National Insurance system (30 years worth) to receive a State pension in the UK?

- What has National Insurance Contributions got to do with elderly health care costs in the UK? Health care/social care are paid for out of taxes. Hence my original statement that the lady in the article, at age 64, will not have paid UK taxes.

- Only mentioned US health care costs for the elderly, because when individuals realise that they are on the hook for medical costs for their Mum or Dad, getting them to the US suddenly does not seem like such a good idea. With the "free" medical costs in the UK, the future liability of aging Mum and Dad on the public service does not enter the equation.

- Medicare is still received at 65. How do I know?....husband just qualified for it when he hit 65 in July.

- While Medicare is not perfect, it truly is a lifeline to the majority of US elderly, compared to private individual healthcare policies.

- Your statement that this family is financially independent and could pay for the mother's ongoing healthcare and/or nursing care is a pure guess on your part. They have offered 5 years of private health insurance not, potentially another 14 years of medical/nursing care.

- Sorry, to hear that you had a poor experience with the NHS. If you had travel/expat insurance, then as a visitor to the UK they were doing their job by not letting you in or offering you anything for free. Emergency treatment should have been offered you.

However, this has nothing to do with the fact that you returned to the US for treatment. Your policy was one which reimbursed you costs instead of agreeing to pay for costs to allow treatment to take place. You were unable to pay the costs up front. Why is this a costly exception to the NHS service?
You chose this policy surely, so should have been aware of its short-comings.
Apart from receiving emergency treatment, did you expect them to perform the surgery and then bill you once you got back to the US?

(Expect more 'flaming" to come my way)
Even in the US, the bill comes after the procedure.

Just sayin'.
rebeccajo is offline  
Old Dec 16th 2012, 9:05 pm
  #1043  
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: May 2010
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 9,618
SanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by rebeccajo
Even in the US, the bill comes after the procedure.

Just sayin'.
Agreed. My point was that she returned to the US to have treatment because she was unable to pay the upfront costs of her treatment in the UK and then wait for reimbursement.

Not sure what the OP meant by (costly) exceptions to the NHS system. Was she expecting the system to perform the surgery and then bill her in the US? Really?
SanDiegogirl is offline  
Old Dec 16th 2012, 11:14 pm
  #1044  
WhiteRabbit
 
rebeccajo's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 1,480
rebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond reputerebeccajo has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
Agreed. My point was that she returned to the US to have treatment because she was unable to pay the upfront costs of her treatment in the UK and then wait for reimbursement.

Not sure what the OP meant by (costly) exceptions to the NHS system. Was she expecting the system to perform the surgery and then bill her in the US? Really?
She might have thought it would work that way, as that is what her life experience is.
rebeccajo is offline  
Old Dec 17th 2012, 12:51 am
  #1045  
Forum Regular
 
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 85
alliekat is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
- Yes, the children in the article did offer to pay for 5 years of private medical insurance - what then?
The article says "at least five years", and the family indicates they are highly aware money is short. This shows a willingness to do whatever they have to in order to meet reasonable thresholds. Five years is the amount of time one must reside in the UK before being able to apply to settle. Perhaps they assumed that 5 years is reasonable to pay for (super expensive) private insurance. I think NHS would be better off simply requiring residents - citizens or not - to pay into NHS contributions at the same rate as they might pay private insurance companies for health insurance. Maybe then they might get out of some debt, and be able to provide services to everyone legally residing in the UK.

Quote from the article:

"We as sponsors would sign a document guaranteeing that Nadya would not take benefits for at least five years. I know public money is short, but we are happy to pay for private healthcare and she has savings of her own."

- National Insurance contributions are paid by UK residents (usually employed or self employed) in order to receive a State pension at retirement. To be eligible for a State pension the payment period is now 30 years. One can pay voluntary contributions (I think only up to 6 years back)to make up a gap in such payments. National Insurance contributions stop at retirement age.
I thought that we have been talking about health insurance coverage via NHS. When did the conversation turn to pension eligibility??

Are you seriously suggesting that foreign nationals (not resident in the UK) can pay into the National Insurance system (30 years worth) to receive a State pension in the UK?
Yes. Foreign nationals CAN do. I am married to and British citizen and once I get there, and say I do not work, he/we are permitted to make voluntary contributions to National Insurance.

