# Youth Mobility Visa and NHS



## cassievalentine (May 4, 2013)

Hello 

I'm moving to the UK in August to Au Pair for a couple of years and I'm trying to figure out what, exactly, the NHS will cover me for while I'm in the UK. My main concern is prescription drugs because I have had a kidney transplant. 

My host family has had Au Pairs before and has never had any trouble registering them with their local GP. Once registered with the GP, will the prescriptions I'm currently on be covered?

And is there any coverage for seeing a specialist? 

I am also looking into the out of pocket costs as well as private insurance.


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## Guest (Jul 5, 2013)

Prescriptions are not free in the UK unless you are on certain welfare benefits. You pay £7.85 per item but if you need regular prescriptions you can buy an annual pre paid certificate that saves you money.

Though it is my understanding that YMS are not entitled to nhs treatment for the first 12 months, same as many other visa types.


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## cassievalentine (May 4, 2013)

_shel said:


> Prescriptions are not free in the UK unless you are on certain welfare benefits. You pay £7.85 per item but if you need regular prescriptions you can buy an annual pre paid certificate that saves you money.
> 
> Though it is my understanding that YMS are not entitled to nhs treatment for the first 12 months, same as many other visa types.


I knew about the £7.85, and that's fine, I'm prepared for that. 

From what I've read about the YMS, I'm not entitled to hospital treatment for the first 12 months.


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## Guest (Jul 5, 2013)

You are probably right. You should look up the pre pay certificate, will save you lots uf you beed monthly prescriptions.


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

I think that any new rules regarding NHS access for foreigners to UK, will take into account the cost of maintaining somebody on regular medications, unfortunately the cost of anti rejection drugs after transplant and continuing care is very expensive and even UK citizens are not always allowed to have some of the drugs. I think you might need to consider Private medicine and check up costs, with a pre-exsisting condition.
At what cost? Life-saving drug withheld - Health News - Health & Families - The Independent


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## Guest (Jul 5, 2013)

Thats a thought. When drugs are expensive the local NHS commissioning services decide if they will pay for the drugs or opt for a cheaper option. More and more recently its the latter and I'd have thought more likely for you as you will be a new patient and your own consultants and GP from Canada can not argue your case for you.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

The rules are:

53. General Practitioners (Doctors) have the right to register migrants as patients at their own discretion, and some National Health Service (NHS) hospital treatment is free to all in the United Kingdom, for example, treatment given in an Accident and Emergency Department, and treatment for some infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, but, under Department of Health regulations, there are restrictions on non-residents’ access to NHS hospital treatment in England (and similar, though not identical, regulations apply in other parts of the United Kingdom).
54. The Department of Health regulations currently allow Youth Mobility Scheme participants to be exempt from charges for NHS hospital treatment after they have spent a period of 12 months in the United Kingdom. They will also be exempt during periods of employment (including self-employment) in the first 12 months of their stay, but not during periods in that first 12 months when they are not working. Information on entitlement to free hospital treatment can be accessed via the link: www.dh.gov.uk/overseasvisitors
55. NB The United Kingdom has reciprocal health agreements with some countries, but these are restricted to allowing relevant nationals who are temporary visitors to access to certain forms of healthcare, in certain circumstances, free of charge.

This of course is as things stand at the moment and may change in the future, esp if the proposals to charge anyone without ILR are implemented.


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

Good to know that ILR will likely be the benchmark for those changes, Joppa... have been wondering how those proposed changes to the NHS would work as far as non-citizen immigrants are concerned, as I'm on a fairly pricey ointment for a complicated case of atopic dermatitis and was fearing having to foot the bill for that every month.


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