# Credible Coverage Letter from NHS???



## mcicki (Apr 26, 2012)

Hello everyone, 

I have been doing some digging in regards to adding my husband to my heath insurance. Apparently he will need what's called a " Letter of Credible Coverage". He is British , so it would need to be something from the NHS. Has anyone here needed something like this from the NHS , if so how did you get it? Thankyou for your help!

Kind Regards,
Mcicki


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## BBCWatcher (Dec 28, 2012)

This may become moot very shortly when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") kicks into high gear with the exchanges opening next month for coverage starting January 1.

However, what they're actually requesting is a "letter of _creditable_ coverage." According to U.S. HIPAA regulations for the past few years your husband can submit practically anything reasonable to document his NHS coverage such as a copy of his NHS card (if he has one) and/or a letter from his GP confirming that he's an NHS patient. Insurers still call this a "letter" or "certificate," but only some reasonable proof of coverage is required, particularly in the case of foreign public medical systems.

The reason they ask is the insurance company has an obvious interest in cutting down on moral hazard problems relating to preexisting conditions. If you only buy insurance when you get sick, that doesn't work. Every workable medical insurance system requires having healthy people paying regular premiums (or taxes), so that's what's going on here. The insurance company just wants to make sure he isn't signing up with them simply because he got sick and needs the coverage. If he has coverage now, then that isn't why he might be signing up with them.


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