masterbaits

Are people just not realising that the e111 is an temporary emergency treatment card , not always for free treatment but reduced cost , and for those STILL living in the uk ?Regular prescriptions arent included.

IF anyone is moving out the uk to the eu they would be best to check that they can afford the medical treatment when the e111 runs out , or that the country has an nhs system and they will be entitled.

After six months and a day outwith the uk then you are no longer entitled to ehic as technically your not a national anymore.

Today with the computerised passport systems in the uk they do know how long you have been out.Say you have a 3 month stay in hospital after the six months ehic entitlement then guess whom is liable financially for many thousands of pounds of medical costs?

Anyone with a long term medical need should seriously consider the financial costs before becoming an expat , and the costs if found out trying to dupe the system can cost as much as you home.

pouty

Yes I realise that, I am only saying what someone told me this who has used it for 18mnths. I am getting the E121 because my son is Disabled and on long term incapacity benefit.

My doctor is giving us 3mths supply to see us through.

masterbaits

yes the ehic will give those on ltib treatment according to most sources , but be warned there is a DWP revue in the wind regarding i.b itself with a view to removing as many as 70 percent of those in receipt of it.Wait til the tories get in , things will get much worse or better dependant on the paper you read.

Good to see a gp that does that , I have one that does the same.

pouty

God you are scaring me !!! we are relying on the IB and DLA to live out there until I get a job. i have spoken directly to the IB export team and they 100% assured me that Daniel will continue to receive it, DLA well a different matter they said they never give a decision prior to leaving, so I have spent 4 months fighting it, and they have just agreed to give a formal decision.

No more scary messages, Please !

masterbaits

sorry if its scary but so is going in blindly and then finding out later.Especially so if you have a depndant loved one in tow then its very important to know everyting.

Losing a sizeable chunk of income and/or the entitlement on repatriation , either completely or partially ,and for many months doesnt work out should be considered before making a decision , and of course theres cost of healthcare...Something like emergency travel back , ie medical ambulance , to the uk costs tens of thousands of pounds.Then theres the removal from the uk register means no free nhs treatment.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Disabled...port/DG_073387

Theres definately plans in the pipeline to legally challenge the status of ALL uk benefits i.e the country of residency should now responsible instead.The savings for hmg could be over 3b£ , boosts the economy by those returnning having to buy new houses and spending their money here rather than elsewhere in the eu too.

MartynCymro

I've lived in Portugal since 1993 and have had no problems at all with the health service. I went to the local 'centro do saude' (health centre) and registered immediately. I'd never heard of any waiting lists before I read these posts.
My Drª there is good as gold. She gives me slips to have an annual MOT, as I call it, (chest X-ray, full blood & urine tests, & an ECG). I take these to local clinics and then have to pay a very small fee to get them done. If you're diabetic, they are free.
I've also been hospitalised once with blood poisoning - due to a crappy dentist - and found it very good. Good dentists however are hard to find! I've finally found an excellent one in Porto, which means a 120Km trip to see him, but it's worth it.
I wouldn't bother with E111 forms or whatever. The Portuguese health system is no worse than that in the UK. If you're coming to live in a country, then live in it! My advice is don't be an ex-pat who lives in a little ex-pat community. Learn the language, meet Portuguese people, register to vote, read up on the history of Portugal ... make an effort. It's their country you're moving to. (After all Brits in the UK moan about immigrants who can't speak English etc etc. )

masterbaits

irony detector goes off condsidering the posters name , the welshman.I agree with the sentiment entirely.

Jon_D

I would certainly question that statement!

MartynCymro

Well spotted sir!
Pleased to read that you also agree with my sentiments.
Maybe one of us should start a thread on the need to make an attempt at assimilation into Portuguese society?

msgreentea

Hi,

I'm Portuguese and I live in the UK. In Portugal it's very similar to the UK. When you arrive in Portugal, go to your nearest health centre for registration, they'll give you a "cartao de saude", which means "health card" and you'll also get your GP. Then you can make an appointment with your GP and he'll prescribe the drugs (may be the case he needs to send you to a specialist, depending on the health condition).

masterbaits

Sounds very like borg speak to me , a resistência é inútil.

jdr

Well there maybe a lack of free MRSA, unlike the UK. lol

Supremegermalene

Taken from Homes Overseas:
If you have moved to another EU country, and are in receipt of a state pension you will normally be exempt from any contribution regardless of income level into the new country's health system (e.g. France).

If you are not in receipt of a state pension, and you have lived in the other country for less than two years (and paid UK national insurance contributions in the previous two years) you would normally get free cover for up to two and a half years (you need to complete form E106).

You need to also check that you can access your new country's health system. It may not be as easy as it might at first appear. If you live in your new country for more than three months, you are no longer entitled to treatment on the UK NHS. You would have to repatriate to the UK and live there for at least six months, and provide evidence that you have returned, before you could access the UK NHS.

The EHIC (which replaces form E111) only provides temporary health cover when you are a tourist in that other country. It is not applicable if you have gone to live there. If you are under retirement age, and you have gone to live, say, in Spain, and have not made contributions into the social charges in Spain, then you may not be covered under the Spanish health system; you may find that you have to pay privately (it depends on the local province's rules). A serious health problem is bad enough, but you could find yourself with substantial bills for medical expenses. You will find temporary cover for healthcare in Spain under the form E106 system, subject to your recent UK national insurance record being up to date. This should last for up to two and a half years. If you happen to have an ongoing liability to Class 1 or 2 UK national insurance contributions by being employed or self employed in the UK, then you should be able to obtain health cover for you and your family under a form E106 for up to five years at a time for so long as you continue paying into the UK system. Alternatively, if you were paying into the overseas system, you would normally also receive cover. Either way, you need to check this one out carefully

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/ca8454.pdf

G

MartynCymro

Well that nicely said what we've all been saying. E111 is just for tourists. If you come to Portugal to live you have to go with their health system, unless you go privately, which apparently 40% of Portuguese do according to some statistic issued last week. And there's no way you can go back to the UK and use their health service. Sounds fair enough to me.

foxxyzinha

This quote is from my friend Linda. I have been helping her make the necessary arrangements in order for her to move over to Portugal. I have found her somewhere to live but she was worried about health care. She states that there is a waiting list - this is incorrect as she is making a general statement. I know that in some areas there is not a problem with getting a doctor. But for Linda, in her specific case, she will join a waiting list. We have a shortage of doctors, none of the doctors in our town are accepting new patients. She can register with the state health system and get her "cartão de utente" but will have no GP. She will be able to get an appointment at the local health centre if appointments are available but she will not be assigned to a specific doctor.
Regarding the UK versus PT health system, I have to say that I much prefer the system in England. A friend of mine here waited 2 years to get an appointment to see a consultant about a suspect mole on her back. My son waited 13 months to see a paediatrician about his foot. I gave birth in Faro hospital with NO pain relief.. "sorry we've never head of gas and air what's that?, no you can't have any pain relief and no you can't have an epidural cos it's the middle of the night and the one and only anaesthetist(sp) isn't on shift". erm...?? The local health centre never has appointments available. My 6-week check up after having my son was actually an 8 week check up. I had vertigo and was told I had to wait 2 months for an appointment. Then my GP disappears off to Africa on a Red Cross mission and is gone for 6 months with no replacement.
I'm sorry I have gone and on about this but the point I'm trying to make is that it's not the same as the UK and it's not the same across the whole Portugal.