Brexit remaining rights during transition period

[Ianc2]

Lisa O' Carrol has written an interesting article in the Guardian newspaper, today, regarding the E.U. rights that still remain existence during the transition period. One of the principal rights remaining is the EHIC card, along with a right to medical treatment in the EU.

[secondtry]

Thanks Ian, interesting, HNY!

[Morzine]

That’s good as it will be awful if not....I’m hoping there will be an agreement made after that......

My afib started in Spain on holiday it was a godsend"....so easy with reciprocal rights.....works both ways.......

[Auriculaire in reply to Morzine]

Morzine- have you not thought of applying for French nationality? We did this more than 10 years ago and in the light of Brexit ( 10 years ago we never thought it would happen ) it was a very good decision. Even if the S1 provision is taken away as a French citizen you would be eligible for a French scheme that would cover the state part of medical expenses that the S1 now covers. It is not free of course -it depends on your income but is considerably cheaper than private medical insurance. We paid into such a scheme for a few years till my husband was 65 and eligible for S1 form.

[Morzine in reply to Auriculaire]

Weve got our residency....and Carte vital.......so we are secure for a while.....we will do nationality as the next step.......I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.......I’m hoping the uk will do reciprocal health as part of Brexit...but who knows eh??! I’m so used to nipping into italy.......

Sue

[Auriculaire in reply to Morzine]

I believe the French government are guaranteeing our health care for 2 years after Brexit . By then they should have sorted out the reciprocal arangements if the present system falls by the wayside.

[Morzine in reply to Auriculaire]

Yes you’re right.....

[Hidden]

My friend was taken ill in Berlin took her to hospital showed the ehic card they took no notice and I was charged 8 euros. So much for the EU. That's why they use our NHS. Its free for people who haven't paid a penny.. Good luck and a healthy new year

[irene75359 in reply to Hidden]

I don't know the state health insurance in Germany but 8 euros sounds a very small amount for a consultation. Could it have been for prescription meds, which Germans have to also pay?

[Auriculaire in reply to Hidden]

You do not get free treatment with the card but what is standard in the country. No doubt Germans would pay the 8 euros as well. As for Europeans using the NHS because it is free -that is a joke. Most European countries have health services that are just as good if not a great deal better and where health charges are reimbursed through insurance schemes. Having lived in both UK and France I would opt for the health service here in France anyday ( and I left the UK before 9 years of austerity cuts had further weakened the NHS ). I can ring my cardiologist for a routine appointment anytime I like and not have to wait months . Any further tests are arranged at the appointment with date and time and usually pretty quickly. Now that I am officially classed as a "heart patient" I do not even have to pay upfront and get the reimbursement.

[Hidden in reply to Auriculaire]

Name me 1 country in the EU, or any where else in the world, that has a better health service for its people and anybody else than the UK?

[Morzine in reply to Hidden]

France! You get to see a consultant within a week unless it’s eyes which are longer.......you get an mri, X-ray and scan generally all at same time if needed and immediately if it’s serious, or a small wait of a week or two.....my heart is totally free.....meds free.....my afib op I could have had done as soon as I wanted....

I see my doc on the same day too.........no queues

I feel very very lucky.......

The ehic card is for emergency treatment in Europe....and works both ways.....I was treated amazingly in Spain..........each Eu country has its own rules in ehic, for small things you pay upfront and claim back......

[Beta44 in reply to Morzine]

I agree, in my experience, medical services are better in most of Europe than the UK.

Peter

[Polly159 in reply to Morzine]

Sounds good. My experience was different there - pay meds up front then reclaim 75%. A friend had to pay the ambulance driver (non-emergency) before he would let her out! (Mind you, that was over 40 years ago!)

[Auriculaire in reply to Hidden]

I just have in my reply- France. From personal experience I would say it is much better and so do all the ex pats I know who like me have experienced both. What other European countries have you lived in?

[Hidden in reply to Auriculaire]

Only lived in UK, but have travelled extensively around the world starting from my time in the military, if I count that period 1969 to 1983.ive lived in Germany, Cyprus. Aden (now Yemen) falkland islands, Belize, USA, Hong Kong and a few others. The health service in the UK is superb second to none and its free to everybody in the world, of course, UK citizens pay for it through nation insurance contributions. Have a healthy new year.

[Ianc2 in reply to Hidden]

It is most certainly not free to everybody in the world, as you would find out if you presented yourself to an NHS hospital as a non-British visitor. A bill would be rapidly presented.

