Doctor/Hospital Visits in UK for US/UK Citizen
 

Hope this is the right forum for this...

I became a US citizen about a year or 2 ago, before that I had my greencard for years...and I still have my British passport.

I'm going back to London at the end of the month and in case I need to go to the Doctor/Hospital I was wondering how that works exactly. A few years ago when I was back there I went to a doctors office because I was feeling ill, I was told that I'd need some proof of residency and a few other things(can't remember)...obviously I didn't have that since I no longer live there. All I have is my British passport.

So I guess my question is, if I need some sort of medical attention when I'm back there, can that only be done if I get medical insurance from the US before I travel? Can they really deny anyone who comes into an office/hospital? If I go to the A&E can I be denied treatment?

Any info would be helpful.... thanks.

Re: Doctor/Hospital Visits in UK for US/UK Citizen
 

as far as I understand it, emergency treatment to US citizens (who aren't even dual nationals) is free on the NHS.

but any sort of prolonged preventative / essential care is free upon delivery to residents of the UK.

Re: Doctor/Hospital Visits in UK for US/UK Citizen
 

Qualification for NHS treatment is that you are habitually resident in the UK. You aren't.....so you don't qualify. However, NHS treatment is free even for everyone in the case of emergencies. So break your leg or rupture your appendix....and you should be good. Want free treatment for your ongoing arthritis....and you'll probably be SOL.

Re: Doctor/Hospital Visits in UK for US/UK Citizen
 

As other's have said emergencies only under the NHS while you are in the UK. Does your US health insurance cover you while you are abroad?

Re: Doctor/Hospital Visits in UK for US/UK Citizen
 

Thanks for the answers! I'm not sure if my insurance here covers me overseas but I'll definitely give a call and see.
I'm only staying for 2 weeks, so chances are if I did need to see someone it would only be in case of an emergency, so it's good to know that at least that part is covered.

Re: Doctor/Hospital Visits in UK for US/UK Citizen
 

We went to the emergency room in Lancaster last month, Dd had dislocated her elbow. Once you give them your name and birth date anyone living in England or Scotland comes up in their system, all the info and who your local GP is. So if you are living abroad you won't come up. Wales has got on it yet.
As Dd has never lived there they just took all our information. and set her up for an emergency doctor visit. She put her elbow right while we were in the waiting room so we checked back out again.
I had my US insurance with me, as they said were are covered there anyways.
Call your insurance to see if you are. The check in never mentioned a charge at all.

Re: Doctor/Hospital Visits in UK for US/UK Citizen
 

In my experience as a provider of NHS services.....

Emergency treatment is free, urgent is not.

Go to A&E and then directly to the operating room - no charge.

Go to A&E and then to a ward for observation overnight (or potentially a little longer) - the international office/fee-paying dept will be all over the patient.

The patient wont be denied urgent care, but a payment plan of sorts will be made......the travel insurance organisation is usually contacted by the patient at this time to start the payment arrangment ball rolling.

Re: Doctor/Hospital Visits in UK for US/UK Citizen
 

Hmm...what if you go to the A&E and you are treated there and discharged
(No need to go to a ward or operating room)? I'm assuming you have to pay for that also.....

I think my best bet is to look into traveler's insurance :)

Re: Doctor/Hospital Visits in UK for US/UK Citizen
 

Emergency treatment is free.

Re: Doctor/Hospital Visits in UK for US/UK Citizen
 

without travel insurance, they won't repatriate you though, which could be handy if you got hit by a bus....

Re: Doctor/Hospital Visits in UK for US/UK Citizen
 

haha...
thanks for the replies everyone... the info has been helpful. I figure they can't refuse anyone if it's really an emergency. I can't imagine getting a hospital bill without some kind of insurance...so...I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

Now finding good travelers insurance is another issue, seems like there's so many to choose from.