Medical insurance

[Scunner]

quote:Originally posted by Diverbaz 1


not NHS, no one has NHS cover in Turkey.

I don't understand Baz, if that is the case why do so many British expats make trips to the UK to pick up their prescriptions?

[joannasal]

Hoopsman - I understand your point, however, like many people I know, I do not believe the Turkish government will just let this drop. I would not be surprised if in a year or so it comes up again and we are told that 100% it is now compulsory and fines and backdated payments have to be paid. I may be being cynical, but will still wait and see what information we get in the next few days. I hope your understanding is correct and mine is wrong!

[George Warner]

So is it registration form or an application to join form now?

[hoops man]

Sorry joan just making the point is that its clear as the nose on my face. You now have a choice. You can join this scheme or you can choose not to. Whatever rules or regulations the Turkish government hit us with in a years time is irrelivant. Why worry about what may or may never happen. probably something else will come out and then we will start all panicing again. What are you waiting for till tuesday? The consulate clearly state that its not compulsary so let me put it this way. if you dont register and then the turkish government say you are getting a fine surely you can claim your fine back from the british govermnent because its splashed all over their web site that its cancelled(not compulsary) so there you are stop worrying it aint going to happen.

[Scunner]

After the roller coaster few days and many emotions (including blind panic amongst some) I do have to say that now it is a choice rather than a requirement, that for those who don't want to ignore the fact they have no cover and are getting older in a foreign country - it is a bloody good deal..! More so of course for married couples and families. I looked for health cover when we moved there and there was nothing, not even private health schemes.

[Liz 101]

Exactly Scunner. A friend had a major heart attack out at sea in the summer, had heart bypass surgery in Turkey & a Harley St doctor told them that he could not have done a better job. Total cost IRO £16k & not covered by insurance. If that were to happen to me, with SGK, most of that cost would be covered & if not, I may well be pushing up daisies before I've had to pay that amount in to the sysytem. I know which I prefer to do

[quackers]

Why worry about what may never happen? You take out insurance on your homes for anything that may never happen. We have Depram insurance incase we have an earthquake, it may never happen. You take out car insurance incase anything happens. Some have pet insurance just in case anything happens.Why not medical insurance just incase anything happens.

[quackers]

George as I understand it you register your intent to join the system ,when you get your card and payment ammount, if you do not pay them then when you need medical assistance you wil be required to pay your back payments but not the fine as you have registered before the deadline. If however you register to join after the end of Feb or even years later,because you need medical assistance, you will be required to pay the fine and back payments to Jan 2012 because you failed to register and pay monthly subscriptions.

[Sus]

We had private health cover and it cost us 6000 USDollars a year, because at the time you had to have health cover in the country we were living in, thank the lord we had because in eightteen months I had to have two emergency ops that cost in total £14,750, so the small amount Turkey are asking you to pay is nothing.

[Ian]

We currently have little or no pre existing conditions and as we hope to spend 8 months a year in Turkey for a few years - this is a good deal for us at about £75 a month IF we are allowed to join?
So we will join now before I start "falling to pieces" in my 60's  

And not sure if it is "urban myth" but we have heard it said regularly that things we are told "it's your age you will have to live with it" in the UK by our doctors working to targets are dealt with more sympathetically here ........?

We have also been told of some fabulous treatment for extremeley serious conditions so maybe you can actually go into hospital here and come out without MRSA