Relocating
Jun 4th 2010, 1:03 am
#61
And YOU'RE paying for it!
Joined: May 2007
Location: kipper tie?
Posts: 2,328
Jun 4th 2010, 1:01 pm
#62
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2003
Location: Avon Lake, OH
Posts: 5,270
Re: Relocating
I am not how it works but my grandma, came to this country at her 60's , has never worked in US, was eligible for Medicare when she reached 65. She received one of the top-notched services at one of the best Medical Center when diagnosing with Cancer. She never paid a dime out of her pocket and the government picked up the tab.
Jun 4th 2010, 4:41 pm
#63
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Relocating
He did move back there to get treatment, but if you think about it, if you can't get the treatment in America then you have to move back to Britain, and then you are ordinarily resident there, because you are a citizen with no intentions of leaving the UK again.
My view is that he deserved the treatment on the NHS.
My view is that he deserved the treatment on the NHS.
Jun 5th 2010, 1:47 am
#64
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,048
Re: Relocating
Those of us who are British citizens are fortunate to have this option, but clearly someone returning and using the services is being funded by British taxpayers at that time, not anything they may or may not have paid in the past. Whether this situation is sustainable remains to be seen.
Jun 5th 2010, 2:14 am
#65
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Relocating
Those of us who are British citizens are fortunate to have this option, but clearly someone returning and using the services is being funded by British taxpayers at that time, not anything they may or may not have paid in the past. Whether this situation is sustainable remains to be seen.
Jun 5th 2010, 2:18 am
#66
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Relocating
Quite possible if one has returned to the UK in a hurry for medical reasons. Likely they will have given up employment to do so and may well have interest and capital gains income below the threshold to be paying income tax. Of course, they may very well be paying income taxes down the road from there if they really are habitually resident. Additionally, they'll almost certainly be paying VAT from the get go, but I'm unsure whether any VAT revenues go to funding the NHS?
Jun 5th 2010, 3:24 am
#67
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Relocating
Quite possible if one has returned to the UK in a hurry for medical reasons. Likely they will have given up employment to do so and may well have interest and capital gains income below the threshold to be paying income tax. Of course, they may very well be paying income taxes down the road from there if they really are habitually resident. Additionally, they'll almost certainly be paying VAT from the get go, but I'm unsure whether any VAT revenues go to funding the NHS?
If you are in a hurry presumably you would fly in, tax.
Buy a cup of coffee at Heathrow, tax.
Newspaper, no tax. Not much else comes to mind.
Jun 5th 2010, 1:50 pm
#69
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Relocating
I would have thought so,you might want to mention this to the Politicians.
Jun 5th 2010, 6:33 pm
#70
Finally Home!
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Used to be New York, now North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,610
Re: Relocating
Of course, to change that means accepting a system in which some people are left to die as they are here in the US if they don't have enough money to pay for services. That would be a major change in Britain and I wonder if people would be prepared to actually implement it - especially when it affected someone they loved.
Jun 5th 2010, 6:56 pm
#71
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Relocating
Of course, to change that means accepting a system in which some people are left to die as they are here in the US if they don't have enough money to pay for services. That would be a major change in Britain and I wonder if people would be prepared to actually implement it - especially when it affected someone they loved.
Jun 5th 2010, 7:03 pm
#72
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Relocating
Of course, to change that means accepting a system in which some people are left to die as they are here in the US if they don't have enough money to pay for services. That would be a major change in Britain and I wonder if people would be prepared to actually implement it - especially when it affected someone they loved.
The classic example is someone like me, who could spend almost all of their working life in the US, pay almost all of my taxes here, and then retire back to the UK. Sure, I would be paying some taxes in the UK, but hardly enough to pay for the level of healthcare the typical retiree is likely to need. Meanwhile, in such an eventuality, all the Medicare taxes I've paid over my working life would essentially become a free gift to the US government.
Last edited by Giantaxe; Jun 5th 2010 at 7:09 pm.
Jun 5th 2010, 8:02 pm
#73
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 236
Re: Relocating
I don't think it's that simple. The current system allows people - regardless of their ability to pay - to move to the UK and avail themselves of NHS services. Is such a system either sustainable or good public policy?
The classic example is someone like me, who could spend almost all of their working life in the US, pay almost all of my taxes here, and then retire back to the UK. Sure, I would be paying some taxes in the UK, but hardly enough to pay for the level of healthcare the typical retiree is likely to need. Meanwhile, in such an eventuality, all the Medicare taxes I've paid over my working life would essentially become a free gift to the US government.
The classic example is someone like me, who could spend almost all of their working life in the US, pay almost all of my taxes here, and then retire back to the UK. Sure, I would be paying some taxes in the UK, but hardly enough to pay for the level of healthcare the typical retiree is likely to need. Meanwhile, in such an eventuality, all the Medicare taxes I've paid over my working life would essentially become a free gift to the US government.
There are also people who work in the UK either early in their lives, or just for a short time and return home or emigrate. Being young they are less likely to have used the NHS, but will have paid taxes.
There are also richer members of the population who pay taxes, but choose private treatment, for whatever reason.
It still may or may not be sustainable, just pointing out not everyone is a taker, some are givers.
Jun 5th 2010, 11:22 pm
#74
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: Relocating
r buy into Medicare.
Absolutely, but the current system makes no attempt to differentiate and nor does it on ability to pay of returnees.
