While outside the UK we will have private health cover.
My wife and I are retired. We wish t... - NHS England: A Ca...
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My wife and I are retired. We wish to live outside the EU for about 6 months each year. While in the UK are we covered by NHS?
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Larryrot
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Hello
You seem to want too live outside the EU, the question that you have asked cannot be answered as such, initially you need to inform where you are want too live
Try site direct gov.com
If you need further advice, you can return, although more information will be required
Good luck regarding move
BOB
BOB is correct that it does depend on where you are going, however, under the current guidance for NHS Trusts etc, the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2011, if you live 6 months or less outside of the UK each year (doesn't matter where) you can still be treated as ordinarily resident in the UK, and therefore entitled to all NHS hospital care free of charge as long as you can show your settled residency in the UK. If you are seeking hospital care then they would be required to carry out checks, ask you for proof that you meet the exemptions for free care, confirm how long you are absent from the UK, flights, bank statements etc
Hospital care does not come free because of being British or because of having an NHS number, but obviously a British person would be lawfully in the UK and therefore it is the settled bit that would need to be checked out.
If you live more than 6 months outside of the UK, then entitlement to care you were not expecting to need on a trip back to the UK (referred to as treatment the need for which arises) would be free of charge to you because you are UK state pensioners, and have lived in the UK for 10 years or more at some point in the past - you would be expected to prove this information to the hospital
It may also depend on what non EU country you are going to, as some have reciprocal health agreements with the UK - e.g Australia, that again allows for "treatment the need for which arises" to be free of charge
You would have to check with your GP as to what they do, as I have no knowledge relating to primary care services.
Guidance here
gov.uk/government/publicati...
or NHS choices