First doctors appointment
 

I have my first ever appointment later this month.
But I've just heard that you need a NISS for an appointment, or you pay a fine.

Is this something quite new?
Has anyone been turned away because they don't have a NISS?

Re: First doctors appointment
 

This summary appeared in the AFPOP Newsletter this week :
Social Security number (NISS)
Due to the reforms in the Portuguese health system, the Centro de Saúde computer systems are now required to have the Portuguese social security number (NISS) introduced for everyone. This means that if you have not yet obtained your NISS in Portugal or you have one but never got it registered in your file at the Centro de Saúde, you will be asked for your NISS next time you go to the Centro de Saúde. If you are not able to present a NISS, you will be charged around €35 for a consultation. The good news is that all foreign Residents in Portugal are now able to get a NISS, which is easily requested online.

If you receive a state pension from an EU country or UK, you will first need to request an S1 form from your pension service in order to present that to the Segurança Social when applying for the NISS.

Some Members may not remember if they have a NISS already or if the NISS has been registered in your file at the Centro de Saúde, if in doubt, you can ask at the Centro de Saúde where you are registered.

Personally I doubt if they will charge you the first time you visit but definitely worth doing something about getting a number

Re: First doctors appointment
 

Have the government not made an announcement about this?

I would have thought they would be the first to do so, and that they would have given a date for starting to comply with it.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

I'm going to see the doc this morning, I'll let you know.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

Well, no problem at all.

I don't have a social security number and wasn't made to pay for the appointment.

Maybe I'll wait until I hear something from an official source.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

If either you or your husband is in receipt of a UK state pension, wouldn't you have gone through the S1 form registration procedure at some stage?

That would have got you a Social Security number, even though you may not be aware of it.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

Any link to gov announcement? Fortunately, I've not had to visit a health centre here for several years but am registered with a doctor. Having had permanent residence since well before Brexit, I applied for social security number 2 or 3 years ago and was refused on the grounds I have never worked here or contributed. As still tax resident in UK, have not applied for S1. Friends, two of whom with terminal cancer, are using the health services don't have NISS numbers and not being charged,

Re: First doctors appointment
 

You would have thought we had it, Red Eric, as some-one was supposed to sort all of that out for us when we first moved here.

But looking at our residençia cards, there is a x where the SS number is supposed to be.

I'll ask a Portuguese friend tomorrow, to look into it for me.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

I don't think that's of any significance - SEF don't have access to Social Security records and would only have put your SS number on the card if you'd informed them of it when you applied. It's not on mine either, for that reason.

A more reliable indicator as to whether SNS has a SS number on your records is whether they're able to prescribe analyses etc where there's a general exemption from charges to the patient. Sometime last year, my doctor was unable to check the "exempt" box when issuing such a prescription and said I'd have to go to Social Security and apply for a NISS before she could proceed. I checked it out and found I could apply online, only when doing so I got knocked back with an error message telling me I couldn't be issued with a number as I already had one (obviously I didn't know that and couldn't remember why it would have been the case), although it wasn't helpful enough to do the sensible thing and tell me what it was. So I had to go in and discuss it with Social Security.

If you're getting free of charge analyses etc no problem, I'd say chances are you have a NISS and it's on your SNS record.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

I get free blood analysis, definitely do not have a niss number

Re: First doctors appointment
 

Is it possible you have a special exemption for that?

Re: First doctors appointment
 

I'll have to check up when/if I have to visit health centre but have a feeling that when originally registering under my initial 5 year residence, they entered UK EHIC number in the record.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

No I haven't, it was 6e a go about 4 years ago and 4.5e to see the doctor, since covid charging seems to have stopped

Re: First doctors appointment
 

The centre do saude definitely wanted to see my uk ehic when we first registered with them....

Re: First doctors appointment
 

:blink:

Well that's a definite no-no and, I'd venture, a time-bomb ticking away on both sides. You wouldn't want that blowing up at the most inopportune moment.

OK then, let me amend my statement to say that if the PT SNS isn't mugging the UK NHS for tourist health treatment costs they're not due when they should be dealing properly with assigning resident healthcare costs, then you will need to have a PT NISS registered with them to get the free analyses etc.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

They don't accept the UK ehic now in our C.de S.When mine expired I had to get the European one. I now have my S1 form registered, and as I've never worked here ,I'm assuming a Niss isn't needed. At least i hope not as the thought of filling in another form on a PT official website is causing palpitations.!

Re: First doctors appointment
 

If you have a registered S1, you will have been assigned a NISS, and your CdS will have it recorded, even though you may well have no record of it yourself.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

I've had my appointment, and the NISS was not required.
There was a notice on the ticket machine that suggests it will be needed by the end of the year:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...3c74c2afa0.jpg
Centro de Saude notice

I had a shock when I went to the farmacia to pick up the medicine prescribed.
I thought the prescription said 20 euros for 4 boxes, but it was for just one box.
With the government subsidy mentioned by the pharmacist, that means each pill costs 2 euros.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

Did they ask you if you wanted generic tablets? Ours does, and they're cheaper than the branded medication.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

I am picking up mixed messages here. A niss is for " everyone " and if you have a "pension" . Is a niss only for pensioners or does everyone need one.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

When I saw the true cost, I asked if there was a generic, and was told there wasn't.
Does the price shown in the top right of the prescription not refer to the cost of the generic medication, if available?

For the NISS, my understanding is: previously non-working pensioners could not have a NISS and didn't really need one (although this meant that some SS offices would not let pensioners have a Portuguese EHIC (this was a problem for early pensioners)).
It seems to have become more flexible in the last year or so, and now, it seems, everyone can have a NISS.
And at some point in time you will need it for a Centro de Saude appointment (or pay a penalty).

Re: First doctors appointment
 

Can confirm that if you have a S1 registered you will geta NISS. Called at my local CdS yesterday to check if that was so and to get the number,and the (very nice!) lady on the counter printed all the details off.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

I used to have a Portuguese EHIC but when it ran out and I applied for a new one, was told NISS needed. On application was refused on the grounds I hadn't worked here or contributed. Can't remember date this happened but sometime during Covid restrictions. Still being resident in UK, can't get S1 so will be interesting to see what will happen now if I reapply for NISS.

Re: First doctors appointment
 

With the Biometric Resident Card it is there with your fiscal number and utente number