tebo53

Hi,

Having just officially reached retirement age I've just received my S1 healthcare forms and was interested in the following paragraph, which may also be of interest to any retired person worried about the EHIC cover. (Obviously you need to have submitted your S1 for this entitlement to apply)


Entitlement to medical cover in the UK.
The NHS is a residence - based system and moving abroad can mean losing your entitlement to receive healthcare free of charge on the NHS. However, as you will have your healthcare paid for by the UK by means of an S1 in your country of residence, from 6th April 2015 your right to return to England for all treatment including elective, has been extended. This means you can access NHS treatment in England as if ordinarily resident (This means treatment will be free unless a statutory charge also applies to residents in England, for example prescription charges). You will not to obtain any kind of authorisation from your country of residence prior to seeking treatment

May be of help to some......

Steve

Neptuno

So the government pays for care in Spain, then again if a person goes back to the UK for the purpose of treatment there?

mikelincs

Well the UK government was/is paying a specific amount for each pensioner, but AFAIK has to pay extra if you receive hospital treatment in SPain, so they have decided to legalise what many people were already doing, and give them free NHS treatment. Many thousands of pensioners were travelling back to the UK for even routine appointments in any case, so it's not going to make a lot of difference cost wise.

Neptuno

Well, it used to be regarded as a fraudulent way of receiving care, and many got away with it.
Now they are having their cake and eating it, as they could get hospital treatment in Spain with the U.K. Paying extra for it, and then pop back to UK for some other treatment
With the NHS cutbacks, it is a surprising decision treatment should either be in Spain OR the UK
Of course, for those living under the radar, it is a boon!

bobd22

This was discussed a few weeks ago. It was brought in under Cameron, the decision was based on the fact that retirees with full state pension will have full ni contributions. The reasoning behind it is that depending on the illness or condition it may be that the person may rather be dealt with by an English speaking doctor in an English speaking environment or it may be that there is an hospital specialising in a specific condition. I think it is a good thing gives a pensioner a choice, what's wrong with that? A pensioner on S1 already has their EHIC issued by the UK. Obviously some conditions if urgent would just need to be dealt with at the expats current location also one must get to the UK under their own steam. Also dependent on what deal is done post brexit it may not last as it currently only applies to EU expats initially it was going to apply to all expats. Seems to me that the government bring in something useful and are dammed for it ?

Loafing Along

Swings and roundabouts : UK has always paid for healthcare of pensioner expats in EU so cost does not change it just means a saving on foreign costs replaced by extra cost to NHS

NHS 'Scandal' As UK Pays Millions To EU

missile

I wonder what will happen post Brexit?

Loafing Along

Just don't get sick

Neptuno

It's just that a set amount is paid for each expat regardless of whether they ever see a doctor or visit a hospital, so if they go to the UK, that is another expense

CapnBilly

Actually it's not. By permitting access to state pensioners already registered abroad with an S1, the costs are reduced by 5%, with estimated savings of circa £40m. This is standard practice through the Social Coordination rules, which the UK had not previously used, because of the residency requirement. The proposal was part of the consultation on charging overseas visitors in 2013.

Manclass

I spoke to a lady at the overseas healthcare in Newcastle a couple of months ago, she told me that If I want an operation I can choose if I want to have it in Spain or the UK , this rule came into force in April, she said all you needed to do was to contact a hospital of your choice and request that you have your operation there , apparently you ask to speak to somebody that deals with overseas patients. I repeated it back to her to make sure Id heard her correctly and she confirmed that is correct..Also interestingly she said I could go to any doctor in the UK but to make sure I didn't give a relatives UK address as my own and to use my Spanish address, she said that if I give a UK address it will flag up that I am back in the UK and my Spanish healthcare could be cancelled.. I am a pensioner who receives healthcare with the S1 form.

Neptuno

one more reason for not living under the radar now!

bobd22

That is as I said earlier the million dollar question as this only applies currently to Expats living in EU or EEA not worldwide expats. So if it stays post Brexit I would think there may well be a challenge. Mind as everything Brexit wise who has a clue?

Fred James

Yes, currently it is around €3500 per person.

tebo53

A friend of ours had breast cancer and some other related problems before she came to live in Spain and as such she prefers to stick with the same doctor, in the UK, where she was treated for checkups and a minor related op she's had.

You can understand that it's not so easy to give up the surgery that knows your medical background etc.