- What has National Insurance Contributions got to do with elderly health care costs in the UK? Health care/social care are paid for out of taxes. Hence my original statement that the lady in the article, at age 64, will not have paid UK taxes.
I realize that she hasn't paid taxes, but it sounds like the family is willing to comply with whatever restrictions the UK government might put to them, just not being permanently separated.

The issue is: THERE IS NO OPTION FOR REUNIFICATION FOR FAMILY MEMBERS IN THIS SITUATION. NOT EVEN PAYING YOUR OWN HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR LIFE!!! This is completely unreasonable!!! Nobody is saying that she should move to the UK and be immediately eligible for NHS and elder care, but if the family can afford elder care in the mom's home country, then they can afford it in the UK!! Why not let them reunify under those conditions!!!????

Only mentioned US health care costs for the elderly, because when individuals realise that they are on the hook for medical costs for their Mum or Dad, getting them to the US suddenly does not seem like such a good idea. With the "free" medical costs in the UK, the future liability of aging Mum and Dad on the public service does not enter the equation.
Health care costs in the US are absolutely INSANE. From my experience in the UK, a Dr's visit costs anywhere between 30-75 quid. Try double that (dollar to pound) in the US.

- Medicare is still received at 65. How do I know?....husband just qualified for it when he hit 65 in July.
Well, if he didn't need to take it, perhaps he shouldn't have, as retiring before the "official" retirement age of 66 and "preferred" retirement age of age 70, his benefits were/are diminished from the maximum amount allowable. At age 65, one only receives about 90(ish)% of his/her benefits earned.

http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/justmedicare.htm

While Medicare is not perfect, it truly is a lifeline to the majority of US elderly, compared to private individual healthcare policies.
If medicare is one's only plan for retirement, he/she has not financially planned appropriately. It was never intended to be a full retirement/medical retirement plan, but only a socially/government guaranteed supplement program. I'm not knocking it, but the fact of the matter remains that if it is the only thing one relies on at retirement, one has not properly planned for his/her future retirement.

- Your statement that this family is financially independent and could pay for the mother's ongoing healthcare and/or nursing care is a pure guess on your part. They have offered 5 years of private health insurance not, potentially another 14 years of medical/nursing care.
Again, the article stated "at least five years". They also pointed to the woman's own savings, and seemed ready/willing to comply with restrictions laid down by the UK government, given the opportunity. The point is that there is NO option to comply with anything.

Sorry, to hear that you had a poor experience with the NHS. If you had travel/expat insurance, then as a visitor to the UK they were doing their job by not letting you in or offering you anything for free. Emergency treatment should have been offered you.
I did NOT have a poor experience with the NHS. I agree they were doing their job by charging me for visits, etc. I was only relaying the facts - that indeed, people not legal residents and/or issued an NHS number do NOT have access to NHS. You seem quite concerned with people who don't "deserve" (via not having paid into it) somehow being able to access NHS at UK taxpayer expense.

However, this has nothing to do with the fact that you returned to the US for treatment. Your policy was one which reimbursed you costs instead of agreeing to pay for costs to allow treatment to take place. You were unable to pay the costs up front. Why is this a costly exception to the NHS service?
I did not say that. I said there are costly exceptions to the industry standard of travel insurance that operates on a reimbursement basis. In other words, there are policies that will pre authorize treatment, but they are much more costly alternatives to the "standard" travel insurance policies that only operate on a reimbursement basis. I was not speaking of NHS at ALL.

You chose this policy surely, so should have been aware of its short-comings.
Yes, I was aware. That said all the reimbursement policies cover medical evacuations, provided the correct forms are filled out by a doctor. I falsely presumed that were I experiencing a medical emergency (infection caused by a long term kidney stone can lead to sepsis and pretty quickly, death - and I almost died from the one before this one for that reason), that a doctor wherever I was would fill out the forms for my insurance so I could be covered to go home. In fact, this was not at all the case. Doctors, surgeries and the hospital all refused to fill out any papers to facilitate my insurance claim as it was 'against policy'. No matter how many times I went to the doctors, they verified my medical state and paid for office visits, they simply would not do it.

Based on my life experience as well as what I thought might be common sense, I evidently wrongly presumed that I could accomplish that task (get forms filled out by doctors I was paying to visit) to trigger my coverage in the event of an emergency.

At no time did I expect/act/want anyone to do anything for me for free, but I bought insurance for a reason and the UK health professionals simply refused to facilitate my ability to utilize my policy.

