Medical insurance

[Sus]

You paid NI for years to be covered by the NHS while in the UK, it is our own choice that we decide to go and live in another country, therefore giving up a lot of what your motherland has to offer you free.

When we move to start a new or better life in warmer climates then we are a guest in that country and have to accept the laws of that country and if they decide to bring in health-care as compulsory to foreigners living in their country we have to accept it as a way of life.(not that I agree with it)



It might not be just Turkey who wants to know who is actually in their country but also the UK would like to know just who is not in the UK anymore and claiming benefits, there has been a lot of talks going on between Britain and Turkey just recently, as soon as you take out a residency in Spain and Portugal and sign up to their Health Care it is reported to the UK.

You may have paid NI for years for your own lifetime health-care, but it is not just the illegal or legal immigrants who are benefiting on what you have paid it is also a lot of your own countrymen who have lived on benefits there whole life who are benefiting from it as well.

It all depends on what it will cover a person for, but at 2,500 lira per year for a married couple it might be good value, we will have to wait and see.

In the small print of a lot of private health insurances it states that if you have had an illness and then it recurs you are not covered for it, or you can have health checks to get a diagnoses of the ailment and then not be covered for treatment after that.

I paid NI and tax for years in the UK but by my own choice decided to go and live and work aboard, so gave up my rights to a lot of things, but that was my own choice no one made me do it, so it all comes down to you have to live to the laws of the country you are living in and what ever they decide to charge you for the pleasure to do so, or sell up and move on.

[happy_brit]

I have lived in Turkey for nine years and from my considerable previous experience you will be paying out and will getting little back. To quote from Land of lights: even with SSK cover, no pre-existing or chronic illnesses will be covered by the scheme. So diabetcs and asthmatics for example, will still have to pay. What is wrong with paying when you require care?

[Rimms]

How will they know if you have a pre existing condition? They can't get hold of your medical records, can they?

[kizkucuk]

i don't believe they can get my medical records  - but if you were to get it rediagnosed here you would have to present yourself to the Dr with symptoms he could identify as what you already have - in my case I have an underactive thyroid - I would have to stop taking my medication for the symptoms to reappear - then go through all the tests again to get the diagnosis - I'd rather keep buying my medication over the counter - my 6 monthly blood test isn't expensive either.   But you are right - if you have something pre-existing like asthma I guess turning up at hospital when you are having an attack and claiming it's the first time wouldn't be out of the question.

[Sus]

The only way I would think they will know is if you are on medication for it or tell them. Rimms.

Until I read what the British Embassy/ Consulate have to say regarding the cover and what you will get I am keeping an open mind on it all.

Yes the paper did state you would not be covered for chronic illnesses, but a lot of private insurances do not cover for this unless you take out extra cover and pay a lot more to have them covered, I had a health insurance once that covered me for an operation but not for a bed or the stay in hospital, did not know this until after the event and I put a claim in, so I always read the small print now.

[col]

Happy Brit, your opinion is as mine, and I would think the majority, as I have certainly posted before.
For those who want to take it out and maybe benificial, then go ahead. For those of us who don't, just leave it as pay If or when anything is needed, we all know where we are, and the higher hospital costs etc, if needed. Myself after 4 years, have never even needed to go to pharmacy for asprin.
We all realise that laws are laws wherever we decide to live, but to have this just about forced upon us is not good, especially as 'pay as you go' has worked fine and we know where we stand.
We are also aware of the rules etc about being out of the uk for a certain amount of time, and what or what we maynot get from the nhs, despite paying NI for x amount of years, and i'm sure we all except that, as it is also a uk law. I very much doubt many ex pats in Turkey are benefit cheats, for one reason, Turkey is not in the EU and therefore would (I think) be very difficult to cheat, compared with say Sapin.
But this confusing compulsory health insurance has not been thought out at all clearly, but should that really surprise anyone!
No doubt during this coming year, it will make sense and no doubt there will be changes, for the better we would hope.

[Sus]

Quote But this confusing compulsory health insurance has not been thought out at all clearly, but should that really surprise anyone!quote

How do you know this has not been thought out clearly, and why should it not surprise anyone, to my mind someone has thought it out clearly to collect more money into the economy.

As I said before I do not agree with it, but what can you do.

[hubblebubble]

i dont actually see anything to complain about EXCEPT where yabanci residents are being treated differently to Turkish citizens.

These are the issues I would like for the British consulate to take up.:

The disparity on the turkish sliding scale of income related payment, particularly given that the level assessed is at odds with the law regarding income levels to acquire residency. (might be a Human rights case that one)

The disparity where Turkish pensioners do not pay, and Turkish pensioners resident in the UK do not pay, yet UK pensioners in tukey do.

The disparity whereby Turkish citizens pre-existing conditions are covered yet uk residents ones are not. I believe a turk resident in the Uk with pre existing conditions would be covered.

The lack of clear guidance for Uk citizens on its website, in a timely fashion, to enable compliance.
I do however accept that the discussions and obtaining of clear inormation are probably as difficult for the Consul as the rest of us.

the level of fine, given no clear and timely guidance issued to its citizens residing here.

Everything else is personal feeling/ circumstance/ frustration, and honestly that is no different whether you are Turkish or Yabanci.
The law has been issued for quite some time, is fully available in English and the only real complication is at the levels of local interpretation and lack of clear guidance.

[Highlander]

quote:Originally posted by col
For those who want to take it out and maybe benificial, then go ahead. For those of us who don't, just leave it as pay If or when anything is needed, we all know where we are, and the higher hospital costs etc, if needed.

Isn't that just as impractical in Turkey as it would be in the UK.
The building of hospital, health centre etc. facilities cannot possibly be funded by a "pay as you go" system

[cinders]

quote:Originally posted by hubblebubble


The law has been issued for quite some time, is fully available in English and the only real complication is at the levels of local interpretation and lack of clear guidance.

I thought/read that this only became law on Friday 20th Jan as prior to that the Consulate stated it had verbal information this would not be active / come into force?? till Dec 2012
Whatever!!! it does NOT give enough time for people to adhere to the law and I am sure sure there will be pandemonium this week when we all try to register