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NHS prescriptions
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H8224920
NHS prescriptions
My parents are moving to the Algarve permantly soon and my mum
has quite a few NHS prescriptions which she is not sure that she can get from Portugal.
What is the procedure for this. Can they be posted from the UK by me?
Can she get them from Portugal? Will she have to pay for them? (She is a pensioner)
Any help or advice would be appreciated, she is moving to Vale de Milho.
Thanks
has quite a few NHS prescriptions which she is not sure that she can get from Portugal.
What is the procedure for this. Can they be posted from the UK by me?
Can she get them from Portugal? Will she have to pay for them? (She is a pensioner)
Any help or advice would be appreciated, she is moving to Vale de Milho.
Thanks
Prescriptions
Unless she joins the Portuguese state health system she will have to pay the full wack.
All prescription medicines have two prices on them - the one you pay if you are on the "caixa" (the helath system) and the full price. Generally people on high levels of medication would find it expensive here I think.
All prescription medicines have two prices on them - the one you pay if you are on the "caixa" (the helath system) and the full price. Generally people on high levels of medication would find it expensive here I think.
You should take a look at the "finding a doctor" post on 10 May and the subsequent responses. The subject is covered there and there have been some other discussions as I recollect.
If your parents join the Portuguese "NHS" system to get the benefit of a reduced price for drugs at the chemists they will be deleted from the UK NHS system because the Portuguese authoritries should notify Dept of Health so that they can get an annual payment from them in respect of health care provided to a UK citizen under the Portuguese system.
If you have a compliant doctor at home who is willing to give you repeat prescriptions for your parents they could stay off the Portuguese health system and you could post the drugs out. Customs here might take an interest but this is unlikely. The major problem is the Dept of Health puts pressure on doctors not to keep issuing prescriptions without seeing the patient and most doctors want to check on a patient receiving ongoing medication and won't keep issuing repeats without seing them every few months.
Unfortunately healthcare in Portugal is expensive and there is no free supply of drugs as in the UK. I believe that a person in receipt of the old age pension does not have to have private health insurance to get residencia and thus access to the portuguese state health system but it is a good idea to have private cover if you can. It would be worth your parents joining (AFPOP the association for foreign residents in Portugal) since this offers a wealth of practical information that they will need and also offers a low cost but limited private health sheme.
If your parents join the Portuguese "NHS" system to get the benefit of a reduced price for drugs at the chemists they will be deleted from the UK NHS system because the Portuguese authoritries should notify Dept of Health so that they can get an annual payment from them in respect of health care provided to a UK citizen under the Portuguese system.
If you have a compliant doctor at home who is willing to give you repeat prescriptions for your parents they could stay off the Portuguese health system and you could post the drugs out. Customs here might take an interest but this is unlikely. The major problem is the Dept of Health puts pressure on doctors not to keep issuing prescriptions without seeing the patient and most doctors want to check on a patient receiving ongoing medication and won't keep issuing repeats without seing them every few months.
Unfortunately healthcare in Portugal is expensive and there is no free supply of drugs as in the UK. I believe that a person in receipt of the old age pension does not have to have private health insurance to get residencia and thus access to the portuguese state health system but it is a good idea to have private cover if you can. It would be worth your parents joining (AFPOP the association for foreign residents in Portugal) since this offers a wealth of practical information that they will need and also offers a low cost but limited private health sheme.
Re: Prescriptions
I bought a box of pills the other day….it’s got four prices on it:biffa wrote: All prescription medicines have two prices on them - the one you pay if you are on the "caixa" (the helath system) and the full price. Generally people on high levels of medication would find it expensive here I think.
PR 12.04
PVP 11.96
RG 2.39
RE 0.60
with a pt medical card I paid 2.39 euros……I’m not sure but I think a pensioner would pay 60 cents
Hi Steve…..are you saying that a person who is not a pensioner has to have private health insurance to get residencia (or a residence permit)? ……I’m sure that’s not the case…steve wrote:I believe that a person in receipt of the old age pension does not have to have private health insurance to get residencia
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Guest
Hi
If you are no longer a resident in the UK ie you do not reside in the UK for a minimum of I think 185 days excluding traveling days. Under new legislation brought in in April 04 my understanding is you do not qualify for treatment under the NHS.
This new legislation was brought in to stop Health tourism to the UK.
Unfortunately many expats have been caught up in this despite having paid into the system all their lives. It is very unfair.
I really hope I have misinterpreted this as of course Private medical insurance companies do not cover(well none that I have looked at) for preconditions.
