Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
Other Local Resorts & Areas => Uzumlu Discussion Forum => Topic started by: phil1839 on January 18, 2014, 08:59:05 AM
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If you are a member of the SGK pop down the PTT, he has some letters to hand out. Phil
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We had ours delivered (had to sign for it) on Thursday, went in to SGK office yesterday for explanation and told we have to go back with a translator (as stated on bottom of letter). Maybe we could all go in together with one translator :)
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I haven't received any letter from them and I haven't been to the PTT as it's not so easy for me to be out and about at the moment. Can you tell me what the letter is about please? Many thanks.
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We had ours delivered on Tuesday, had to sign for it, basically if you are a married couple on a joint membership of SGK and your spouse is in receipt of pension income they can no longer be covered on your SGK. ( We asked our friend to read it for us to make sure and that is the gist of it). BUT on the other hand they, SGK, are also saying that no one who receives a pension is entitled to be in the SGK scheme, so make of it what you will.
We are awaiting the outcome of the Consulate meetings due to be held next week before we do anything and are not paying any more SGK premiums until it's sorted.
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Thanks LeeGlo.
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imo. for the last 1 year and and a half we have been paying for something that has been illegal and I believe has been law since 2010. surprised no one has looked into this to see exactly where we stand. I am sure a lot of ex pats out there are in the same BOAT as we are. we pay taxes to the Turkish everytime we buy anything. ie leki. gas. council tax.and generally generate to the economy. imo they want our money but not us. I am sure calis.fethiye. hisoronu. olu deniz would be a lot poorer and who would be working over the winter months. oh and I forgot about the price of efes!!!! end of rant. ur replies to this situation would be most appreciated. do we get a rebate? lol
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this is a very touchy subject at this time. I would like ex pats opinions as to what alternatives we have? if any.
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Jack 13, I rather think that the British Consul managed to convince the SGK officials last time around that if Brits had been out of the UK for more than 6 months they were NOT covered by the NHS. However there is now a move in the UK to allow anyone who has paid a certain number of years' contributions to be entitled to free health care under the NHS and this has muddied the waters somewhat in Turkey.
There is more info and discussion on this topic here
http://www.calis-beach.co.uk/forum/topicseen./health_healthcare/sgk_meeting_british_consulate_53772.0.html
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thanks lee glow for ur input. there are surely more ex pats who have a view on this subject. as this effects as personally and I am quite sure there must be more out there.your views
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I'm sure you're right Jack13, there are lots of expats who joined the scheme at the start and are now in limbo, unfortunately they are not all members of CBF.
In the current situation of "are we covered or not" we also seem to have lost sight of the fact that even if we are accepted we (married couples) now have to pay double the premium we originally contracted for.
I do wonder how many would have joined if we had been told at the time
1. You must take a medical at your own expense, but we might not accept you.
2. Everyone must pay their own contribution.
3. No existing or chronic conditions will be covered and
4. As soon as you start to receive a state pension you will no longer be entitled to be in the scheme.
Basically it's been fudged from the word go and the British Consulate and Government should have sorted these things in the beginning.
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Lee, I don't agree about married couples having to pay double, as far as I can make out it's being said that once you are in receipt of a state pension then you can no longer be covered by SGK. I do however realise that the Fethiye office seem to live in some sort of parallel universe where they can put on their own interoperation of the rule changes and it seems, their interpretation changes from hour to hour depending on who you see.
I think the fundamental problem is that SGK believe that UK pensioners automatically qualify for NHS, which of course they don't having been away from the UK for more than 6 months.
Let's hope the second meeting the consulate have with SGK next week bears some fruit, or at least, some clarity.
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Rimms, yes, I agree with the points you're making. I don't think it's just Fethiye office though I don't think ANY of the regional offices know what the current rules are and are making it up as they go along to the detriment of all concerned.
My point was that IF they eventually agree to UK pensioners being accepted are they going to revert to the original deal whereby married couples are both covered on the one premium. Particularly now they have sent out letters to tell people their spouses (if receiving a pension) are no longer covered. Note that in most cases the registered person is also old enough and is probably receiving a pension, but the letter refers only to spouses. It doesn't say "oh by the way if you're on pension you're off the scheme as well". As you say (mis)interpretation of the rules is a problem.
