Medicare and Expats

[billyhouston]

Even maintaining a house in UK does not appear to get around the issue. I guess that people who have retired abroad are considered unlikely to vote so the parasites politicians feel they can get away with this sort of thing.

 

The relatively recent changes at immigration (passport readers) would make it possible for government to know that you have been out of the country if they choose to link the computer systems.

 

For the past 13 years, our beloved Gordon Brown has cynically and systematically used public money to buy the support of the hard left in his party and to buy votes at an election. He was a smug, self-serving hypocrite who was incompetent as Chancellor and incontinent as Prime Minister.... just look what a mess he has left us in.

[Guest]

One of the major failings of the UK is the mere existence of the Labour party, which must be one of the most economically incompetent major political parties in the western world.

 

They needed bailing out by the IMF in the 1970s and I believe only the May 2010 general election prevented a repeat this year. They tax enterprise and subsidise waste.

 

Whilst excessively taxing the middle classes, they keep their own snouts in the trough with generous tax free expense allowances and tax breaks which are unique to MPs.

[Bob]

...the Labour party, which must be one of the most economically incompetent major political parties in the western world.

 

Perhaps east of the Atlantic ocean. West of the Atlantic ocean, both the Republican and Democratic parties have been economically insane for 40+ years (with the small exception of a few of Bill Clinton's years where some of the books appeared to be balanced by ignoring trillions of background debt and also ignoring the twin catastrophic financial futures of both social security and medicare). Without some major changes, some day the dollar maybe will be worth a couple of dong (Vietnamese money which currently is about 19,000 to the dollar).

 

From the US side of things, medicare is a great thing for seniors but it's not being paid for and is adding to the national debt. Not even the politicians on the left could stomach adding benefits to the current program.

[Guest fountainhall]

Many thanks billyhouston and travellerjim. Very enlightening - and at the same time confusing! I have asked my brother (a UK doctor) for his views and suggestions.

My brother has sent the regulations re in-hospital treatment in the UK to me, but without an opinion into which category I will fall - very useful These regulations, as suggested by travelerjim, are now quite complex and filled with loopholes.

 

As Jim mentioned, treatment is not dependent on owning a residence in the UK, or of having paid taxes or being in receipt of a state pension. It does seem, though, that most long-term expats are likely to fall into one of the following two categories -

 

- UK state pensioners who are not considered ordinarily resident in the UK are entitled free of charge to treatment the need for which arises during visits here, but not pre-planned treatment, as long as they have lived for ten years or more in the UK in the past.

 

- UK ex-pats who have previously lived in the UK for ten years or more and who are now working overseas are exempt from charges for all hospital treatment during visits back to the UK for a period of five years.

 

The regulations do add, however, that anyone in need of long-term care can return to be resident in the UK, whereafter they will immediately be entitled to such care.

 

One issue I have asked my brother to address is the 5-year period. For example, does this start the moment one departs the UK to become an ex-pat, or can it start at any time during the period abroad? That seems to me quite crucial, as the former qualification certainly rules out any long term care for a medical condition arising overseas. I suspect it means the 'first five years' but I will await his reply.

 

I am also awaiting information about out-patient treatment.

[Guest HeyGay]

The revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, went to the government Siriraj Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, The First Medical School in Thailand now the Number one treatment center in the whole of Asia, and if you ever have a serious problem with your health, and little or no Medical Insurance, I would suggest you go there, also if you are on a budget, you will get the same treatment, if not better then the Number one Hospital in Asia Bumrungrad Bangkok the only difference it will be up to 50% cheaper and all the same doctors, even those Professors treating the King and you can be assured in some cases better equipment also.

 

Similar quality of treatment can be had at