Visitor Visa - NHS cover

[aspirant910]

My 76 year old mother has arrived in UK on 6 month visitor visa and intend to stay for couple of months.
It looks like NHS provides very less medical cover and i am looking for some cover even she do not have any illness history. Is a travel insurance better or a medical insurance ?
I know its an off topic here on the forum.

Thanks

[CR001]

She should have taken out travel/medical insurance BEFORE travelling to the UK.

She does not qualify for any NHS treatment and will be billed at 150% of cost if she uses the NHS.

[JB007]

She should have taken out travel/medical insurance BEFORE travelling to the UK.

She does not qualify for any NHS treatment and will be billed at 150% of cost if she uses the NHS.

And NHS England will want the full payment in advance of any treatment. Visitors in need of treatment are expected to use their return ticket/bring their flight foward, to return to their own country for treatrment they need if they can't pay in advance.

[JB007]

Is a travel insurance better or a medical insurance ?

You need cover that will cover as soon as she leaves India, to the time she arrives back in India. You never know if a plane will be diverted.

For claiming back any money she/you has to pay to the NHS-

Travel insurance

The government always advises visitors to the UK to take out travel or health insurance. This means that you can reclaim any healthcare costs you are required to pay from your insurer.

Check your insurance has the necessary healthcare coverage to make sure you can get the treatment you need during your visit.

Insurance is particularly important for those with a pre-existing health condition. You must tell your insurance company about any health conditions you have to make sure you can get the cover you need.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare- ... ing-the-uk

[Nessah]

NHS does not check people's immigration status before giving treatment. All you need is to go to any NHS surgery and register her for a GP there. A few days later she can obtain treatment. Medical treatment is a basic human right and the are obligated to provide said treatment.

[JB007]

Medical treatment is a basic human right and the are obligated to provide said treatment.

Not for free. The N in NHS stands for National. The NHS is a national healthcare system and not a world healthcare system. In fact, even some British citizens have to pay to use the NHS when visit.

It has been very easy to steal from the NHS when visititing or when not allowed to use the NHS bill free, which is why England changed the law for NHS England.

9
Executive summary
1. The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 (the
Charging Regulations) came into force on 6 April 2015 and apply to all courses of
treatment commenced on or after that date. The Regulations were subsequently amended
in 2017 and 2020; the main changes are presented in Annex A.

2. The NHS is a residency-based healthcare system and eligibility for relevant services
without charge is based on the concept of “ordinary residence”. An "overseas visitor" is
any person who is not “ordinarily resident” in the UK. A person will be “ordinarily resident”
in the UK when that residence is lawful, adopted voluntarily, and for settled purposes as
part of the regular order of their life for the time being, whether of short or long duration.
Persons who are subject to immigration control must also have indefinite leave to remain
in the UK in order to be "ordinarily resident" here. A person who is "ordinarily resident" in
the UK must not be charged for relevant services

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... y-2022.pdf

There are often stories in the press where people are being refused treatment as they are not allowed to use the NHS bill free, but thought they should be given that treatment.
Here is one who came to the UK as a visitor and overstayed-
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk ... t-15838710


UKVI check outstanding NHS debt. NHS total debt of £500 plus, can mean no visa to remain or to enter the UK, until that debt is paid.

[JB007]

NHS does not check people's immigration status before giving treatment. All you need is to go to any NHS surgery and register her for a GP there. A few days later she can obtain treatment.

And for the rest of your statement-

Free services

GP and nurse consultations in primary care, treatment provided by a GP and other primary care services are free of charge to all whether registering with a GP as an NHS patient, or accessing NHS services as a temporary patient. A temporary patient is someone who is in the area for more than 24 hours and less than 3 months.

For secondary care services, the UK’s healthcare system is residence-based. This means that you must be living lawfully in the UK on a properly settled basis to be entitled to free healthcare.

The measure of residence that the UK uses to determine whether someone is entitled to free NHS healthcare is known as ‘ordinary residence’. To be ordinarily resident in the UK, people from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who are subject to immigration control need to also have the immigration status of ‘indefinite leave to remain’

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitle ... ee-for-all

[JB007]

NHS does not check people's immigration status before giving treatment. All you need is to go to any NHS surgery and register her for a GP there. A few days later she can obtain treatment.

And for the rest of your statement-

Free services

GP and nurse consultations in primary care, treatment provided by a GP and other primary care services are free of charge to all whether registering with a GP as an NHS patient, or accessing NHS services as a temporary patient. A temporary patient is someone who is in the area for more than 24 hours and less than 3 months.

