[MERGED]Moving for the NHS; Opinions and Advise(Sicko Movie)

I wouldn't advise moving here from the US just for the healthcare, but yes if you are on a WP you will be eligible to use the NHS.  If that is your main reason for moving you may wish to do a little research into how the NHS works. Just to dispel one myth,  it's not free, you pay for it through your National Insurance contributions which are taken out of your pay. Also, it does not provide everything you might want done. Many procedures have waiting lists and many things are simply not available on the NHS. A lot depends on where you live. Have a look around the boards for people's experiences, good and bad.

Bookgrl is right.  I dont want to make you think its impossible... but I came over here as a student and after my visa ran out had an employer (who i did work experience for 3 months for) that was willing to pay all fees and applied for my work permit.. but it was turned down by home office because of in-efficient evidence that they could not employ a UK or EU national.  They even posted an ad in several papers for my position and went through the interview process, even though they knew i was the one they wanted for the position. Its alot of hoops to jump through for the employer! This led to DH and I putting a rush on our wedding.

NHS has its flaws.. and dont mistake it as 'free' healthcare.  Taxes on your wages are ALOT higher over here.  I once waited 4 months for an appointment to get a lump looked at... luckily it turned out to be non-cancerous.. but if i had been cancerous it could have done some serious damage in that time... not to mention the worry i went through.

I dont want to put you off coming over here because its a fabulous country but if healthcare is the main reason for coming.... its DEFINATLY the wrong reason.  

Take care,
Chrissy

 just to agree with the others, moving to the UK just for the health service isnt a good idea, although i have to say my experience with the NHS was excellent.

how much taxes are taken out of your paycheck?  is it different for each company or is it a national tax that everybody has to pay?

It's a national tax taken by the government at source.  I believe it's 22% for lower earners and 40% for higher earners.  There is also Value Added Tax on non-essential goods and services.

Yeah, I definitely wouldn't move here just for the health care. I've had good experiences here for the most part, but you have to get used to giving up choice. You're referred to one specialist, and you may see him or you may see someone under him on the "clinic" day. You are assigned to one gp's office, and you can choose between gps at that practice, though.

They definitely don't believe as much in pre-emptive medicine as they do is the US, i.e., yearly physicals. My hubby was 42 before his blood pressure was ever checked.

Just my experience, though.

There's your income tax and then your National Insurance, which EVERYONE who is working has to pay.

So the NHS is anything but 'free'.

And a very, very weak reason for making such a huge move.

Plus, London is one of the most expensive cities in the entire world.

I currently live in Dallas and want to move to London.  I am going to try to do this on a work permit but I don't know how easy that is.  How many London employers hire Americans who want to live there?

It's very difficult to get a job that would get you a work permit and bring you here. My husband has a Ph.D. and teaches in a field where there is only a limited number of people who have teaching experience in that area and are at his particular level on the university ladder; that's how we ended up in the UK. You need to fill a need that can't otherwise be filled in England or the EU, and that usually means you are highly skilled in some way -- a doctor, nurse, something in the computer field. You can also come on the points system as a highly skilled migrant -- and you will need a high-level degree and several years in your field, preferably in a management position. (I have a bachelor's degree and 12 years in a professional field, and I wouldn't qualify as a highly skilled migrant on my own).

One other option is to find a U.S. company with offices overseas that would hire you and send you to the UK. This also isn't that easy to find, and probably would be a job that required a lot of experience -- and the people already working for the company would probably get the shot at a coveted overseas job before a new hire would.

And the NHS isn't all it's cracked up to be by people looking in from the outside. It's actually no better than the U.S. system, it just has different strengths and weaknesses than the U.S. system.

