formula

Sorry, read scousers post before yours.

spouse of scouse

Why?

(Jerseygirl, right of reply) :-)

Edit: scrap the above. I couldn't be less interested in the workings of a bully's mind, or how they get their jollies :-) I shall now retire to bed, perchance to dream. Unless Scouse is feeling fruity.

rebeccajo

Really?

What IS your problem?

Jerseygirl

The tit for tat personal insults stops now!!!

not2old

follow up to the OP - just the 'immigration health surcharge', now it could be everyone's turn to pay, after all "we're all in this together"

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...bma-chief-says

"Patients could have to start to pay charges to use basic NHS services such as GPs because the health service’s finances have become so dire, the leader of Britain’s doctors has warned.

Lord Warner, a health minister under Tony Blair, last year proposed that everyone should start paying a £10-a-month NHS “membership charge” to help rescue its ailing finances in a paper for Reform, the centre-right thinktank."

scot47

Just charge everyone. That would be fairer !

Note, Government Health Warning -

Irony is in use here. Minors and those suffering from psychoses should take care in interpreting this text.

Jerseygirl

I have moved Nikta's off topic post and subsequent replies into a new thread in The Rovers Return forum.

The Immigration Forum is for immigration issues only...ie visas, citizenship etc. Thank you.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/rover...thread-855933/

robin1234

Ten pound a month seems pointless. Why not just increase general taxation a bit, at least that would be progressive. Seems to me a standard copay of (say) ten pounds for any healthcare visit would be more meaningful.

Giantaxe

An income tax rise would be "politically" difficult.

A standard copay would be the opposite of progressive. The argument I've heard against a doctor-collected copay is that this would require doctors' offices to start dealing with collecting money, something they are not geared up to do at present. So likely it would involve hiring loads of people, meaning the net revenue raised would be reduced, perhaps significantly.

formula

To clear up the confusion in threads from some people who think that they can get free NHS even though they weren't required to pay IHS, 'because it is only visitors that have to pay'. It was very clear that this claim simply isn't true from the NHS changes under the Immigration Act 2014, but here is the defination of "visitor" for NHS purposes, posted on the site of
The UK Council for International Student Affairs.

http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/Internation...dence-permits/

"there are fees for 'overseas visitors'. You are an 'overseas visitor' if you have a time limit on your immigration permission for the UK."



Those "overseas visitors" who are able to buy the Immigration Health Surcharge for £200 a year (or £150 a year for students) will get free access to the NHS. Their BRP needs to be presented when they want to use the NHS, to avoid having to pay.

Everyone else will need medical insurance before they travel. That includes British visitors too as usual. Those that don't have insurance to pay for NHS treatment that isn't free (i.e. a stay in hospital) will be billed at 150% of the NHS costs.

michali

Should we not mention that spouses and maybe some other categories of visa holders (?) who were already in the UK before the new health surcharge came into play are still able to access the NHS for free? But will pay the surcharge when applying for renewal of their visa.

formula

Good idea. You have just done it

Yes, UK visa holders (except tourists) that applied for their visa before the 6th April 2015, still get free NHS.

Tier 2 ICT visa holders that applied before 6th April 2015, still get free NHS (limited in some cases i.e. no IVF treatment for free). These Tier 2 ICT visa holders will not be required to pay the IHS after 6 April, will still get free NHS and the same limitations. Although it seems those NHS limitations will be the same for all for all those who buy the IHS now it seems (?) with no expensive discretionary treatment for free anymore until ILR i.e. IVF treatment, cosmetic surgery.

BritInParis

Or if you're an Australian or New Zealand citizen. Or a Tier 2 (Intra-Company) visa holder. Or a family member of a European national with EU Treaty rights. Or numerous other exemptions.

https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigr...ou-need-to-pay

Despite the name there's also no link between paying the IHS and accessing the NHS. You'll need to pay the IHS as part of your visa application for certain categories of visa but it won't be checked by your GP or hospital if you have paid your IHS when you want to use NHS services. If you haven't paid your IHS if required then you won't be issued your visa in the first place.

formula

They come under EU law which basically seems to mean that if the EEA national is in work and is a Worker or Self Employed Qualified Person (earning at least 24 x national minimum wage per week to be a Qualified Person in the UK) then they and their family members can have free NHS.

Self Sufficient Qualified persons and all their family members can't have free NHS for themselves or their family members even if their non-EU partner is working.
The same for the Students Qualified persons and their dependents too it now seems.
Those claiming to be a Jobseeker Qualified Person and in receipt of the benefit JSA (limited now to 3 months) can have free NHS for themselves and their family memebers while in receipt of JSA. After that they don't have a right to reside in the UK.
Those EEAs who are not, or who have ceased to be a Qualified Person and have no right to reside in the UK, can't have free NHS for themselves of their family memebers.

The NHS England rules on using their own countries EHIC to pay for their NHS treament, where the NHS will now bill their own EEA country.
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNH...he-eu-eea.aspx

They also need to see what rules their own country has for using their EHIC when they are residing (as oppose to visiting) another EEA country. And what treatment that EHIC will cover.

formula

These still need to apply for the IHS to get their number for their visa applicaton and BRP (which gives free NHS) but their IHS bill will be £0.