SGK Meeting with the British Consulate

[LeeGlo]

Well Rimms there would be no harm in putting out some feelers. If they could offer a joint married couple cover for around £90 per month (roughly equivalent to SGK) with no age restriction, then I think a lot of people would be interested.

[stoop]

Try getting cover from Axa when you are over 65!

[Ian]

The lady at the brokers next to McDonalds - very helpful - Dina I think her name was - told us a couple of years ago that Axa wouldn't touch me as I was 60.

The only company that would take s 60 yr old was Anadolu - and I was told premiums would increase quite a lot each year and "rocket" if I ever claimed !

Maybe things have changed in 2 years but it wasn't encouraging at that time hence we joined SGK  :-(

On a positive note I think there are still some "twists and turns" to run with SGK which will eventually improve the position although that doesn't help many people facing lots of stress and worry at the moment.

[Ray1951]

So what will happen to people who contributed to SGK a couple of years ago and who since then have developed a condition that requires life long treatment, presently funded by SGK. Some of the treatments are not available in the UK.  It must be extremely worrying.  Added to that there could be changes to many things within Turkey after the elections later this year.  Maybe Erdogan could come to the UK and run things for a while     

[Rimms]

I called into the insurance company today and to be honest, it doesn't sound good. They told us that it's almost impossible to get private health insurance after the age of 59 and most companies will require you to leave the scheme by your 65th birthday.

It occurred to me that the regulation only states that you need 'health insurance' it doesn't stipulate whether that is fully comprehensive insurance or simply a commitment to pay up to an agreed sum. The outcome is that the clerk is going to approach the seven different companies who they deal with to ask if they would wish to propose a scheme.

We also called into the Esnaf and asked if they would raise the issue at their next management meeting and suggested that they might wish to propose a scheme that guaranteed either full or partial cover, they have agreed to get back once they have discussed it.

I also see the consul are now trying to secure the date for a follow up meeting, let's wish them well.

[kayakebab]

Was chatting with a friend last night, she is in her 60's and took out private insurance about 6 months ago, cost around 1500tl for the year.
It covers in patient treatment only ( pretty standard )
She said the office was in a little alleyway between what used to be collezione shop, where the horrible change man used to sit.
Unfortunately she couldn't remember the name of the company it's with. Might be worth whoever's in town next going in and making some enquiries.
I might be down that way on Friday and don't mind doing some research if no ones down there before that.

[LeeGlo]

We just had a letter this morning from SGK, or should I say my husband has. From Google translate I gather it is about me being covered, looks like I would need to register. It also mentions pensions and asks my husband to go to the office. Has anyone else had one of these letters and been to the office to get the low down?

It leaves us with a problem now, do we go and tell them we are BOTH on pension and therefore are not entitled to be in the scheme, and just tell them to stick it, or do we wait for the Consulate to get on with their meeting and see what comes of it?

They tell you nowt for months then pick the worst possible time to start investigating, i.e. while you are waiting for clarification from the top brass.

[Rimms]

It's a difficult problem but you might be better off knowing now rather than a time when you may be needing emergency treatment only to find that you aren't covered.

I would like to think that if our consulate officials are able to turnaround this terrible decision by the Turkish government then anyone excluded because of it will be reinstated into the scheme.

[LeeGlo]

Thanks for the input Rimms. After much discussion, we have decided to "postpone" a visit to the SGK office until after we see the outcome of the Consulate meetings next week. We haven't paid Decembers' premium nor do we intend to until it is clear whether receiving a British State Pension excludes us from the scheme or not.

Then I will have consider whether I want to join and pay double the premiums we initially signed up for or not. To be honest we are seriously considering both opting out altogether and going back to the "keep a sum aside" system we had for our first 4 years here.

It doesn't give you any peace of mind, the reason we joined, when you don't know from one month to the next if you are covered or not. They have already had around 5 thousand lira from us and we haven't (fortunately) needed medical care.

You are left thinking what will be the next thing, could be you pay for years and then get diagnosed with something "they" deem as chronic and end up not covered for it.

[usedbustickets]

Mrs Tickets went through all the SGK medical checks at the Develet yesterday, and so we went down to the SGK offices first thing this morning to complete the sign up.

'Are you retired?' we was asked by the clerk (through the interpreter we took along).  Mrs Tickets began to say we were, but I quickly corrected the situation saying no we were not retired, just not working, and we were certainly not drawing the UK state pension.

After a bit of humming and ahhing, reluctantly, it appeared, she agreed.

When she saw/heard that Mrs T was joining the scheme, and I would be her dependant spouse.  She then said that I needed to provide evidence of no existing health problems (I don't) and that I too would need to take the SGK medical examination at the Devlet.  And the whole application thing came to a halt then.  So much for it only needs one of you to undertake the medical, and indeed pay the expense of taking it!!

I have come to the same conclusion as Ian, somebody at the top, or some point in between, has issued an edict that they do not want us, and they are attempting to put up as many hurdles as possible to stop people joining the scheme and if at all possible force them out of the scheme too.  Does anyone know how to contact the Consulate, ideally through e-mail, so I can update them on my experience in the SGK office in Fethiye, as requested in their document