All that said, yes, you'd be covered by the NHS if you were here on a work permit. You are also covered if you are a student.

you all have to see the movie SICKO by michael moore it is out in the usa look for it in the uk. or you can go michaelmoore.com  it shows how bad health care in the usa is ,drug companys and insurance companys get richer and richer by not paying out for opts. my wifes high blood presser med for 30 tables with insurance is $70. tell all your family and freinds in the usa to see the movie.



 we have our house up for sale so hopefuly will not be long till i am back in the uk after 16 years in the usa with my american wife teresa

It could be just a campaign promise but both leading democrats in the election want Universal heath care. One (maybe both) actually has the whole plan for universal health care laid out on his site. I haven't looked at the other candidates but I plan to.

The NHS isn't perfect but I like to be able to relax and know that if the worse happened we wouldn't have to worry about health insurance and the like.  I had a nasty kidney infection when I was in the US last year and the time I spent in hospital cost thousands.  My travel insurance didn't cover all of it unfortunately. 

I'd like to live in the US some day but the medical care situation is the main thing that puts me off completely.  Even with a good job and benefits it seems prohibitive and I don't think people should have to worry about the cost of going to the doctor.  The personal care and attention you receive is amazing, but to me it just doesn't seem worth it in the long term.

I am not a huge fan of Michael Moore but I am glad a spotlight has been focused on this. I still don't understand how the Unitsd States still does not have a universal health system for it's citizens. I really miss the days when DH was in the military - we didn't pay for prescriptions, didn't have co-pays or anything. When he got out and I went to the civilian pharmacy for the first time again in five years it was quite a shock.

We have coverage with my employer and we are lucky they pay a large portion of the premiums. But still I still pay out almost $3300 a year just in premiums for the three of us - this does not count the deductible we have to meet, the co-pays or any other charges. It scares me to death to imagine being without it.

I've been exceedingly lucky to have good health insurance all my life because my parents are in good jobs with good benefits and I was always on one or both of their plans.  But now that I'm leaving that security by graduating from university, I have to say it is scary as hell to think that my health insurance in the States depends on whether I get a good job or not- especially because I have several pre-existing conditions that must be covered. 

I was worried about this too, as I have a Pre-X and was concerned what would happen if I ended COBRA at some point before I go back to the States. I found that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requires that insurance companies cover someone's pre-existing condition if you have not had a break in coverage of more than 63 days. Meaning you're covered for the condition as long as your new insurance starts in less than 63 days since your old insurance ended. AND, importantly, HIPAA recognizes health plans maintained by foreign governments as creditable coverage that can be used to reduce the length of or eliminate a preexisting condition exclusion. You just get a letter from the NHS saying you were covered by the NHS, and give that to your new insurer in the U.S. You can check out the HIPPA Web site and maybe even contact them if you want to be sure of anything before/if you move back to the States. On top of that, some companies have an agreement with their insurance providers that all pre-existing conditions are covered no matter what (my DOD job was that way). And some states require that all pre-existings be covered, too.

Here's a HIPPA site:  http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_hipaa.html.

I'd like to live in the US some day but the medical care situation is the main thing that puts me off completely. 

I agree. I am going through a stressful time with my health, but am glad that at least I did not have to pay for the surgeries. I wanted to go back to the States at some point, but will be putting that off until my husband and I have some more savings, especially since we are both now much more interested in having kids in the near future. Additionally, now that I am older my parents are more forthcoming about their insurance. It seems crazy living here and hearing how much they have to pay, especially when someone messes up a reference number on a form and they get a letter saying that an operation was not covered!

I'd like to live in the US some day but the medical care situation is the main thing that puts me off completely.  Even with a good job and benefits it seems prohibitive and I don't think people should have to worry about the cost of going to the doctor.  The personal care and attention you receive is amazing, but to me it just doesn't seem worth it in the long term.

Or be in debt forever because they developed a common disease like cancer, or had a disabled child or were struck by an uninsured motorist.  It's very, very hard to get medical debts discharged in bankrupcy now.

We have a child who is disabled, so going back to the US to live will now never happen barring a lotto win.