For secondary care services, the UK’s healthcare system is residence-based. This means that you must be living lawfully in the UK on a properly settled basis to be entitled to free healthcare.

The measure of residence that the UK uses to determine whether someone is entitled to free NHS healthcare is known as ‘ordinary residence’. To be ordinarily resident in the UK, people from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who are subject to immigration control need to also have the immigration status of ‘indefinite leave to remain’

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-entitle ... ee-for-all

And this shows how the NHS England hospitals must now check. They are no longer allowed to waive charges.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... y-2022.pdf

[aspirant910]

She should have taken out travel/medical insurance BEFORE travelling to the UK.

She does not qualify for any NHS treatment and will be billed at 150% of cost if she uses the NHS.

Can i still take medical insurance in Uk for her ?

[CR001]

She should have taken out travel/medical insurance BEFORE travelling to the UK.

She does not qualify for any NHS treatment and will be billed at 150% of cost if she uses the NHS.

Can i still take medical insurance in Uk for her ?

You are unlikely to find a place who will offer medical insurance for a person who is not resident in the UK.

[aspirant910]

She should have taken out travel/medical insurance BEFORE travelling to the UK.

She does not qualify for any NHS treatment and will be billed at 150% of cost if she uses the NHS.

Can i still take medical insurance in Uk for her ?

You are unlikely to find a place who will offer medical insurance for a person who is not resident in the UK.

She arrived in UK on 30/08. Not sure if any company can still provide travel insurance.

[CR001]

Travel insurance should be arranged before travelling to your destination country.

[blondesafari]

My 76 year old mother has arrived in UK on 6 month visitor visa and intend to stay for couple of months.
It looks like NHS provides very less medical cover and i am looking for some cover even she do not have any illness history. Is a travel insurance better or a medical insurance ?
I know its an off topic here on the forum.

Thanks

Good grief! You’re actually expecting British taxpayers to pay for your Mother’s medical expenses! When my parents visit they take out Travel Insurance! It’s the National Health Service, not the International Health Service. This gives all of us immigrants a bad name!

[blondesafari]

NHS does not check people's immigration status before giving treatment. All you need is to go to any NHS surgery and register her for a GP there. A few days later she can obtain treatment. Medical treatment is a basic human right and the are obligated to provide said treatment.

That is exactly what gives immigrants like us a bad name! Why must British taxpayers pay for foreigner’s medical expenses?

[JB007]

NHS does not check people's immigration status before giving treatment. All you need is to go to any NHS surgery and register her for a GP there. A few days later she can obtain treatment. Medical treatment is a basic human right and the are obligated to provide said treatment.

That is exactly what gives immigrants like us a bad name!

Perhaps they thought they could enter as a visitor and overstay as they thought human rights meant they must be given free healthcare; and then they put in a human rights application???

Why must British taxpayers pay for foreigner’s medical expenses?

They don't anymore; the laws changed to stop these abusers (Immigration Act 2014). England then brought in the Charging Regulations which means NHS England no longer has the choice of waiving the charges as that is now against the law (and rightly so). Brexit stopped the other NHS abusers nipping across the channel for treatment when they couldn't afford healthcare/didn't want to pay, in their own EEA country.

This is the guidance for staff working in health and in social care. Updated to relfect the end of EEA citizens using free movement and being given bill free use of NHS England.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... y-2022.pdf

[vinny]

Brexit stopped the other NHS abusers nipping across the channel for treatment when they couldn't afford healthcare/didn't want to pay, in their own EEA country.

There seems to be a discrepancy in the figures.

[JB007]

Brexit stopped the other NHS abusers nipping across the channel for treatment when they couldn't afford healthcare/didn't want to pay, in their own EEA country.

There seems to be a discrepancy in the figures.

I wasn't talking about the abuse with the EHICs: but that is disgusting to read your article and find was going on and being funded by the British taxpayer.

I was talking about those who nipped over the channel when they wanted free healthcare and pretending that they lived in the UK. One French citizen now living in the UK, stating on another forum that she thought her parents (living in France) should continue to be given free use of the NHS after Brexit as their NHS treatment had already started.

As EEA countries have insurance based healthcare and the UK did not, it was always obvious the UK would be a target. I doubt we will ever know the true cost of that abuse, which was funded by the British taxpayers.

[vinny]

That’s true, as the Government considers fraud figures as unimportant.

