Eu Nationals Using Ehic Cards To Get Healthcare In Their Own Countries Paid By Nhs.

[Bossybabe]

Apparently you can get an NHS Number without proving residency. Once they get the NHS No and an EHIC card, they can get expensive treatment at home and claim it from the NHS. WTF? Loophole that needs closing NOW. NHS numbers should be issue only with residency. No exceptions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-33843758

[MrPin]

What's an EHIC card? I'm not feeling ill BTW.

[geezer466]

What's an EHIC card? I'm not feeling ill BTW.

A card a UK taxpayer (and there dependants) carry in the EU to get healthcare should they need it. Costs are then charged back to the NHS by the host Country.

Seems the Dept of Health has been dishing them out like smarties. Just another example of what a soft touch we are and why we are a migrant magnet.

[MrPin]

A card a UK taxpayer (and there dependants) carry in the EU to get healthcare should they need it. Costs are then charged back to the NHS by the host Country.

Seems the Dept of Health has been dishing them out like smarties. Just another example of what a soft touch we are and why we are a migrant magnet.

Well, these people have been paying UK tax then?

But I still agree it sounds a bit wrong.

[erat_forte]

I didn't think it was only for taxpayers?

[debtlessmanc]

The wail reports that they sent in a Hungarian woman to a GPs in the UK after she had lived one month in the UK. She got the card and went straight by to Budapest and was offered all sorts of treatment on the card including a £17000 liver transplant !!

[knock out johnny]

It will be interesting to see how long it takes and what prevarication ensues to close this loophole. It should be relatively straightforward to sort, but I suspect all kinds of 'reasons' will be found to not deal with it

[The Masked Tulip]

I have become convinced that these kind fo departments - passport, immigration, etc, etc - are now full of people who they themselves were immigants in recent years and hence the plan is to open to floodgates as wild as possible.

[SarahBell]

I have become convinced that these kind fo departments - passport, immigration, etc, etc - are now full of people who they themselves were immigants in recent years and hence the plan is to open to floodgates as wild as possible.

quis custodiet ipsos custodes

We are probably doomed.

[crashmonitor]

The wail reports that they sent in a Hungarian woman to a GPs in the UK after she had lived one month in the UK. She got the card and went straight by to Budapest and was offered all sorts of treatment on the card including a £17000 liver transplant !!

Could be worse they might have temporary residence here and get it on the NHS as opposed to the Hungarian health service, £50,000 here and that excludes the organ retrieval squad, helicopter or otherwise.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-86520/A-consultant-liver-transplant-surgeon-explains-procedure.html

[Eddie_George]

The wail reports that they sent in a Hungarian woman to a GPs in the UK after she had lived one month in the UK. She got the card and went straight by to Budapest and was offered all sorts of treatment on the card including a £17000 liver transplant !!

Did she even need one?!

[Bossybabe]

quis custodiet ipsos custodes

We are probably doomed.

Definitely doomed, doomed...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_Laurie_Dads_Army.jpg

[geezer466]

Well, these people have been paying UK tax then?

But I still agree it sounds a bit wrong.

Not quite.

No checks are necessary. An EU nation with no intention of living or working in Britain (pays no tax) can come here for a short holiday/stay get a card and return to their home Country.

Healthcare is then provided and charged back to the UK by the host country....

[winkie]

So can any one from anywhere in the world arrive into the country, stay with a friend down the road and register at the local GP surgery, get a medical number....no questions asked?

Then use the card they apply for and have access to medical services all over Europe....bill posted back to UKplc for payment?

[Guest eight]

So can any one from anywhere in the world arrive into the country, stay with a friend down the road and register at the local GP surgery, get a medical number....no questions asked?

Then use the card they apply for and have access to medical services all over Europe....bill posted back to UKplc for payment?

You'd like to think not, but I suspect we can all guess the answer.

Britain is a very prosperous country, as evidenced by the fact that we appear to be back-stopping the wellbeing of about half the World's population.

[geezer466]

So can any one from anywhere in the world arrive into the country, stay with a friend down the road and register at the local GP surgery, get a medical number....no questions asked?

Then use the card they apply for and have access to medical services all over Europe....bill posted back to UKplc for payment?

No only in the EU......

In the UK we have free universal healthcare, most other (EU) nations do not therefore there is a pan EU agreement that any UK nationals are treated in an EU Country and the cost is charged back to the UK. The card is proof of entitlement.

EU Nationals working (and paying tax here) are treated free under the you must not discriminate against migrant labour rule. You must treat your own workers better than you say would people from Spain or Germany working here. EU nationals on holiday are treated and attempts are made to recover the cost from them or their health insurance.

So yes a Romanian or Latvian for example with no intention of working or settling in the UK can travel here for a short period acquire a card and return home for free perpetual treatment courtesy UK taxpayers...

UK = Soft touch

[the gardener]

No only in the EU......

