Do I need healthcare insurance
#46
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,683
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)
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)
#47
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Joined: Mar 2014
Location: East Algarve
Posts: 966
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)
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)
#48
Re: Do I need healthcare insurance
I see the other points of your post have been addressed but :
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.
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.
#49
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Location: Lagos and Hong Kong
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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...
#50
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Joined: Apr 2017
Location: Greater Lisbon
Posts: 263
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...
#51
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Joined: Mar 2014
Location: East Algarve
Posts: 966
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.
#52
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 866
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.
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!
#53
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 866
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!
#54
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.
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.
#55
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Joined: Dec 2019
Location: Lagos and Hong Kong
Posts: 570
Re: Do I need healthcare insurance
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!
#57
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 866
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.
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.
#59
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Joined: Dec 2019
Location: Lagos and Hong Kong
Posts: 570
Re: Do I need healthcare insurance
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.
#60
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 866
Re: Do I need healthcare insurance
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.
As to the bill from the hospital - is it not covered under the SNS rather than private?
Hope the leg is improving by now.