As you say lets hope we get some clarity from the Consulate, sooner rather than later.
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Our SGK payment for Dec is due, Mick apparently not entitled now, so we have decided not to pour any more money into the scheme.
I got his 2 BP meds, Cholesterol, Baby Aspirin for 45TL in chemist recently. If they stop these over the counter drugs, what then.
We have paid 7680TL into SGK, which included a back payment of 2400T L(due to misinformation form all authorities, police, British Consulate, passport police) for something we never had!!! Having added 3mthly check ups/med costs, it totals nearly 8,000TL!!!! Many of our friends have had brilliant ops, treatment during SGK, so I am not knocking the scheme. It has been a safety blanket, for us expats. Hence wanting to participate.
In all honesty was never meant to be for Brits. Turkey and the UK has never had any reciprocal health care agreement. This has been a total debacle from start to finish. Mick is now saying " I told you so"...... as he never wanted to join. We have a contingency fund and I wished to God I had the above money to add to it.
I am entitled to re apply, in my own right, which will be only for a period of 17mths. Shall I bother, YOK YOK YOK. Can we get private medical insurance at our age? What will happen if we have a heart attack, stroke or major accident???? !!!! and not able get back to the UK???? Yes we shall get treated, but at what cost....
Our choice to live in Turkey for our retirement, we could have stayed in the UK and spent our hard earned cash, owning one leg, of a racehorse!!!! Why has our government let us down so badly, in this very important issue. We have worked hard, paid NHS all our lives, bought our houses, set up our businesses and surely entitled to health care, somewhere!!! lol, without having to tell lies, to register with a UK Doctor.
Do any of the 50,000 Turks who live in UK, get refused NHS medical treatment. I dont think so. How would Turkey react, if they had to be sent home............We are not asking for free medical care, just the right to be on SGK and pay into the system.
Sorry guys RANT OVER, please email Jeremy Hunt, Minister of Health, with your concerns, it may make a difference, to the outcome of talks, planned soon.
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Agree with everything you have said,Busy bee,we have declined the Sgk since it started,has have
No trust in it whatsoever.
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thanks for all the feedback on this very touchy subject for some of the expats living in calis. our payment is due at the end of this month. have decided to wait and see if anything comes back from the proposed meetings sometime this week. wont be holding my breath.
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I paid my January premium yesterday and just to rub salt in the wounds, Its gone up !!!
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Totally agree with you Busybee, a proper shambles, which SHOULD have been sorted by the British Consulate/Government back in Jan 2012. If it was on the cards that SGK were eventually going to invoke their rules re pensioners then we should NOT have been allowed to join in the first place. Like you we have paid in around 5,000 Lira and have not had to use the scheme, would have been better in the bank.
We thought it would give us "peace of mind" in the event that either of us had a medical emergency, and I agree it was a very good scheme when we joined, but all this "are you on it or off it" is doing our health and tempers no good at all.
What do you have to do to opt out? That is a serious question by the way, advice appreciated. Given that we (my husband that is) only signed a few months ago to stay IN, nothing was said then about pensioners. If I was being cynical I would say they just wanted a few more months' contributions in the pot before they dropped the bombshell.
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I would suggest, if it is decreed that you are not entitled to SGK, trawl the insurance companies to see their cost and cover. Many of our friends have private cover at a good price, but are younger than us.
Mick's Mum died of a heart defect, aged 32. Alarm bells always ring when he reveals this, it was operable but in those days only given 50% survival rate. To ensure that it wasn't hereditary we paid 2,500TL for an angiogram etc. and touch wood, his ticker, is in great shape. Takes BP and cholesterol meds, like many other folk of his age. I ensure his diet is good.
With his age, think private is pretty slim.....So me thinks, there isn't an alternative, except our own money. God forbid, if we did incur huge medical costs, yes we could afford it, but it would seriously impact our lifestyle here...........as we all get older, health probs, become more common........we are not earning anymore, many, just on living on their savings and government pension. It doesn't make you feel easy in your retirement. Our choice to live here, so I suppose we just have to suck it up or think again, or live in hope that our Government will help us.
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I've now been back into the insurance company in Fethiye who have spoken to each of the seven different insurers they use. Most, as expected had little or no interest in providing cover for an ageing set of ex-pats, however, a couple of them have responded positively but understandably wish to understand a little more about their 'risk' before committing to premiums or conditions.
