scrubbedexpat091

Canada has those kinds of waits too, completely familiar with them, comes with the territory in a single payer system.

I was surprised that someone mentioned visitors would be covered in an emergency, so compared to what the US and Canada has that is generous.

(we however don't have private supplemental insurance that allows us to jump que, supplement insurance here only covers things not covered by provincial plans like medication, dental and such.)

hungryhorace

Citizenship (British or otherwise) has no bearing on access to the NHS.

hungryhorace

To be accurate, doctors never issue bills in the first place. A doctor on the NHS is getting paid regardless, why would they care about getting a bill sent out? No. The manager of the hospital takes care of those kind of issues with their finance dept. I think you'll find most doctors working for the NHS would be aghast at the thought of billing a patient for NHS work.

rebs

Yes, that was pretty much my point!

MarylandNed

Not just enter. There are some exceptions but, in most cases, US citizens are also required to leave on a US passport. So the real mistake was leaving without one. Although, without exit controls, this is an easy rule to break.

http://travel.state.gov/content/trav...tionality.html

" Most U.S. nationals, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. "

jibsymalone

When my wife (USC) and daughter were there last year, they both got treated at my dads local doctor for free (eye infections and the like, they were there 3 months) and my daughter had to have x-rays and her foot/leg cast after fracturing it, at the local hospital (multiple trips) and they would not even let my wife give them her travel insurance details! they told her not to worry about it and sent them on their way. My wife was most impressed!

S Folinsky

Why do people in the UK put up with such a crimp on their freedom? Just asking.

hungryhorace

I know right? What idiots the Brits are with their single payer healthcare system.

FlyingDutchman6666

Except those under age 16.

Jerseygirl

Please could you provide a link to support that.

MarylandNed

It only applies if traveling by sea or land. All travelers regardless of age must use a passport if traveling by air.

http://travel.state.gov/content/pass...do-i-need.html

"U.S. citizen children under age 16 arriving by sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean may present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Naturalization Certificate."

"U.S. citizen children under age 16 arriving by land from Canada or Mexico may present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Naturalization Certificate."

Jerseygirl

Thank you for providing the information. I guess for most they will wish to enter by air so the child will require a US PP.

jibsymalone

Don't even get me started, especially living in the deep South!

FlyingDutchman6666

Strangely enough, it doesn't appear to be against the law for the child to a) fly to Canada on a Brit passport, and b) crossing the land border into the US with a birth certificate copy only. Even while the consulate is still considering the travel document.

Or is it?

JAJ

As I understand it, the law is that a U.S. citizen should be in possession of a U.S. passport while outside the United States, unless exempted by the Secretary of State. That said, although many on online forums are fixated on a literal interpretation of the law, enforcement isn't quite on the same level. No reports of anyone going to jail for breach of this particular requirement.

Could it work in theory to go to Canada and cross the land frontier. Maybe. However, unless one is Canadian citizen/PR, admission to Canada is never guaranteed and if the reason for the problem with the passport is that the U.S. Embassy suspect child abduction then a travel alert may already have been issued.

Interestingly, the original poster has never come back with more details on what is going on. This is out of character for the Embassy, they are (anecdotally) normally quite helpful in these situations. While they can refuse a passport, they have to give a reason. And if a passport has been unreasonably refused, there are options to escalate the issue, including getting the office of one's Congressman/Senator involved.

Without knowing the full facts, one should hesitate before coming to a conclusion as to what the next steps should be.