Health Insurance for Expat Retiree in the Philippines

[Snowy79]

1 minute ago, GeoffH said:

GB seems to be a bit more generous than Australia when it comes to expat coverage for illness using the public health citizen from what I've read.

Australia has a policy that if you're a non-resident citizen for 5 years then you can no longer access free and/or subsidized medical and hospital cover in Australia once you've been a non-resident for 5 years. 

You can still access medical and hospital care but you have to become a resident again and apply for a new medicare card (no waiting period) but I'm not sure what the implications are if you did that and then flew back to the Philippines after you recovered.  Even an tax agent that specializes in expat tax was unable to get a definitive answer from medicare or the ATO.  

 

For the UK it's only 3 months out of the country and you no longer qualify for free NHS treatment.  I'd be working on the principle they can treat someone straight off the first dinghy claiming asylum they can treat me. Failing that treatment is free in prison and I'd get free food and accomodation. 

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Yes I think thats my point so only good for that situation if you are not staying here for years.

It is probably OK as long as you are on a tourist visa and go home at least once a year.

[OnMyWay]

23 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

from my family history we tend to live to a rope old age

So when anyone in the family gets old and decrepit, it's suicide by hanging?  

[hk blues]

8 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

For the UK it's only 3 months out of the country and you no longer qualify for free NHS treatment.  I'd be working on the principle they can treat someone straight off the first dinghy claiming asylum they can treat me. Failing that treatment is free in prison and I'd get free food and accomodation. 

Whilst I agree that it seems more than unfair that some can get free treatment when others who have contributed to the NHS through NI cannot - but, that's the policy and I've read numerous stories of former residents getting hefty bills after treatment.  The NHS will certainly treat you but for free...I'm not so sure.

 

 

[GeoffH]

25 minutes ago, hk blues said:

I've read numerous stories of former residents getting hefty bills after treatment.  The NHS will certainly treat you but for free...I'm not so sure.

That's actually stricter than Australia by the sound of things.  But the 'hefty bill' thing is my main concern if I needed Aussie care also.

Still, I guess I've got 5 years in the Philippines before that would hit me.

Edited July 24, 2020 by GeoffH

[Freebie]

13 hours ago, MikeB said:

Have you used it in the phils and did they do direct billing to insurance or did you have to pay upfront and file claims? That would be the downside to using a foreign company. The insurance company will often say a hospital can direct bill them but it's up to the hospital, not them. 

Ive done it both ways. I find its way easier just to pay the bill myself, send a scan of the bill to Cigna and so far for 100% of all bills sent, the money is remitted to my HK account within 5-7 days.

[Freebie]

54 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

For the UK it's only 3 months out of the country and you no longer qualify for free NHS treatment.  I'd be working on the principle they can treat someone straight off the first dinghy claiming asylum they can treat me. Failing that treatment is free in prison and I'd get free food and accomodation. 

Which is why I have my Cigna policy as I also know the NHS wouldnt do anything for me having not lived in UK for past 35 plus years. I know though that they are obliged to treat me for emergencies, but yes anything that requires long term treatment, I understand the NHS wouldnt do that for me.

[hk blues]

37 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

That's actually stricter than Australia by the sound of things.  But the 'hefty bill' thing is my main concern if I needed Aussie care also.

Still, I guess I've got 5 years in the Philippines before that would hit me.

Yes...pretty strict these days. I'm not sure how long we need to be back in the UK to 'requalify' t.b.h. 

I guess hefty is relative - the figures I saw were in the below £10k but big enough.

I'll put my tin hat on and say I can understand the logic but maybe they should look at NI records to determine if/how much we need to pay - the state pension uses such a system which i think is fair.

I'm making voluntary NI contributions now so maybe that's keeping me inside the system - I don't know though.

Would also have to factor in the cost of going back and how quickly we'd be treated - I'm not convinced it's a viable option for everyone.

 

 

[jimeve]

1 hour ago, Snowy79 said:

For the UK it's only 3 months out of the country and you no longer qualify for free NHS treatment.  I'd be working on the principle they can treat someone straight off the first dinghy claiming asylum they can treat me. Failing that treatment is free in prison and I'd get free food and accomodation. 

Just chuck your passport and colour your body. 

[graham59]

58 minutes ago, Freebie said:

Which is why I have my Cigna policy as I also know the NHS wouldnt do anything for me having not lived in UK for past 35 plus years. I know though that they are obliged to treat me for emergencies, but yes anything that requires long term treatment, I understand the NHS wouldnt do that for me.

Easy.

Just don't tell them you've been out of the country.

Alternatively, just seek asylum...along with the rest of the parasites currently sucking the system dry. 

Can anyone believe that people actually PAY these legendary huge bills from the NHS ?

Now of course if you were wishing to go through the LEGAL process of bringing a Filipina fiancee or spouse into the country of your birth... oh, lots of money to pay in advance for their NHS treatment, whether they have any or not...nevermind the huge visa fees, etc.  

The UK really is a sad fked up country these days.

Oh, and I'm on the wife's Philhealth policy here.

Anything super-serious, if I can't get on a flight out, I''ve told her to just chuck me in the river.

Damned if I'm going to spend my last few years worrying about death.

Edited July 24, 2020 by graham59