The three things they want to know are:
1, How many people are likely to join the scheme
2, Age/Male/Female
3, Known pre-conditions.
Armed with this information they will be able to work out monthly premiums and whether medicals are required etc. The good news was that one of their assessors had indicated that if there is a sufficient volume of people spread over a variety of ages then the premiums could work out at around 1,200 lira per year for full cover.
The problem is of course, I've no idea how to go about collecting the sort of information required?
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Good work Rimms, apart from this forum and maybe a couple of others, perhaps Facebook, I don't know how you'd get the information. You could stand outside the SGK office with a banner - joking of course. I'm sure lots of folks are very grateful for the trouble you've gone to getting the low down from alternative providers.
It's us oldies who are the problem of course, insurance companies never really want to take the risk of having to pay out more than they are getting in premiums.
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Good work George, Alf and I would definitely be interested if SGK goes pear shaped.
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we would be interested as well. nice to see some expats taking a big interest in our welfare here in turkey. good luck.
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It's us oldies who are the problem of course, insurance companies never really want to take the risk of having to pay out more than they are getting in premiums.
If you are over 80 with pre existing medical conditions you will be very hard pushed to find full time cover. We spend 6 months at a time in Fethiye and were quoted £1800 for six months cover.
DonM
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Mrs TC and I would be very interested.
How about putting a poll on here (if Mr Scunner agrees). I'm sure that would give you a good indication as to how many from this forum are interested.
TC 8) 8)
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Mr Scunner is always most agreeable
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this is to all that took to the SGK like ducks to water! were you insured for your health before SGK? so why worry now???
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Thanks George
Think most of us did worry b4 SGK, but our mature age, pre existing etc, made private insurance difficult. SGK provided the solution, so thats why so many joined. Us included!!!
Maybe Scunner would let us put details on here of who would be interested in private insurance. We could then go on mass, to an insurance company(a day out with a difference!! lol) and see what they come up with.
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just received our letter this morning. just a bit of info to ivan. we were not allowed to join the sgk until we had completed 1 year of residency. so it wasn't exactly ducks to water. as busybee said on the previous post sgk provided the solution and put many of our minds at rest for the future re the cost of health care in turkey. good luck busybee. watching any feedback with interest.
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If someone can email/PM me the options, a poll can be added in minutes. It will also automatically appear on Facebook.
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Thanks Scunner will ring George and maybe together, we can get a poll (specific questions) going, to see who is interested. We have to try and help ourselves in situations like this. If the UK does come up with a agreeable solution.....fantastic, if not we may have plan B!!!
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Anadolu Sigorta in a Fethiye near the obnoxious change man is the one my friend uses that I mentioned on here a couple if weeks ago.shes 64 and took the policy out a few months ago and is cheaper than sgk.
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I got my letter this morning, had to laugh, it was recorded delivery and the letter had been opened !
I'm not sure if it's asking you to visit the office? Has anyone done the translation please?
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The letter opens when they tear of the signature bit George. If any thing like ours, it states your spouse has inadvertently been added to your account.
It also say's if you need to visit the office regarding it's contents and you do not speak Turkish, take a translator. We were going to wait and see what came out of the latest meeting, that has now been cancelled.
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George - did you try the online check?
http://www.calis-beach.co.uk/forum/topicseen./health_healthcare/check_sgk_web_site_line_see_if_you_are_covered_54052.0.html
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We went to the SGK office the other day with our letter. I showed it to the Security officer who gave me a number and when that came up I went to the Counter, I told the girl in Turkish that I had received the letter and that neither myself or my wife were in receipt of a UK state pension and I showed her Pension Forecasts from the UK and explained that these showed the dates when we would receive State Pensions. All the time I was talking to her she was writing, she then showed me what she had written and it said in perfect English 'come with an interpreter'. I asked her in Turkish why but she just ignored me. I went and had a moan in Turkish to the security officer who took me upstairs to see the lad called Mr. Gonder who speaks English. He confirmed that all we had to do was sign an undertaking to say that my wife, who is included on my SGK, was not in receipt of a UK State Pension. He then spoke very quickly to the Security officer who took us downstairs and showed us the sign by the door that said 'Come with a Turkish Guide'. Unfortunately I did not know the Turkish for Monkey or I would have told him to stick his SGK where the maymun sticks it's nuts. I have now calmed down and have arranged to go back on Friday with an interpreter. When we first came to live in Turkey we weren't allowed to join the SGK, it is something they have opened up to us so I can't understand why they are making things so difficult. I will post again after my next visit to the SGK office. Phil
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It seems as crazy as ever. Surely they know/could find out UK pensionable age, then look at the birthdate's on the application forms that were filled in. Ahhh!!! that would be too easy.
