# Healthcare



## retired1999 (Apr 11, 2012)

I am sorry if this has been asked before but I have done a search and cannot find the answer. We are coming over to Cyprus in a month or so but I am not too sure about the healthcare side of it. I am retired on medical grounds and wondered whether I would need private medical insurance. My wife has arthritis in her spine and is on DLA care component and also SDA, again would she need private medical insurance or would she get care due to her being on these benefits?


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## Veronica (Apr 5, 2008)

retired1999 said:


> I am sorry if this has been asked before but I have done a search and cannot find the answer. We are coming over to Cyprus in a month or so but I am not too sure about the healthcare side of it. I am retired on medical grounds and wondered whether I would need private medical insurance. My wife has arthritis in her spine and is on DLA care component and also SDA, again would she need private medical insurance or would she get care due to her being on these benefits?


Are either of you on State retirement pension?
If so you are both entitled to healthcare at the state hospitals here.


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## Mycroft (Sep 9, 2009)

retired1999 said:


> I am sorry if this has been asked before but I have done a search and cannot find the answer. We are coming over to Cyprus in a month or so but I am not too sure about the healthcare side of it. I am retired on medical grounds and wondered whether I would need private medical insurance. My wife has arthritis in her spine and is on DLA care component and also SDA, again would she need private medical insurance or would she get care due to her being on these benefits?


May I suggest you read the sticky at the top of the forum page - Cyprus Healthcare Requirements. You should find the answers to your questions. Please also check with the benefit agency in UK as to whether you will continue to get benefits once you move to Cyprus. I doubt that you will be get any kind of benefits from Cyprus as you have not paid into the Cypriot system. Unless you are in receipt of a UK State pension you will have to pay for state healthcare.

Kind regards


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## retired1999 (Apr 11, 2012)

Hi and thank you for your replies.

No neither of us are on state pensions. I have an employers pension as I was retired on medical grounds.

I have read the sticky about healthcare but it did not answer what I was looking for. I have contacted the DWP exportability team about moving, and they have requested she sends in the details when we actually move, they then say they will look at her case and see if her benefits can be claimed whilst in Cyprus.


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## Mycroft (Sep 9, 2009)

retired1999 said:


> Hi and thank you for your replies.
> 
> No neither of us are on state pensions. I have an employers pension as I was retired on medical grounds.
> 
> I have read the sticky about healthcare but it did not answer what I was looking for. I have contacted the DWP exportability team about moving, and they have requested she sends in the details when we actually move, they then say they will look at her case and see if her benefits can be claimed whilst in Cyprus.


Good evening,

To get permanent residency you will need to ensure the immigration service that you will not 'be a burden on the state healthcare facility' this can be done by providing them with evidence that you have sufficient funds, or private health insurance, to pay for any doctors appointments, hospitalisation, medications etc.. As you have pre existing conditions you will need to shop around for Health Insurance as many companies do not cover pre existing conditions, those that do are very expensive, I have heard of quotes of up to £8000 a year. I am very surprised that the DWP are waiting till you actually move, I would suggest that you press them, to give you an answer sooner rather than later as this may be vital to your financial planning.
Kind regards


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## retired1999 (Apr 11, 2012)

Again thank you for your reply. We will contact the DWP in the morning and ask about getting form E106 from them. It is mainly my wife I am concerned about as my health is quite good. Will paying income tax when we are there make any difference? as my pension is over the €19500 threshold limit.


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## Mycroft (Sep 9, 2009)

retired1999 said:


> Again thank you for your reply. We will contact the DWP in the morning and ask about getting form E106 from them. It is mainly my wife I am concerned about as my health is quite good. Will paying income tax when we are there make any difference? as my pension is over the €19500 threshold limit.



Good morning,
The fact that you are paying tax here does not make any difference, unfortunately. the health system here is based in how much your annual income is, and a sliding scale for payments. The more you earn the more you pay each time you need to use the health system, until you start receiving a state pension when the healthcare is free. For those receiving a UK state pension healthcare is also free once we are in receipt of a pink health card.
Kind regards


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## retired1999 (Apr 11, 2012)

Right I have been in touch with the DWP International section and they could not give me an answer, she passed me on to someone else who also could not give me an answer, I was then passed on to another department who once again could not help me. According to their website my wife should be eligible for healthcare but for some reason their staff do not seem to know the answers. Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.


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## Mycroft (Sep 9, 2009)

retired1999 said:


> Right I have been in touch with the DWP International section and they could not give me an answer, she passed me on to someone else who also could not give me an answer, I was then passed on to another department who once again could not help me. According to their website my wife should be eligible for healthcare but for some reason their staff do not seem to know the answers. Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.


