chiefmissile

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone knows when the free NHS treatment stops for us? We have been PR for 18 months now.

We still file UK tax returns.

I draw a UK Military Pension and paid 27 years of NI contributions.

My wife was a teacher in the UK and still has small teachers pension in UK (Pot of contributions not actually drawing the pension)

Thanks

Drew

mikelincs

Free NHS treatment is residence based, so as soon as you left the UK and settled in Canada you lost the right to free NHS treatment.

chiefmissile

Thanks for your reply, but I know a UK expat from Canada who recently had NHS treatment in the UK while he was back visiting. He was hospitalized for 3 weeks. When someone came to see him reference how he was going to pay, he was asked if he had a UK pension, he said that he did and ended up not getting a bill?

Regards

Drew

mikelincs

Are you UK state pension age, that will make a difference, but there have been many changes to the rights to receive free NHS treatment in the past few years.

Tirytory

Well there is always going to be an example of people who do it and get away with it but it doesn't make it legally or morally right regardless if you think you're entitled.

That has been a hot topic recently for politicians- clamping down on healthcare tourism.

not2old

post #2 & #4 both correct.

The new rules came into effect April this year for those going to the UK & getting NHS treatment, even if you are British. So be careful if you are thinking you can go over for a holiday & get free medical treatment, because someone will ask you the 'residence questions' & to provide proof.

Am I entitled to NHS treatment when I visit England? - Health questions - NHS Choices

http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/aboutnh...-services.aspx

Moving abroad - Healthcare abroad - NHS Choices

From that link

"If you are moving abroad on a permanent basis, you will no longer be entitled to medical treatment under normal NHS rules. This is because the NHS is a residence-based healthcare system. You’ll also have to notify your GP so that you and your family can be removed from the NHS register".

chiefmissile

Thanks for all the replies, very helpful.

Pizzawheel

Having said that the NHS has been hopeless at collecting money, as it's not been a problem til now, and there are thousands of NHS employees with no idea how to collect money or even how to charge- it's just extra bureaucracy for them.

It works here because it's basically health insurance with one insurer- the government. So if a provider (GP, etc) treats you and you're not legit, the government won't pay them... and I think that's a real strength, obviously learnt because there are a few million people not so far away with no health insurance whatsover...

Steve_

They recently changed the rules for non-residents, basically as soon as you are no longer resident you can no longer use it. There are reciprocal agreements with various countries, Canada is not one of them.

However, they say this but emergency care, e.g. A&E is still covered, which is more than you get if you have an emergency as a visitor to Canada.

Juggernaut1064

I did end up at an A&E on a visit last year, treated with no issues, but also got a prescription twice and i paid prescription price for those drugs both times, My old address etc was still in their system 9 years after leaving so if these new rules will stop that they'll have to change a lot of information they store.
I think a lot of the "health tourism" is A&E based so how will they stop it if A&E is still open to all ?

mikelincs

No, when we lived in Spain there were several families living near us who went back to the UK for a few days every 6 months and saw their GP, and also got 6 months worth of prescription drugs to cover them till their naxt visit. No matter they were resident in Spain, and entitled to totally free (at the time) healthcare including free prescriptions

Juggernaut1064

Only reason i needed drugs was i refilled my Plavix just before i left for the UK and left it on my kitchen worktop, so had to get some on arrival in Lancashire, then with the chaos of the aftermath of a wedding i left ALL my meds at my sisters when my bro took me of to yorkshire so second visit to a doctor, I had no issues at all including A&E but didn't really matter that much my company health cover covers me for everything when i'm outside the UK but they didnt seem interested in seeing it there.

mikelincs

I suspect that that will chance, practices are now getting a bit more savvy, they are having to with new directives from the Government to cut down on the treatment of non residents. Everyone who leaves the UK to live abroad SHOULD have informed the Local Health people that they are no longer resident. I know we did, and when we returned one of us had been taken off the GP's list, but I was still down as a patient, but this was some 7 years ago, and things have changed since then

Tirytory

Not just A&E, I worked in Endoscopy and we often had expats from Europe who would come back for their annual endoscopy.

Tirytory

That really annoys me... And I absolutely hate the whole I paid tax for so many years argument.