(translators must be short of work)
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This just seems to be getting dafter by the day. Why on earth does someone who speaks Turkish have to bring a translator with them??? This place drive me nuts at times. Meanwhile I don't know whether to even bother going to the SGK office with my letter as it could all change in the next couple of weeks.
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My friends both retıred and receıvıng UK pensions went to SGK office this morning with a turkısh frıend (Not a translator). They were told that as the wife was receiving a UK pension she has to have SGK in her own right She needs to get a medıcal done and can use any hospital.(thought you could only use DEVLET as ıt has to be Government Hospital.) Yell Alı interpretation states ıf ın receipt of UK pension you are NOT entitled to SGK. The office knew who they were and that they both have uk pensions. I have not receıved a letter so I am doıng nothing until my payments are refused or I hear somethıng from the Consulate. I call ıt the SGK Hokey Cokey , your ın your out shake ıt all about.
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so true quackers. excellent post. watch this space.
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My friends both retıred and receıvıng UK pensions went to SGK office this morning with a turkısh frıend (Not a translator). They were told that as the wife was receiving a UK pension she has to have SGK in her own right She needs to get a medıcal done and can use any hospital.(thought you could only use DEVLET as ıt has to be Government Hospital.) Yell Alı interpretation states ıf ın receipt of UK pension you are NOT entitled to SGK. The office knew who they were and that they both have uk pensions. I have not receıved a letter so I am doıng nothing until my payments are refused or I hear somethıng from the Consulate. I call ıt the SGK Hokey Cokey , your ın your out shake ıt all about.
Your friends' experience has just borne out what I have been saying all along, first they want to get everyone paying individually and then when they've had a few months contributions they'll turn around and FINALLY tell you that if you're in receipt of a pension you don't qualify for SGK. They want to make their minds up !!!
I've just checked ours online, my husband is shown on the system but I am not, and he is older than I am so it would be reasonable to suppose that he is also getting a pension, which he is. Durr?
We've more or less made up our minds to just opt out of the whole thing. Will give the Consulate till the end of the month to come up with something. If not then bye bye SGK.
At least we will only need a translater ONCE lol.
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Does anyone know if the insurance company called National Life operates in Turkey?
I seem to remember that they did a good group deal.
TC
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My spin on the rules are that as a male you can have SGK regardless of age. As long as our wife is not in receipt of state pension she is classed as a dependent and is entitled to SGK health care on he husbands SGK, BUT when your wife receives a UK State Pension she is no longer a dependent and must pay for her own SGK. What they haven't taken into account is that not all women have paid full English contributions and are in receipt of reduced state pensions. Phil
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Very true I receıve a reduced rate pensıon. Dont pay for a translator take a turkısh frıend wıth you.
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Went into the SGK office this morning with the interpreter, all the did was Photostat the Pension Forecasts that we had from the UK to confirm that Pat doesn't get a state pension for 3 and half years and me in 6 years, and that was that, in all it took about ten minutes. Just have to wait and see what happens when they eventually have this meeting. Phil
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Thanks for that Phil.
Did you get your pension forecasts from the UK or online. I noticed you can't get a forecast with your details on if you live overseas, just a basic one based on date of birth.
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Baz, I am trying to remember but I think I ordered them online and they were sent directly by post to Uzumlu from the Pensions Dept. Phil
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We got our letter last month just before our trip to the UK. We went into the office today and they didn't even ask our name, they told our interpreter that it's all now been sorted out, everyone can remain in the scheme and the only change being that if you are a married couple and both in receipt of the state pension then you need to register separately and both will need to pay the monthly premium.
So in a nutshell, if you've had a letter requesting you attend the office, just ignore it.