Free NHS for expats By Alex Watkins THE UK government is considering letting British expats access the NHS for free. The plans are part of what the Department of Health calls "tough proposals to crack down on migrant use and abuse of free healthcare", unveiled by health secretary Jeremy Hunt last week. The report proposes that expatriates and former legal residents of the UK not subject to immigration control, who have paid National Insurance (NI) contributions for a significant period (at least seven years is proposed), should also retain access to all NHS treatment free of charge, both when returning to live in the UK and when just visiting. Currently UK citizens who move to reside abroad lose their entitlement to free NHS treatment. They regain this if they return to live in the UK permanently but usually not when returning to visit. Britons who spend more than six months of the year living in other EU countries usually require an EHIC card from their country of residence to access free emergency care in the UK and are not entitled to ongoing care in their native country. Source: Costa Almeria News
Posted on: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 13:25:24 +0000
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