nun

This is a bad situation to be in. Have you looked into insurance through your state or moving to a state where you can get insurance? ie MA or VT

The US does provide good service when you have insurance. I just found out that I have to have a root canal....yuck, but at least I have dental insurance for it, so I'll only pay 20% of the price, without the insurance I estimate it would cost me $1500 to $2000 for the canal and the filling or crown afterwards.

morayeel

hi, moving to another state is expensive. I have worked all my life in retail and thought I would move back to the UK, you can read through my old post if you want to. So anyway I came back to the US( I guess my comfort zone) I did follow up with docs in UK and was passed the habitual residency test which in my heart I thought I was going to stay but heartstrings tucked and I changed my mind and now I am back and in a dilemma, my own fault I know. I am heading back to Scotland to help take care of my mum as she is having shoulder surgery and my brother is paying my fare. I have an appt with an eye surgeon for Dec 5th and depending on what he says I might decide to stay. I know a lot of people on here will be sick with this, using up NHS money but until you are in my shoes you cannot judge. You may think you can and of course you will.. but over the years I have learned not to judge as each person has its own set of problems. Nothing is easy for me. I have a husband, grandson, daughter and dogs over in the US, on the other hand no health insurance and an eye disease that unless you have insurance doctors couldn't give a rats ass

morayeel

oh and yes dental work is soo expensive I have always carried health insurance and dental insurance until the past few months and its' awful without it. I looked into private insurance and the lowest I could find is $670 per month. I think the US is lovely if you have insurance otherwise its pretty messed up.

Fish n Chips 56

Wow thats a pretty difficult situation to be in, its clear you want to be in the USA but really cant afford to stay, I understand that totally...

I want out of here because I realize our system is a joke... Even people with healthcare coverage go broke, it happens alot...

No matter what happens I cant see us ever having a healthcare system as comprehensive as the NHS, People may down the NHS, but until youve lived in a place like the USA you cant imagine what its like not having it, Here its so expensive and complicated versus the NHS, Insurance is just Insurance, it helps with the bills, it certainly doesn't cover everything that most of us have to pay for, of course some people may have plans that do cover everything, our politicians coverage for instance...

Its nice having a job with healthcare insurance, but once that job is gone you might be sunk, you may not qualify,
its all too Risky, a roll of the Dice...

I wish you well...

Pit Bull.

There's a lot of unrest in the NHS, especially with Admin staff, there numbers have been cut and they can't cope with the extra workload, the wife's Admin staff are looking at going on strike, Unison are co-ordinating it, hoping to get support from other hospitals in the area.

SanDiegogirl

Does your husband have health insurance. Could he not put you onto his policy?

vikingsail

No judgment I think you illustrate perfectly the problem with the current system in the US though. The US should be forced to pay the UK for all US health tourists, simple - show me your British passport or not!

For me if your born a UK citizen then you should be entitled to the NHS, it should not be dependent on whether you are resident in the country. Why did that ever become a criteria for approving or denying coverage? - I'm sure that's going to be an unpopular viewpoint, but think of it this way: -

Anything else is the politics of 'envy.' I truly do not understand how people go along with the media or political frenzy that gets whipped up periodically and tries to say health tourism from expats is costing xxx amount to the NHS - I feel fairly confident that the amount expended on expats is a drop in the ocean monetarily in solving the real NHS problems. More likely, it is once again an example of going after the easy and emotive targets (which is why I call it the politics of envy because I do think that somewhere within the thinking that applies). I'm sure there are far more deserving targets of scrutiny - like US citizens or other non UK citizens who 'tour' the NHS system for free treatment. Or why is elective surgery covered so ubiquitously on the NHS? Its not needed!

I hope and pray you get the treatment you need. Why oh why is it always about money....

Mallory

It can work both ways. Loads of British holidaymakers come to the US and don't bother with travel insurance, especially young people.

A trip to the ER with abdominal pain. Rushed to the operating room with appendicitis. Appendix removed, patient goes back to hotel the next day. Off home within the week. By the time a bill is generated, the patient has long gone. Who pays the bill? - the US taxpayer.

vikingsail

I agree - but in my experience US healthcare companies are more zealous about following up on their non payers - and it is a non payment not free gratis treatment.

Giantaxe

Given that the NHS is paid for out of current taxation, how could it be anything but? How could you legally deny coverage to a non-citizen legal resident? And, on the flip side, why should a non-resident citizen be entitled?

SanDiegogirl

Totally agree with this opinion.

Unfortunately, the original idea as to how the NHS would be funded and who would qualify to use it has failed, because so many legal residents now reside in the UK who have never paid into the system and who will not do so in the future.

Giantaxe

I'm sceptical. The UK labour market participation rate has actually increased over the last half century. And even for those who don't, it's pretty difficult to avoid paying any taxation, VAT being the prime example.

mikelincs

I fully agree, there are many UK citizens who have never been to the UK, but got their citizenship by virtue of descent, so if they should come over to the UK because they are seriously ill, should they get free treatment, even though they have never contributed and money to the system. This is why the resiidency rule is there, if you are a resident, then you are contributing, by local taxation, VAT, etc.

dunroving

Slightly off-the-wall question but on the topic of the "real NHS", does anyone have recent experience of in-patient surgery in the NHS system (either themselves or someone they know) that they wouldn't mind sharing?

rebs

My sister has had a couple of surgeries this year - for 'women's type issues' - that any help to you? What would you like to know?

Might be more relevant that she works as a nurse in an orthopaedic ward - dealing with patients that have had elective (not trauma) replacement knees and hips etc.