Free medication for hypothyroidism for someone on a spousal visa?

Monday was the first time that I have been to the Dr in the UK even though I have been here for almost a year. I told my Dr that I need synthroid or the generic version and told her when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. She wrote the Rx. I turned it in the the pharmacist said it would be £7.20 but when i went to pick it up another woman said if I get a medical exemptions card then the synthorid is free.

Am I allowed to get it on a spousal visa? Would it hurt my application for my ILR? I just do not want it to be viewed as accessing public funding since my visa clearly states that i cannot.

If I am allowed how do I apply for the exemption. I am getting my blood work done next week so it will confirm to the Dr that I have hypothyroidism and also my dosage.

Yes, if you have hypothyroidism, then you are entitled to get all your prescriptions for free (not just the prescriptions for the hypothyroidism, but all prescriptions). In order to get them for free, you do need to get a medical exemption card - I think you can get the form from your GP, but it may take a while to actually receive it in the post (you might be able to claim back your prescription costs after you get it though). You can find out more about getting free prescriptions here: http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/Healthcosts/pages/Prescriptioncosts.aspx

If you are on a spousal visa, you are entitled to NHS treatment and free prescriptions (due to your hypothyroidism), just like everyone else in the UK. The NHS is not considered public funds, so it won't affect your ILR or anything like that in the future .

I have a medical excemption card, my GP told me to register for one in their office as soon as I told them I was hypothyroid. They even sent it off for me.

Levo (the genetric) is free no matter if you have the card or not. Its a free prescription and my husband even picks it up for me without the card and they dont charge him.

With the card all my prescriptions are free which is so helpful. Ask your GP for your Medical Excempt form

BTW I am on a spousal visa and got the card two weeks after arriving in the UK

I'm curious what the rationale is for offering free prescriptions on all medications when you have certain conditions?  I can certainly and completely understand the lifesaving medication, but why all the other medication a person may be on?

Also, why are only some conditions covered- but so many chronic (and some life threating illnesses) conditions require daily medication, but they aren't covered as free.

This isn't a whinge at all (don't want it to sound that way, because I'm not meaning it that way at all  )  I'm just geniunely curious as it doesn't add up in my head! Does anyone know?

I'm curious what the rationale is for offering free prescriptions on all medications when you have certain conditions?  I can certainly and completely understand the lifesaving medication, but why all the other medication a person may be on?

Also, why are only some conditions covered- but so many chronic (and some life threating illnesses) conditions require daily medication, but they aren't covered as free.

This isn't a whinge at all (don't want it to sound that way, because I'm not meaning it that way at all  )  I'm just geniunely curious as it doesn't add up in my head! Does anyone know?

Yes. It doesn't make sense to me that if you have hypothyroidism and get a minor infection, you can get free antibiotics, but someone with heart disease or life-threatening asthma has to pay for their medication. (I know this because I have asthma and was told this by my asthma nurse.)

Another curious one is why the pregnancy medical exemption card is good until 1 year after the baby arrives?  I mean I get that they don't want cost to be an issue if a pregnant woman needs medication but why extend it so long after the birth?

I've always wondered the same things, and would be really interested to learn how they decide which medical conditions qualify for the exemption.  IMO, asthma should be one, and I'm quite surprised to hear that it isn't.

I have no idea about the pregnancy one, but I was grateful for it lol. My first year after having DS was pretty awful, medically speaking. I had spent the third trimester on crutches (my back had gotten seriously screwed up during pregnancy) almost a year after the birth in physio, and my cesarean incision became horribly infected and I spent 6 weeks on 3 different antibiotics.  One possible reason I could think of for a one year exemption(and it's a small one I suppose) is to help moms with post-partum depression, which doesn't necessarily get noticed immediately.  Also things like mastitis related to breast-feeding.  I'm just throwing out random guesses, but it is interesting to think about.

Not sure what the rationale is though, in the case of diabetes & hypothyroid, the meds aren't really drugs as such, they're hormone replacements.  Something your body ought to make on its own, but isn't.

In Scotland, they do something called Pre-Payment Certificates, so if you do need a monthly medication for any reason, you can basically get a bulk-discount by paying by the year, or per 4 months.  Of course, it's a moot point, since in another couple of months, all prescriptions charges will be dropped.

I've always wondered the same things, and would be really interested to learn how they decide which medical conditions qualify for the exemption.  IMO, asthma should be one, and I'm quite surprised to hear that it isn't.

And cancer was only added to the list in 2009...

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do after my exemption expires in 5 years, considering I have to take an antibiotic every day for the rest of my life now, and my GP will only issue prescriptions for one month at a time.

IMHO, any chronic condition that requires long-term prescriptions should be exempt.

Edit: Oh, interesting! On here it says they should be changing exemptions to cover all Long Term Conditions over the next few years... I hope the government change doesn't scupper this.

Edit: Oh, interesting! On here it says they should be changing exemptions to cover all Long Term Conditions over the next few years... I hope the government change doesn't scupper this.

I really hope psoriasis is included on that list. It is a chronic condition with no cure, so I need to buy two different medications for it and will have to do that forever. I didn't complain when I lived in Wales and had free prescriptions, but it's now costing me a bloody fortune.

I can see the arguement. TBH I dont know why, and hear it all the time. For me personally I have chronic pain from having hypo causing nerve damage because years without treatment. So my repeat prescriptions does help and has stopped pain/panic attacks.
 
I do hear the asthma arguement it i a big one, hypo/hyper can lead to heart disease or nerve damage and brain issues  but dont shoot the messager, us thyroid disease folk are sensitive ( cry at everything now) .  

Oh believe me, I am happy that some folks with chronic/life threating conditions get free meds- especially the life saving ones. I just don't understand the rationale as to why some are and some aren't!  What makes something different than another? 

It only lists hypo does that mean hyper isn't covered?  It just gets odder and odder. 

It only lists hypo does that mean hyper isn't covered?  It just gets odder and odder. 

I actually thought that hyperthyroidism was covered too (I've always been under the impression that any thyroid condition, whether over-active or under-active, was covered), but I've just looked it up and it seems it's not . I have no idea why it's not, though .

In Scotland, they do something called Pre-Payment Certificates, so if you do need a monthly medication for any reason, you can basically get a bulk-discount by paying by the year, or per 4 months.  Of course, it's a moot point, since in another couple of months, all prescriptions charges will be dropped.

You can get Pre-Payment Certificates in England too - they cost £28.25 for 3 months and £104.00 for 12 months (compared to £10 for 4 months and £28 for 12 months in Scotland... but, as you say, Scottish prescriptions are soon to be free anyway ).