todell

Does anyone have any information on the following.We are thinking of moving to Portugal in 2020 once the Brexit debacle is resolved, I am 72yrs of age with Myloma (smoldering) and high blood pressure , my daughter has type one Diabetes ,the rest of our family is in good health.What would we have to pay for as at present everything is covered by the UK NHS.

mfesharne

Once a registered resident of Portugal, you're entitled to the same more or less free healthcare as any Portuguese person so whilst you pay a little for most things you don't pay much & some people with some conditions get some things entirely free................. For example, I'm diabetic & don't pay the usual €4.50 to see a GP & also get free (paper) prescriptions, testing machines, eye tests, ECGs, blood tests, flu jabs etc & pay next to nothing for related drugs & also incidentally, get a small social discount on some services such as electricity,

Oh & specially timed GPs appointments so I don't have to wait long.

Rambling archer

My OH ipensiioner) is recently diagnosed diabetic on tablets and diet but GP and farmacist say this makes no differences to charges. Is there a certain level of the illness taken into account? What with repeated blood tests and visit t GP each time charges are mounting up! Along with other health costs such as 30 Euros for a scan ....

mfesharne

I can only speak for my area but the situation I described earlier is how it works for me & I have no idea why your situation is different.................. The only difference I can see is your OH is on state pension & I am not but if anything, I'd have thought that would penalise me not benefit me.

Perhaps query it with your GP?

Going slightly off topic, I've been on the Blood Sugar Diet (Michael Mosley) for 9 months & my diabetes is greatly reduced (as is my weight. lol!) & my meds halved so that might also be worth considering?

Rambling archer

Thanks for the tip!

Thairetired2016

Don't you need this S1 form from your home country?
Just asking out of interest.

Red Eric

You only register in the health service via the S1 form if you are covered by another country's social security system. This will chiefly apply to posted workers, cross-border workers, pensioners and civil servants and their dependants.

It doesn't affect the entitlement to enrol in the public health service, which is available to all residents of Portugal, but merely activates the reciprocal charging to the issuing country.

mfesharne

More precisely the S1 is only a requirement for people who are in receipt of the state pension or the spouse of such.

S1 simply refers to which country eventually picks up the bill where pre state pension, the host country pays & post state pension, it's the country that pays the pension & the same applies to the EHIC card.

Red Eric

todell

Thanks for your information,do you have to pay for your insulin,if so how much as this is the most expensive item.Regards Tony.

Thairetired2016

Does this mean Brit. pensioners on S1 agreement will still receive treatment on the basis of being a registered resident without having to pay for med. services post Hard Brexit?
If yes, very generous of Portugal. The "rich" EU countries offer no such benefit. To the contrary.

mfesharne

I'm not on insulin but rather Januvia........ I don't remember the exact cost but have a vague idea it's less than €5 per box of 28 x 50 mg.

Red Eric

I'm not sure anybody knows for sure what arrangements will be in place post Brexit in those countries which don't offer universal healthcare on the grounds of residence alone, do they? It depends on the outcome of negotiations yet to be held, as far as I'm aware.

But yes, Portugal is in that number of EU member states where residence is the sole criteria and therefore, post-Brexit, for those registered via S1, it will be a matter merely of whether the PT health service is reimbursed by the UK as opposed to any difference in financial terms for those enrolled in the service.

It's not "generous" to British people specifically. It's a service that's open to all residents on the same basis, much as the UK's is (or was, until they started mucking about with surcharges and stuff).

Thairetired2016

I didn't mean "generous" to Brits but generous to offer free healthcare to all with or without S1. Or did I misunderstand?
I never lived in a country with free or lowcost healthcare which extends to non-citizens.

Red Eric

No, you haven't misunderstood although it's not completely free at the point of delivery - there are charges, although most people (other than those on very limited incomes) would probably consider them nominal or modest. There are moves afoot to dispense even with (most of? / all of?) those, though. Prescriptions are charged for but many medicines are subsidised, some to a greater degree than others.

The system is funded through general taxation.