NHS Charge for Mother in Law on 2 year visit visa

[huqqapani]

She has had few 6 month visas until her current 2 year visit visa.

Can you please confirm whether she is to pay for any NHS treatment i.e. walk in centre, GP etc.

Please advise.

[CR001]

She will be charged at 150% NHS rate for doctor visits, medicines, hospitlisation etc. Visitors are not entitled to free NHS, regardless of how long their visa is valid for.

She does realise that she cannot stay in the UK for 2 years right?

[huqqapani]

Any idea of the cost of check up at walk in. Is that the prescription cost you are talking about? Aren't visitors supposed to have paid a surcharge as part of the visa application?

Yes she knows that she cant stay for more than 6 months at a time

[secret.simon]

I don't think that IHS is applicable for visitor's visa. It is the Immigration Health Surcharge and a visitor is not (not legally anyway) an immigrant.

That is why the charge is levied when the NHS is actually used.

Yes she knows that she cant stay for more than 6 months at a time

I think that the way it works is that not only can your mother in law not stay more than six months, but that she must stay an equivalent period of time or more in her normal country of residence for her to qualify as a visitor.

[CR001]

Any idea of the cost of check up at walk in. Is that the prescription cost you are talking about? Aren't visitors supposed to have paid a surcharge as part of the visa application?

Yes she knows that she cant stay for more than 6 months at a time

You will need to contact the centre to find out about the cost.

No, it is not the prescription cost, she will have to pay for cost of each item of medication. Like a private patient would basically.

[Casa]

Your mother would be strongly advised to take out a private medical insurance. A forum member's parent was recently charged £30,000 for medical treatment following a stroke while here on a visitor visa.

[huqqapani]

Your mother would be strongly advised to take out a private medical insurance. A forum member's parent was recently charged £30,000 for medical treatment following a stroke while here on a visitor visa.

thanks, do you pay anything to NHS even after having the insurance or the insurance covers NHS?

[CR001]

You would need to check with the medical insurance company. The policies vary.

[Petaltop]

I don't think that IHS is applicable for visitor's visa. It is the Immigration Health Surcharge and a visitor is not (not legally anyway) an immigrant.

Here is that link that shows she must pay to use the NHS.

https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigrati ... n/overview

Visitor visas and short-term visas

You don’t have to pay the healthcare surcharge if you’re applying from outside the UK for a visitor visa or any visa that lasts 6 months or less.

You don’t need to use the healthcare surcharge service or get an IHS reference number for your visa application. Instead, you’ll have to pay for any healthcare you get through the NHS at the point you use it.

EU citizens can't buy this IHS and have to buy private insurance if they aren't allowed to use the NHS for free.

Your mother would be strongly advised to take out a private medical insurance. A forum member's parent was recently charged £30,000 for medical treatment following a stroke while here on a visitor visa.

I remember that. The NHS took him to court to get their 37k(?) as he had sponsored his father.