In the UK we have free universal healthcare, most other (EU) nations do not therefore there is a pan EU agreement that any UK nationals are treated in an EU Country and the cost is charged back to the UK. The card is proof of entitlement.

EU Nationals working (and paying tax here) are treated free under the you must not discriminate against migrant labour rule. You must treat your own workers better than you say would people from Spain or Germany working here. EU nationals on holiday are treated and attempts are made to recover the cost from them or their health insurance.

So yes a Romanian or Latvian for example with no intention of working or settling in the UK can travel here for a short period acquire a card and return home for free perpetual treatment courtesy UK taxpayers...

UK = Soft touch

In pratice (no pun intended) GPs are not set up with the training/can't be arsed to do the paperwork and will write a prescription for foreign nationals and give out free / cheap drugs. My MIL got her thyroid drugs prescription from a GP one time, no charge.

[geezer466]

Here is a kick in the teeth.. The situation for any Brits daft enough to tell HMRC (and the NHS by default) that they are moving abroad, means they get their EHIC cards cancelled forthwith.

Even if you have paid tax and NI in the UK for 45 years it is cancelled and you have to get private medical insurance at your own expense in your new country.

The crippler is that you are apparently also ineligible for NHS treatment for 12 months after you return to the UK to live, 24 months if you are under state retirement age.
How perverse up is that?

I will put money on it being strictly enforced though, as opposed to this scam.

[Bossybabe]

No only in the EU......

In the UK we have free universal healthcare, most other (EU) nations do not therefore there is a pan EU agreement that any UK nationals are treated in an EU Country and the cost is charged back to the UK. The card is proof of entitlement.

EU Nationals working (and paying tax here) are treated free under the you must not discriminate against migrant labour rule. You must treat your own workers better than you say would people from Spain or Germany working here. EU nationals on holiday are treated and attempts are made to recover the cost from them or their health insurance.

So yes a Romanian or Latvian for example with no intention of working or settling in the UK can travel here for a short period acquire a card and return home for free perpetual treatment courtesy UK taxpayers...

UK = Soft touch

. My guess anyone from anywheres in the world could get an EHIC card by staying in UK, then recharging treatment anywhere else in the EU back to the NHS. No wonder it's in a parlous financial state.

[Bossybabe]

Here is a kick in the teeth.. The situation for any Brits daft enough to tell HMRC (and the NHS by default) that they are moving abroad, means they get their EHIC cards cancelled forthwith.

Even if you have paid tax and NI in the UK for 45 years it is cancelled and you have to get private medical insurance at your own expense in your new country.

The crippler is that you are apparently also ineligible for NHS treatment for 12 months after you return to the UK to live, 24 months if you are under state retirement age.

How perverse up is that?

I will put money on it being strictly enforced though, as opposed to this scam.

You know what to do, then.

[crashmonitor]

You know what to do, then.

No need to tell me what side my bread is buttered. Absolutely no chance of emigrating for the dubious appeal of cheaper property abroad when we have an NHS that hands out a blank cheque to everyone and I get closer to realising my State Pension Ponzi Scheme.

I guess the rest of the world gets it too judging by the queue at Calais.

[Gigantic Purple Slug]

Can't see this lasting long now it's been exposed.

I would have thought that the simple thing to do is simply insist that any use of this card is accompanied by a passport verification.

I can see that the whole "all EU people must be treated the same" becomes a minefield here. For example, can the UK be held responsible for how someone with non citizen but resident status is treated abroad ?

[The Masked Tulip]

So we can all retire and go live in Germany and get German pensions? Or Swedish pensions?

[workingpoor]

Here is a kick in the teeth.. The situation for any Brits daft enough to tell HMRC (and the NHS by default) that they are moving abroad, means they get their EHIC cards cancelled forthwith.

Even if you have paid tax and NI in the UK for 45 years it is cancelled and you have to get private medical insurance at your own expense in your new country.

The crippler is that you are apparently also ineligible for NHS treatment for 12 months after you return to the UK to live, 24 months if you are under state retirement age.

How perverse up is that?

I will put money on it being strictly enforced though, as opposed to this scam.

I think this story is a little light on the facts, i know as above if you move to say Portugal

from the UK your uk EHIC has to be changed for a Portugese EHIC card after 3 months, in most eu states you have to apply for residency after 90 days and become a resident of that country

this then renders your ehic card invalid and you have to get a new one from your new host country of residence which you will then be able to use when you go back to the uk.

i would hazzard a guess that this story is foucusing on some abuse of the ehic card during the "90 days free" eu citizens are allowed in any state before they must apply for residency, incidentally application for residency must be submitted and granted well before the 90 days are up if you are pulled by the police and you have stayed longer than 90 days tourist allowance and havent applied and been granted residency you will be slung in an illegal immigrant detention centre while they verify who you are, how long you have stayed, and what local taxes you have avoided.

[winkie]

One way where you stick out a mile is driving around with British plates.....very strict to see that 90 days not exceeded.

After that if not retired or not paying into the tax system will require private health insurance.....and they check.