Information I hope you won’t need!

Looking out of my window today, it is a lovely sunny day. Can it be that summer is finally on its way?

Chatting to people who are planning to relocate abroad I am frequently asked about the medical systems and how they compare to the NHS.

I strongly recommend that you look very carefully into the level of medical care when you are buying anywhere abroad. Make a concerted effort to pick an area that will fulfil certain requirements and don’t fall hopelessly in love with a home BEFORE you have made sure that there are certain necessary requirements that the area can provide you with. I am going to outline very briefly a number of options on offer in the most popular countries for emigration:

Spain
As with the UK, Spain has a national health system which provides free or low cost health care for those contributing to Spanish social security systems plus dependants. The system also caters for pensioners and this includes those from other EU countries. If, as a EU member country resident, you are visiting the country, you will be able to access emergency care on showing your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card - for details of the EHIC please see below). UK nationals over 60 and for some people who qualify for the invalidity benefit will need the appropriate form (E121 or E106) to access free health care.

France
The healthcare system is excellent in France. If you are simply going on holiday to France or have a home where you intend to go for short breaks, you will need a European Health Insurance (EHIC) which entitles you to necessary healthcare.

Before the new rules, anyone was eligible to join the French healthcare system. Nothing has changed for those who retired in the UK, in other words you can still affiliate to the system using an E121 form via the Caisse Primaire Assurance Maladie (CPAM). You can get this form from the Dept. for Work and Pensions (DWP) in Newcastle upon Tyne (take a look at www.dwp.gov.uk) As long as you are in receipt of the state pension here this form will be valid. Once you get to France you should take this form, along with proof of residence in France and a form of identity, to your local CPAM office. Once you are affiliated to the system you will be issued with a Carte Vitale (green card) which you have to take with you when you visit the doctor or hospital.

For those under retirement age, it is not possible to affiliate to the French system unless you have an E106 form, again available from the DWP. This is relevant for those who are not planning to work in France and is valid for up to 2 years, after which it is wise to take out private health insurance until you reach state retirement age or you are there for 5 years, after which you will be able to affiliate to the system.
In France treatment (whether private or public) is not free at the point of delivery. Even if you subscribe to the Sécurité sociale, on seeing a doctor or specialist (specialiste) you first pay the full bill (tarif) and are then reimbursed at a later date (about 10 days). Generally speaking, Sécurité sociale refunds 70 per cent of the cost of a visit to a médecin traitant (a GP or family doctor) and most specialistes.

USA
Unlike other developed countries, the US does not have a universal system of healthcare coverage - it is up to individuals to obtain health insurance. What that means to you as a new arrival or a part-time visitor/tourist is that it is absolutely essential to have medical insurance when in the USA. Those who work in the States obtain coverage through their employers, and others should sign up for private insurance schemes.

Greece
Greece has a national health care system that provides free or low cost health care to residents and, as a EU member country resident, you will be treated on the same basis as a resident of Greece. Non-EU citizens should arrange private health insurance before they leave their home country; however, emergency care is provided free of charge in public hospitals to anyone, regardless of nationality. You should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK – you have to present this to get free medical treatment – see more about the EHIC below.

South Africa
South Africa's health system consists of a large under-resourced and over-used public sector, under pressure to deliver services to about 80% of the population and a smaller but fast-growing private sector. This private sector is run largely on commercial lines and caters to middle- and high-income earners who tend to be members of medical schemes (18% of the population), and to foreigners looking for top-quality surgical procedures at relatively affordable prices.
It is virtually mandatory to have a private medical aid either through your employer, who shares the cost with you, or individually. State hospitals are appalling – take it from one who knows. As a tourist, visitor or émigré, you would be well advised to get medical insurance cover.

New Zealand
Under the public healthcare scheme in New Zealand, a certain degree of care is offered free to its residents and to those with work permits that allow them to temporarily reside in New Zealand. The hospitals are publicly run and treat citizens or permanent residents free of charge. Waiting times for non-urgent care can be fairly long and many patients are going private in order to be treated faster.

To benefit from the public health system in New Zealand, you must hold a permanent resident visa, be a resident of the country or hold a work permit for two years at the time of application. To check your eligibility, please take the test at http://www.moh.govt.nz/. If you meet the criteria, your partner and children aged 19 years or under will also be eligible for publicly funded healthcare. If you do not meet these requirements, you have to take out a private health insurance in New Zealand or before departure from your country of origin, either if you plan to stay or if you are just visiting.

The EHIC or European Health Insurance Card
Also called the EU Medical Card, it looks just like a small plastic ID card and gives details such as your name, date of birth and National Insurance number. The card lasts for 3-5 years and entitles you to receive free or reduced-cost emergency healthcare if you or any of your dependants are suddenly taken ill or have an accident when visiting countries with reciprocal health agreements with the UK (European Union countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).

You should obtain a EHIC before leaving the UK – you have to present this to get free or rebated medical expenses as mentioned above. The EHIC is available free of charge through most UK post offices or apply online at www.ehic.org.uk You can also contact them on 0845 606 2030 and get them to send you one.

Remember, your EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. It won't cover you for repatriation (return home) or losses due to crime or natural disasters. Only comprehensive travel health insurance cover, which you'll have to take out privately, would cover you for that.

I hope this helps – and that you won’t need to use the information! See you soon – have a great week.

Carol
http://www.emigrationguide.com