Kind Regards
Piglet
If you are no longer a resident in the UK ie you do not reside in the UK for a minimum of I think 185 days excluding traveling days. Under new legislation brought in in April 04 my understanding is you do not qualify for treatment under the NHS.
This new legislation was brought in to stop Health tourism to the UK.
Unfortunately many expats have been caught up in this despite having paid into the system all their lives. It is very unfair.
I really hope I have misinterpreted this as of course Private medical insurance companies do not cover(well none that I have looked at) for preconditions.
Kind Regards
Piglet
Digger
Yes that is what I am saying. I was retired when I came here but I was some years off the UK old age pension. I had to have private health insurance to get a residencia. The same has applied to other friends in the same position.
If you are working in Portugal you have to pay what would be NI contributions in the UK (the caixa) and thus qualify for the Portuguese health system in this way - hence no requirement for private health insurance.
To get a residencia you either have to show evidence of work here or the means to support yourself without working eg state or occupational pension or simply a huge wedge certified by your bank manager.
The RG price on drug packets is what you pay as a member of the health system here evidenced by possession of a blue plastic card (cartao de utente). There is sometimes a perculiarity as to whether the drug has been prescribed as generic by the doctor and I have had once or twice to pay the PVP price even with the card. As I understand the position the RE price is paid by people who are the UK equivalent of registered disabled or on social security.
There are some concessions here for pensioners eg with PT but they seem to be restricted to recipients of the Portuguese national pension whenever I have enquired. Probably not legal under EU regulations but who has the time to argue that sort of thing.
Yes that is what I am saying. I was retired when I came here but I was some years off the UK old age pension. I had to have private health insurance to get a residencia. The same has applied to other friends in the same position.
If you are working in Portugal you have to pay what would be NI contributions in the UK (the caixa) and thus qualify for the Portuguese health system in this way - hence no requirement for private health insurance.
To get a residencia you either have to show evidence of work here or the means to support yourself without working eg state or occupational pension or simply a huge wedge certified by your bank manager.
The RG price on drug packets is what you pay as a member of the health system here evidenced by possession of a blue plastic card (cartao de utente). There is sometimes a perculiarity as to whether the drug has been prescribed as generic by the doctor and I have had once or twice to pay the PVP price even with the card. As I understand the position the RE price is paid by people who are the UK equivalent of registered disabled or on social security.
There are some concessions here for pensioners eg with PT but they seem to be restricted to recipients of the Portuguese national pension whenever I have enquired. Probably not legal under EU regulations but who has the time to argue that sort of thing.
Steve, to get your residencia they ask for
* “evidence of health cover (private or state-funded)”
so your British Medical Card proves you’re entitled to NHS in UK which means you’re entitled to NHS here…….or that’s the way it was 3 years ago when I applied.
* taken from British Embassy website 2001
Their new site:
http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servle ... 8275237481
* “evidence of health cover (private or state-funded)”
so your British Medical Card proves you’re entitled to NHS in UK which means you’re entitled to NHS here…….or that’s the way it was 3 years ago when I applied.
* taken from British Embassy website 2001
Their new site:
http://www.britishembassy.gov.uk/servle ... 8275237481
Digger
I can't see the reference to getting a residencia on the site that you quote and personally I would regard it as unusual if UK NHS cover was accepted as giving cover to a would be permanent resident in Portugal. I can't argue with your experience but certainly what you say was not the line taken by the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras in Portimao in 2002.
It was a definite requirement that you had private health cover if you were not covered by the Portuguese system which as a non worker under UK pensioanble age you are not. A male friend of mine who was aged 60 had let his UK private health scheme lapse and he had to get new private health cover before he could get his residencia.
One of the "joys" of life in Portugal is of course the varying approaches to rules and regulations adopted by bureacrats - even to the extent of the same person moving the goalposts between one day and the next!
I can't see the reference to getting a residencia on the site that you quote and personally I would regard it as unusual if UK NHS cover was accepted as giving cover to a would be permanent resident in Portugal. I can't argue with your experience but certainly what you say was not the line taken by the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras in Portimao in 2002.
It was a definite requirement that you had private health cover if you were not covered by the Portuguese system which as a non worker under UK pensioanble age you are not. A male friend of mine who was aged 60 had let his UK private health scheme lapse and he had to get new private health cover before he could get his residencia.
One of the "joys" of life in Portugal is of course the varying approaches to rules and regulations adopted by bureacrats - even to the extent of the same person moving the goalposts between one day and the next!