That said, I went home because my coverage was/is better in the US, and I will probably continue to do the same (come to the US for medical treatment) because the UK is so far behind the times. In fact, the UK has the highest mortality rate in the westernized world for cancer, and I simply cannot afford to take that risk. Thus I will never become a British citizen and I will keep my US insurance.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/he...in-Europe.html

(other sources available as well)

Apart from receiving emergency treatment, did you expect them to perform the surgery and then bill you once you got back to the US?
No. I never said that, and would never expect or have expected that. I only told you the story to illustrate that, based on my experience, the NHS is darn good at not letting those who don't have the right to any access to medical care without paying for it. While I am accustomed to the process you described (bill after service) from the US, I am not an idiot and know it doesn't work the same way everywhere in the world. Especially for a foreigner. That's why I had my own insurance policy and thought I would be able to pay nominally whatever costs I might incur to get forms filled out in order to trigger the emergency portion of my policy. I don't think that is an unreasonable assumption/expectation.
alliekat is offline  
Old Dec 17th 2012, 12:53 am
  #1046  
Forum Regular
 
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 85
alliekat is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by rebeccajo
She might have thought it would work that way, as that is what her life experience is.
While I am accustomed to "treatment now, bill later", I know it's not that way everywhere in the world. I came prepared with insurance with medical emergency evacuation coverage, only to be unable to comply with my insurance company's request for documentation due to filling out forms for this reason being 'against NHS policy'.
alliekat is offline  
Old Dec 17th 2012, 1:52 pm
  #1047  
Oscar nominated
 
BristolUK's Avatar
 
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,536
BristolUK has a reputation beyond reputeBristolUK has a reputation beyond reputeBristolUK has a reputation beyond reputeBristolUK has a reputation beyond reputeBristolUK has a reputation beyond reputeBristolUK has a reputation beyond reputeBristolUK has a reputation beyond reputeBristolUK has a reputation beyond reputeBristolUK has a reputation beyond reputeBristolUK has a reputation beyond reputeBristolUK has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by SanDiegogirl
Someone has to pay for the medical/care services provided to aging relatives joining families in the UK.

If the relatives do not (or cannot) pay for this, who does?
Ah yes, the old "why should I pay taxes for your dialysis when my kidneys work fine" attitude.
BristolUK is offline  
Old Dec 18th 2012, 5:18 am
  #1048  
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: May 2010
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 9,618
SanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond reputeSanDiegogirl has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by BristolUK
Ah yes, the old "why should I pay taxes for your dialysis when my kidneys work fine" attitude.
No not at all...... whether or not I partake of public services I have never begrudged those that have to do so.

What would irk me however is, if I needed medical treatment and were refused it, because of lack of funds due to too few people paying into the system - which I fear is the cause of much of the problems in the UK's NHS/Social services.
SanDiegogirl is offline  
Old Dec 18th 2012, 7:24 am
  #1049  
BE Forum Addict
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,294
formula has a reputation beyond reputeformula has a reputation beyond reputeformula has a reputation beyond reputeformula has a reputation beyond reputeformula has a reputation beyond reputeformula has a reputation beyond reputeformula has a reputation beyond reputeformula has a reputation beyond reputeformula has a reputation beyond reputeformula has a reputation beyond reputeformula has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by BristolUK
Ah yes, the old "why should I pay taxes for your dialysis when my kidneys work fine" attitude.
If you are going to visit a country (where you are not resident) then make sure you have health insurance and read the small print to make sure it is fit for purpose.

My sister is a duel Brit/Canadian and her Canadian travel policy, fully covered her when she was visiting family in England and she became ill and was in hospital for a week. Her bill was in the thousands.

Last edited by formula; Dec 18th 2012 at 8:22 am.
formula is offline  
Old Dec 18th 2012, 10:42 am
  #1050  
Forum Regular
 
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 85
alliekat is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: British citizen living abroad? Non-EEA spouse? This may affect you!

Originally Posted by formula
If you are going to visit a country (where you are not resident) then make sure you have health insurance and read the small print to make sure it is fit for purpose.

My sister is a duel Brit/Canadian and her Canadian travel policy, fully covered her when she was visiting family in England and she became ill and was in hospital for a week. Her bill was in the thousands.
I would love to know what company it was, if you wouldn't mind. Even though I read the small print and the insurance would have covered me had I been able to get the forms filled out, I didn't anticipate the complete lack of cooperation from the health professionals in England. I would very much like to have insurance with good coverage as your sister had!
alliekat is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.