I spent quite a few years in the services and travelled around a bit. If I was ill I went down the sick bay and got treated by a forces doctor in a forces hospital (now closed), I did not see any local doctors, ever, and was not able to form any opinion about foreign medical services.

When I started taking caravan holidays in France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland, with my wife and 3 young Kamikazi's, who seemed to think they were completely indestructible, I started coming into contact with lots of different medical systems, usually through broken arms, falls from trees, diving in shallow ends, etc.

I rapidly learned that you do not need to sit for hours in casualty departments, there are better methods of organisation.

On a personal level I first started being afflicted by an irregular heartbeat when I was 55 . I saw a succession of doctors , tried all sorts of pills and slowly got worse, to the point where I could barely walk 6 steps on level ground and stop. One of my neighbours died because of valve problems.

When I was 68 I presented myself at my local hospital with a blood clot in my legs. The Doctor in charge had a look and a listen, then in his minions and trainees to do the same. The clot was dispersed and I was told he would write to my cardiologist as a matter of urgency.

The local cardiologists, as group had a go at the local politicans about the number of their patients dying while on their waiting lists. A pot of money was found and I was operated on when I was 69, which saved my life.

The operation was carried out by a multi national team from the UK, Portugal, Greece and France. The nursing team were all the colours of the rainbow, from many different countries.

Over the last ten years 14,000 beds have closed in the NHS and the International rankings clearly reflect the way the system is being turned into an American style, emergency only, operation with very long waiting lists for anything else.

If you have private insurance, or you are able to pay up front, you will of course receive swift and immediate treatment in a private hospital, often utilising the same consultants.

I have recently been told I have a cataract which needs treatment and I am now on a waiting list just to see a consultant. After I manage to see him or her, I will go onto another waiting list to have an operation. Having paid in NI contributions for 44 years I am not impressed.

However if I raid my piggy bank I can have it done next week for £2,800 at my local Spire hospital.

So, no , it is not superb and second to none.

[Hidden in reply to Auriculaire]

Now that France is such a great country maybe less people will leave it in boats to cross the Channel.

[Auriculaire in reply to Hidden]

Is that the best you can manage?

[Coco51 in reply to Auriculaire]

Absolutely agree Auriculaire. It's brilliant in France. E.g. in my experience blood tests done in a rural practice are back in the same day. If you have a scan you leave with a copy of it you can file and take anywhere, together with the interpretive letter written on the spot and handed to you. And some of the regularly prescribed meds in France are not yet available here.

[Auriculaire in reply to Coco51]

Yes-I could get my blood test results the sameday if I went down to the lab to collect them . But usually I get them sent in the post and they arrive the next morning.

[Coco51 in reply to Auriculaire]

Certainly beats the one week wait at the GP here.

[Roto]

Im old enough to remember how things were before the UK joined the EU....Ive always bought worldwide travel insurance (suits my needs) and not relied on the Euro health card..thankfully never used any of them...

[Ianc2]

For an independent view of health care systems look at the World h Health Organisation ratings We used to be in the top 10, like most other European companies. For example Spain ranks 7th . UK is now ranked 23rd and is slowly sliding down hill. America is 32nd.

Having 3 sons I have had experience of both the French and Spanish medical systems. In both cases we got treated very well. In France we had to pay ( before EHIC) for the treatment and then reclaim most of the cost. No problem. Took a little time that's all.

In Spain we recently attended casualty, were seen very quickly by a triage nurse who agreed that treatment was required and a doctor would need to be seen. This was about 11.30 am. "Come back to room 3 at 12.45 and you will be seen then ", she said. We went off for a coffee, came back on time and sat down expecting a long wait. At 12.45 we were ushered in, sorted out, and sent to the chemist before the siesta hour struck.

The average Spanish citizen likes to have a go about Brits coming over here to Spain, drinking all our wine, falling down drunk, breaking bones and expecting free treatment which I, the Spanish taxpayer, have to pay for.

As usual it is not quite so simple. At the end of each financial year a bunch of civil servants sit down and do the sums to work out who owes what, come to a balance and pay up accordingly.

Now the fun starts. This results in an inter-Govt transfer. Real money. The politicians gather like ravenous wolves starting with central government taking a cut. Then the regional sharks gather to rip out what they see as their expenses and what is left is then argued about at a local level. It's all good fun

[Polly159]

Sounds excellent.