# Public healthcare if I'm unemployed and not retired.



## Amy000 (Jun 14, 2015)

Hello there! I'm EU citizen, lived many years in UK and now legal resident in Portugal as a housewife  I am not retired, not employed, not registered as Jobseeker. Do I qualify for public healthcare? Where should I go to sort it out? Are my NI contributions in UK of any use in this situation? If anyone went through this, please give me a shout!


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Welcome to the forum. 

This subject comes up regularly and the general consensus of opinion is that it seems to vary from area to area so you probably need to ask at your local social security office or at your local GPs surgery but for what it's worth, my wife and I are both UK passport holders, both in our late 50s so not yet in receipt of our state pensions but we are both in receipt of small private pensions and we're both registered with out local GP and have both had more or less free healthcare here.


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## In 2 bikes (Apr 18, 2013)

As T.M. states, I think it's all down to obtaining your Social Security number from the local office and when armed with that, and your Town Hall ( Camara ) residency certifcate you are pretty much assured of being able to register at your local health centre / Doc. It's the social sec number that seems to be the key.

I'm almost 100% certain your U.K. stuff ( N.I. / EHIC / E111 ) doesn't buy anything here now that your a resident as opposed to being a 'tourist' or temporary visitor.

The other option is to obtain health insurance for hospital treatment which should include out-patient attendance. After all, the cost of removing a broken arm plaster etc, could rack up..

Keep us posted please because there are quite a few peopes who ask the same thing, as T.M. mentioned, and no-one seems to have the definitive yet.

Best of.......


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

From the website of my local GPs. 

Natural citizens of countries that have established agreements and conventions with Portugal covering the protection in sickness and maternity can access health care provided by the National Health Service.


Andorra
Brazil
Cape Verde
Morocco
United Kingdom 

Portal da Saúde - Ao abrigo de convenções internacionais


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## Maggy Crawford (Sep 18, 2010)

For information on costs. Yesterday I paid for a backlog of treatments and tests at Coimbra University. The total was € 105 which covered:
2 x consultations with my specialist
1 x PET scan (lasting 40 minutes)
2 x CAT scans including oral contrasts
Every blood test you can think of

I am a pensioner and treated as if I were Portuguese so these are the costs to everyone who is covered by the state health system.

Hope that helps as an indication.


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## In 2 bikes (Apr 18, 2013)

Thanks Maggy, nice to know, and I hope you're better soon.

When I mentioned the NHS / EHIC / E111 won't cover a person once they are a certificated resident in Portugal, I meant this would be the case for pre-retirees ( under pensionable age ). 

I am absolutely convinced that the E.U. agreements only apply to us Brits if you have either a valid, in date, S1 form from the DWP in Newcastle or are 66+. When I spoke to the DWP in Feb 2014, they stated that they are stopping the S1 cover for pre-retirees in April of the same year. In a nutshell, Britain is not picking up the tab for people who live abroad who are under 66, unless they have been lucky enough to get registered with the Portuguese health system in some way.

There is a phrase that goes soemthing like '_ every E.U. citizen has the right to expect medical attention and treatment to the same standard as that of an individual from the country providing that care_'. .....I might be wrong but I don't think it mentions anything about covering the cost of that care.


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## In 2 bikes (Apr 18, 2013)

*Hospital telephone numbers*

As a matter of interest............I've put a link to all the hospital telephone numbers in the 'sticky'....

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/po...3546-faqs-lots-useful-info-2.html#post7407730



.


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## In 2 bikes (Apr 18, 2013)

Here is an overview of access to the health system from Anglo-info

Healthcare for Foreigners in Portugal | Portugal

note how it states payment is required and how the social security number is key. Also it mentions access via the S1 form, which as I mentioned earlier has been withdrawn for under the 66's












.


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## Amy000 (Jun 14, 2015)

Thanks for you replies! 
IWe can register with doctors easily, but no one knows about prices. 

I found some info that EU pay the same as Portuguese, but unemployed (not registered with Jobseekers) case is not mentioned. I am not allowed to post link in this forum, sorry. 

S1 for under retirement age was unfortunately dropped. 

I will try to contact this department: 

Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde, IP
Av. João Crisóstomo, n.º 11
1000-177 Lisboa
PORTUGAL
Email: not allowed to post
Website: not allowed to post
Tel. +351 217925500
Fax +351 217925848

Also we have to sort out my toddler stepson (British citizen). 

In the end would be safest to find money for private health insurance..


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## Naaling (Apr 9, 2015)

Hi Amy

Some time ago, I read on one of the Portuguese forums , that the easiest thing to do for someone in your position is to apply for a European health card, which as a resident you should be entitled to. The card itself won't help you, but in order to give you the card, Social Security will need to register you with their system and give you a social security number, and that will help.

Best of luck 
Fred


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## zakooo (Jan 2, 2015)

hi,i think you would find this web site helpful.go to heyportugal.com. click how to register at the centro de saude. then click on health service problems in leiria. it tells you all the facts that you need.i finally got sorted at tornado after showing them this.my wife had no problems because she is a uk pensioner,she got a ss number but they refused point blank to give me one as i do not get a pension for another 18 months.


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

Whats it like accessing the health care in the Obidos region, does anybody know?

Sorry for a UK citizen living in the region if that was to happen.


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