Good afternoon,

I expect that you and your wife will be eligible for state healthcare, as are all residents of Cyprus, but it will not be free as you are under state retirement age, unless you get the S1 (old E106), which could give you up to 2.5years free depending on NI contributions in UK. I do despair of the DWP, as their website is less than helpful, as it appears are their staff. I am at a loss at what to advise you to do next. Hopefully someone else can give you more help.

Kind regards


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## retired1999 (Apr 11, 2012)

Thank you, I have now emailed the DWP asking about form S1, according to their website we are supposed to do this before moving abroad. Hopefully with something written down, one of them may know what we have to do next but after today`s performance I am not holding my breath.

Sorry to appear thick  but what exactly do you mean by state health care?


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## Mycroft (Sep 9, 2009)

retired1999 said:


> Thank you, I have now emailed the DWP asking about form S1, according to their website we are supposed to do this before moving abroad. Hopefully with something written down, one of them may know what we have to do next but after today`s performance I am not holding my breath.
> 
> Sorry to appear thick  but what exactly do you mean by state health care?


Hello again,

The health system in Cyprus is made up of the independent (private) Sector where you pay for everything as in UK, and the State sector, that is government hospitals and clinics. As yet there is no National Health Service as such, (this fact has yet again been in the local press recently) hence the different levels of care, costs etc. throughout the island. However saying that I can speak personally for the care from the local state health centre and I have several friends who have used the state hospitals and speak very highly of the service received. 

Kind regards


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## retired1999 (Apr 11, 2012)

Once again many thanks for taking the time to explain things to me


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## Mycroft (Sep 9, 2009)

retired1999 said:


> Once again many thanks for taking the time to explain things to me


You are more than welcome


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## retired1999 (Apr 11, 2012)

*Form s1 and dr` notes*

Today my wife finally received her S1 form, what do we do with form now? We are based in Deryneia, do we go to the nearest general hospital and if so which department do we go to?

Also the pension service has asked my wife to provide a Dr`s note form Cyprus so she can maintain her benefits, again, could someone please point us in the right direction and tell us how to do this, would we have to go private or could she get it from the hospital?

Sorry for all the questions.....


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## Isaac Hunt (Aug 7, 2012)

Hi,

It may possibly be of some help to you if you check to see if your Local Authority/Council in the area which you live in the UK, has a Welfare Benefits Unit. I discovered a couple or so years back, that my particular Local Authority have a very good one, and I now have a "dedicated" Welfare Benefits Officer, who I have got to know very well, and deal with if I have any Benefit Entitlement Queries, or need any on-going Benefits advice from time to time. I think you mentioned that the transfer of the Care Component of DLA was involved, and I am sure that if you can locate your local Welfare Benefits Unit, this is something that they should most definitely be able to help with, and/or advise you on, along with any other "State" awarded Benefit Queries. Also, I`m "assuming", (always dangerous !!), that you claim Carer`s Allowance for looking after your Partner, and I believe that this is also transferable to any other EEC Member Country in which you decide to live. It`s only the Mobility Component of DLA which is Not Transferable at present. Hope this helps a little.


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## Isaac Hunt (Aug 7, 2012)

Isaac Hunt said:


> Hi,
> 
> It may possibly be of some help to you if you check to see if your Local Authority/Council in the area which you live in the UK, has a Welfare Benefits Unit. I discovered a couple or so years back, that my particular Local Authority have a very good one, and I now have a "dedicated" Welfare Benefits Officer, who I have got to know very well, and deal with if I have any Benefit Entitlement Queries, or need any on-going Benefits advice from time to time. I think you mentioned that the transfer of the Care Component of DLA was involved, and I am sure that if you can locate your local Welfare Benefits Unit, this is something that they should most definitely be able to help with, and/or advise you on, along with any other "State" awarded Benefit Queries. Also, I`m "assuming", (always dangerous !!), that you claim Carer`s Allowance for looking after your Partner, and I believe that this is also transferable to any other EEC Member Country in which you decide to live. It`s only the Mobility Component of DLA which is Not Transferable at present. Hope this helps a little.


I`ve just noticed that the Original Thread went back to April 2012,  and you appear to be in Cyprus now, so apologies for that, but I`ll leave my original reply in place, just in case it may be of some help to anyone else in a similar situation !!. :thumb:


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## retired1999 (Apr 11, 2012)

Anyone out there who can advise?


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