[JB007]

Brexit stopped the other NHS abusers nipping across the channel for treatment when they couldn't afford healthcare/didn't want to pay, in their own EEA country.

There seems to be a discrepancy in the figures.

I wasn't talking about the abuse with the EHICs: but that is disgusting to read your article and find was going on and being funded by the British taxpayer.

I was talking about those who nipped over the channel when they wanted free healthcare and pretending that they lived in the UK. One French citizen now living in the UK, stating on another forum that she thought her parents (living in France) should continue to be given free use of the NHS after Brexit as their NHS treatment had already started.

As EEA countries have insurance based healthcare and the UK did not, it was always obvious the UK would be a target. I doubt we will ever know the true cost of that abuse, which was funded by the British taxpayers.

Oh and it appears your article is incorrect vinny. It seems that UK EHICs weren't just issued to "British people" to pay for treatment in other EEA countries. Non-British could apply for a UK EHIC and that includes EEA citizens: which they could then use in all the EEA countries (including their own EEA country).

[JB007]

That’s true, as the Government considers fraud figures as unimportant.

That article has nothing to do with NHS abuse. I'll have what you are drinking Roll on 6pm.

[vinny]

It’s just an example showing that the Government may discount fraud figures and claim that crime figures are down.

What is stopping them from giving unrealistic guesstimates in any category to scare the public?

[blondesafari]

NHS does not check people's immigration status before giving treatment. All you need is to go to any NHS surgery and register her for a GP there. A few days later she can obtain treatment. Medical treatment is a basic human right and the are obligated to provide said treatment.

That is exactly what gives immigrants like us a bad name!

Perhaps they thought they could enter as a visitor and overstay as they thought human rights meant they must be given free healthcare; and then they put in a human rights application???

Thank you, JB. I really hope that the abuse is stopped.

Why must British taxpayers pay for foreigner’s medical expenses?

They don't anymore; the laws changed to stop these abusers (Immigration Act 2014). England then brought in the Charging Regulations which means NHS England no longer has the choice of waiving the charges as that is now against the law (and rightly so). Brexit stopped the other NHS abusers nipping across the channel for treatment when they couldn't afford healthcare/didn't want to pay, in their own EEA country.

This is the guidance for staff working in health and in social care. Updated to relfect the end of EEA citizens using free movement and being given bill free use of NHS England.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... y-2022.pdf

[alterhase58]

As the thread is raising the subject of EU citizens perhaps it's good to clarify:
This is applicable to visitors from the EU, i.e. those who have no immigration status in the UK.
EU citizens who came to the UK under Free Movement rights and got settled here (now EU Settled Status) have full access to NHS services, subject of course to checks on habitual residence, applicable to British citizens also.

[n8net]

while it is true in-patient hospital treatment is charged for overseas visitors, services from GP surgery are totally free, I know a friend whose mom of same age as OP registered at a GP practice and they did all the blood tests and even gave the medication without any charge!

hope this helps somebody..

[JB007]

while it is true in-patient hospital treatment is charged for overseas visitors, services from GP surgery are totally free, I know a friend whose mom of same age as OP registered at a GP practice and they did all the blood tests and even gave the medication without any charge!

hope this helps somebody..

I have put a link above of what is given for free (under present rules).

If the blood tests were sent to a hospital then they had tp pay and can still be billed. It is not in a visitors own interest to take what they are not allowed. It also gets the laws changed

When Labour were last in goverrnment, they talked about bringing in a charge for anyone to visit a GP (which is what the GPs asked for) and Conservatives are now talking about this too.

A consultation was also run to see what people thought of not paying for (via their taxes) for the present limited free NHS for visitors, because British citizens are not given this when they visit other countires (unless the UK has reciprocal agreement with that country). The result was in favour of ending this, e.g. ending: free ambulance, free A&E, free paramedics etc. These show what governments are thinking about changing in the future.


You need health insurance when you leave your own country as you never know when you will need it.

As you can read in the links-
for hospitals in England, you pay up front at 150% of the national charge and claim back the money from your insurance. Under the law change, they must refuse treatment if the estimated full cost is not paid in advance.
If a doctor confirms that the treament is so urgent that you can't get back home for treatment e.g. heart attack, then you can pay afterwards, but you are still billed at 150% of the NHS natioanl charges.
NHS England use debt collectors in other countries.
UVKI are advised of the debt by the NHS, for future visits. They also get passneger lists and can be there to meet them if they try to enter the UK again and had hoped to use the e-gates.

The links on this have already been put above.