clivewheeler

Hi guys

Need some help and hope someone can clarify the situation for me!!

Have just moved to the US - in the process of becoming a lawful permanent resident but meantime am of course unable to work and relying on my now wife to support me until I can get a social security number. I am horrified by the extra amount she is having to pay each month to have me on her medical insurance. My question is: is there a cheaper option say with a UK provider? and now that I am here in the US on a visa, has my cover in the UK been terminated - and if not how long could I still use the NHS if say I fell ill and decided to return to the UK for free treatment rather than pay through the nose to be dealt with here?

Any thoughts or hard acts and info would be most welcome!!

Thanks and best wishes

Clive.

Duncan Roberts

Basically, be thankful that you have insurance and deal with it. What you pay in a premium will pale in comparison to the cost of medical treatment. You are not eligible for no cost NHS treatment because you are no longer a UK resident. Why do you think a UK based company would offer insurance for residents of another country?

SanDiegogirl

You are not eligible for NHS treatment once you are non-resident in the UK - I presume you are now claiming non-residency so you don't have to pay taxes in the UK. That is the way the system now works - regardless of how many years you might have paid your NI premiums.

If you don't mind me asking how much is your monthly payment for insurance now? Presume it is on your wife's Group Policy.

However much it is, it is still a lot less than if you were paying for an individual policy. Be thankful that you have insurance.

Bob

The NHS would cover you as long as you moved back to the UK to be resident. That would bugger your US greencard hopes though and what would your plan be if you were too sick to fly?

Not a practical solution.

You didn't say which route you used to get to the US, but guessing not CR-1.

penguinsix

You are not going to find a cheaper option from a UK provider unless you are purchasing some 'travel insurance' which is basically emergency only and repatriation back to the UK if something serious. However, this usually requires you to be resident in the UK and taking advantage of NHS (and all the stuff others have mentioned).

As others have said, you are probably getting a better deal being added to the wife's policy than you would going out and shopping for insurance on your own. If you want to try, take a look at:

http://www.einsurance.com/

That will give you an idea of the price you would pay on your own.

Jerseygirl

NI contributions have nothing to do with the NHS. The NHS is paid for from income taxes and not NI contributions.

Also it's not strictly true that an expat cannot get NHS treatment when visiting the UK. All visitors to the UK will receive emergency NHS treatment...other treatment is at the discretion of the attending doctor/medical facility.

Duncan Roberts

Anyone can pretty much get anything done by an NHS doctor. The difference is unless you are covered by the NHS, you will have to pay for it. In healthcare, money talks in the UK just as much as it does in the USA.

Jerseygirl

A few days ago I posted an email I received from the NHS...here it is again.

"Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for your email of 13 May to the Department of Health about the eligibility of non-resident children with British citizenship for NHS treatment.

It may be helpful if I explain that the NHS is regarded as first and foremost for the benefit of people living in this country. Entitlement to free GP treatment, NHS hospital treatment and subsidised dental treatment is based on residence in the UK, not on nationality, citizenship status, the payment of taxes or National Insurance contributions.

Overseas residents visiting the UK who require treatment that a GP or healthcare professional regards as emergency or immediately necessary treatment will receive that treatment free of charge. However, for other primary medical services, GP practices may accept (or decline) such people as registered patients in the same way as they make decisions about people who are permanently resident. If the practice does use its discretion to accept such an overseas visitor on to its list, the GP practice is required, under its contractual arrangements, to provide that treatment free of charge to the patient. If the GP practice does not wish to accept the overseas visitor on to its list, it can offer to treat them as a patient on a private, paying basis. General practice is expected to exercise this discretion with sensitivity and with due regard to the circumstances of each case.

I hope this reply is helpful.

Yours sincerely,"

Duncan Roberts

Right, if you rock up to an NHS doc and pull out the checkbook, anyone can get pretty much anything done. The letter only really talks about GP stuff.

ukintexas

Am I the only one that chuckled at this bit? Sorry to be so juvenile but did make me laugh, thinking Clive might be trading her in soon!!!

Jerseygirl

All visitors to the UK are entitled to free emergency treatment...whether than be a hospital/clinic/doctor's surgery.

Of course you can get the cheque book out if you wish. My point is that visitors to the UK can get free non emergency treatment at the discretion of the doctor.

Giantaxe

If you get appendicitis, are you going to jump on a plane to the UK to have an appendectomy (maybe) for free on the NHS?

frrussre

Maybe if he gets a severe GAS problem, he can fly for free

Reg. Frank.

clivewheeler

Dear All

Thanks for the info and clarification - just thought I'd ask!!For anyone interested, my wife works as a teacher and has had an extra $500 taken from her paycheck to cover me - although she has been told this should come down to $300 next month.

Clive.

Bob

It sucks, but it could have been worse. They don't have to cover dependants or contribute towards that cost.