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Do I need healthcare insurance

Do I need healthcare insurance

Old Apr 14th 2021, 11:33 am
  #46  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

But surely as a resident of Portugal with a SNS utente you are entitled to a Portuguese EHIC card, that means that Portugal would end up paying for health treatment while in any other EU country?
Or should S1 holders still use unexpired EHICs from the UK or indeed apply for a new GHIC from UK for cover globally (with reciprocating countries)
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Old Apr 14th 2021, 11:44 am
  #47  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

Originally Posted by wellinever
But surely as a resident of Portugal with a SNS utente you are entitled to a Portuguese EHIC card, that means that Portugal would end up paying for health treatment while in any other EU country?
Or should S1 holders still use unexpired EHICs from the UK or indeed apply for a new GHIC from UK for cover globally (with reciprocating countries)
S1 holders should apply now for a new EHIC as advised on the UK health website. Ours arrived 2 weeks' ago. They are still called EHIC but there is no European Union symbol any more.
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Old Apr 14th 2021, 12:54 pm
  #48  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

I see the other points of your post have been addressed but :
Originally Posted by wellinever
My point Eric was that if you are resident in the EU with an S1, that the UK pays for your treatment in your country of residence, whats the difference to the UK if you are treated in the UK.
I should imagine there would be quite a cost difference, for a start. Plus the use of whatever resources were to be required.

I don't know if either of those would noticeably impact the UK if we all started hopping back and forth because we didn't fancy having something attended to in our country of residence but there seems to be quite a lot of hoo-ha about the alleged burdens of new or temporary residents on the service and whether they should be entitled to use it, not to mention the matter of the health surcharge, so it's obviously something that bothers some people.
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Old Apr 19th 2021, 3:41 pm
  #49  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

Well, yet another failure on this road to registering with the health system and submitting the S1 form. I arrived at the social security office at 3pm for my 3:10 appointment and finally was called in at 3:35. Yet another nice lady behind a computer screen sort of greeted me and I once again passed over the documents received from DHSS in the UK. She then asked for my passport, which I gave her, and then asked for my fiscal number, and so I took out the piece of paper I carry with me that has my address, phone number, fiscal number etc all written down in pencil. When I started reciting the numbers she said, "no, I need the actual document..." I told her I hadn't been asked to provide it and then she said she also needed my residency document, which I also didn't have with me; I just have a picture of it on my phone. She said that we wouldn't be able to proceed any further until she gets these documents which she will make copies of. I tried to reason with her that had I been asked to provide such documents in the text sent to me to advise of my appointment time and date I would have done so. At an attempt at humour she replied, "in Portugal we have a lot of sun and a lot of paperwork ...". I'm not sure whether she was bragging or complaining. Anyway I now have to wait another two weeks for my next appointment at which time I will provide the documents which were not asked for today. Frustrated from Lagos...
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Old Apr 19th 2021, 3:44 pm
  #50  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

Originally Posted by sportpix
Well, yet another failure on this road to registering with the health system and submitting the S1 form. I arrived at the social security office at 3pm for my 3:10 appointment and finally was called in at 3:35. Yet another nice lady behind a computer screen sort of greeted me and I once again passed over the documents received from DHSS in the UK. She then asked for my passport, which I gave her, and then asked for my fiscal number, and so I took out the piece of paper I carry with me that has my address, phone number, fiscal number etc all written down in pencil. When I started reciting the numbers she said, "no, I need the actual document..." I told her I hadn't been asked to provide it and then she said she also needed my residency document, which I also didn't have with me; I just have a picture of it on my phone. She said that we wouldn't be able to proceed any further until she gets these documents which she will make copies of. I tried to reason with her that had I been asked to provide such documents in the text sent to me to advise of my appointment time and date I would have done so. At an attempt at humour she replied, "in Portugal we have a lot of sun and a lot of paperwork ...". I'm not sure whether she was bragging or complaining. Anyway I now have to wait another two weeks for my next appointment at which time I will provide the documents which were not asked for today. Frustrated from Lagos...
What you should have done imho is access online your Financas account and there you are able to immediately download a proof of your NIF, which proof has a code allowing the recipient to verify the authenticity of the document.
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Old Apr 19th 2021, 4:25 pm
  #51  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

Sportpix. In my experience, there are many things I have to carry with me wherever I go in Portugal and especially when I go to an office. Here is my shortlist: passport, residencia certificate, NIF card, SNS certificate, temporary Portuguese driving permit, Atestado from Freguesia. In case I get lost, I have a label round my neck with my address on one side and "Do not resuscitate" on the other. I have learnt that a 10am appointment is for everyone, not just me. A 9am appointment with my dentist does not mean I am first in as he treats those queuing outside first. I do as much as I can online but there is still a lot that needs a time-wasting visit to an office even though the nice lady downloads the form that I could have filled in at home.
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Old Apr 20th 2021, 10:01 am
  #52  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

Originally Posted by BillBullock
Sportpix. In my experience, there are many things I have to carry with me wherever I go in Portugal and especially when I go to an office. Here is my shortlist: passport, residencia certificate, NIF card, SNS certificate, temporary Portuguese driving permit, Atestado from Freguesia. In case I get lost, I have a label round my neck with my address on one side and "Do not resuscitate" on the other. I have learnt that a 10am appointment is for everyone, not just me. A 9am appointment with my dentist does not mean I am first in as he treats those queuing outside first. I do as much as I can online but there is still a lot that needs a time-wasting visit to an office even though the nice lady downloads the form that I could have filled in at home.

Been there and done that, and they don't even offer a Tshirt. Like Bill, we carry a wad of A4 sheets carefully folded up to fit in FiloFax and Purse (extra large size for OH to fit it all in!) - wouldn't it be nice if they issued decent sized bits like CARDS for something you are going to have to keep forever and apparently carry round to every official office. Also have a special file for originals at home of the PT papers - photocopy seems to work for most things but they do like to see a bit of paper, rather than photo stored in the phone!
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Old Apr 20th 2021, 10:07 am
  #53  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

Won't it be nice when the SEF finally gets round to doing our biometric "ID" card as "EU citizens resident in Portugal before Brexit" - we are still waiting for appointment to do the biometric bits and have to carry yet another piece of paper around meanwhile to show that we have applied for the upgrade to a card. Still that probably won't have the health centre Utente number on it and that A4 sheet is getting very tatty and faded!
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Old Apr 20th 2021, 10:55 am
  #54  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

I applied for an EU health card, it was done at the social security office. I don't remember exactly, but I didn't need a lot of paper. Just ID etc, and my utente number of course.
After about a week, I received the "cartao europeu de seguro de doenca", which is a nice card sized card with my sns number on it.

I never used it so I cant report on that aspect.
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Old Apr 20th 2021, 3:44 pm
  #55  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

Originally Posted by Rambling archer

Been there and done that, and they don't even offer a Tshirt. Like Bill, we carry a wad of A4 sheets carefully folded up to fit in FiloFax and Purse (extra large size for OH to fit it all in!) - wouldn't it be nice if they issued decent sized bits like CARDS for something you are going to have to keep forever and apparently carry round to every official office. Also have a special file for originals at home of the PT papers - photocopy seems to work for most things but they do like to see a bit of paper, rather than photo stored in the phone!
Do you take the originals with you or photo copies? Not sure how anyone can tell the difference...
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Old Apr 20th 2021, 4:09 pm
  #56  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

Good quality photocopies in colour where appropriate.
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Old Apr 21st 2021, 12:04 pm
  #57  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

SportP - yes, copies of good quality seem to be OK apart from Passport which we take with us for official visits, as well as the copy lurking in the stack of A4s with the rest.
Liveaboard - the EHIC is the next stage on for SportP once he has got is status sorted out, as S1 covered by other country (EHIC also comes from that country), or just legal resident in PT with no other source of health cover which is then Portuguese EHIC.
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Old Apr 21st 2021, 12:11 pm
  #58  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

Thanks BB and RA, I will go and see the nice lady in the copy shop this afternoon and get a few copies of each imported document printed up.
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Old Jun 15th 2021, 2:55 pm
  #59  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

Originally Posted by sportpix
Thanks BB and RA, I will go and see the nice lady in the copy shop this afternoon and get a few copies of each imported document printed up.
An update on this thread. I have received something in the post today which seems to be entitled Intrumentos Internacionais and was sent by the ISS. It seems to say I’ve had something granted. I’m not entirely sure what to do with it except to keep it in a safe place. I was expecting an invoice of some sort for my recent hospital stay but so far have received nothing. Now on month two of the torturous wait for my leg to heal.
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Old Jun 16th 2021, 8:40 am
  #60  
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Default Re: Do I need healthcare insurance

Originally Posted by sportpix
An update on this thread. I have received something in the post today which seems to be entitled Intrumentos Internacionais and was sent by the ISS. It seems to say I’ve had something granted. I’m not entirely sure what to do with it except to keep it in a safe place. I was expecting an invoice of some sort for my recent hospital stay but so far have received nothing. Now on month two of the torturous wait for my leg to heal.
Well at least something is moving along (even if you are left limping with the recovering limb) - that will be the official document from ISS to say that they are in communication with the source country of your S1 (UK) - International - and that between them they are in the stage where your S1 is approved and they will accept the UK funding arrangement (Instrumento) for your health care in Portugal - Granted. Sounds like success! I would suggest you wait a couple of days to see if you get an email from ISS about it and if not make an appointment to see that nice lady again and take your papers and the letter with you so she can explain what action (if any) you should take now. You are also within your rights to phone the Pensions Service in UK to ask about it for an easier to understand explanation, and in the fullness of time you will be able to get your EHIC from NHS Business.

As to the bill from the hospital - is it not covered under the SNS rather than private?

Hope the leg is improving by now.
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