NHS bill for £1000

[ladle4455]

My dad, 80, came for a visit from overseas from overseas for three months. He is fit and healthy but its impossible to find health insurance at his age. Anyway, there was a health emergency and we went to A&E. Waited for 7 hours but after 15 minutes of diagnostic tests (x ray etc but no medicines) was told there was no problem. was hugely relieved. I thought there was no charge as it was an emergency but have now been sent a bill for £1000. Apparently the charge for overseas patients is 150% (there times the actual cost) and the test was done by another department not A&E. Any advise? I have to sell my car to be able to pay as I don't want dad to have a debt over him.

OP, if your dad travelled to the US and fell ill, do you think he ought to pay? Or is just that in the good old UK everything is free?

Dd had to go to hospital in France. She received a bill, plus a supplement for it being in the middle of the night.

OP I bet your Dad is mighty relieved that the tests showed nothing serious. It's good news he's still healthy at his age. I supposed he's learned an expensive lesson and will get insurance next time he visits. He must be very thankful.

Just be thankful he didn't have a stroke, heart attack, fractured hip or something. It's his bill not yours, so nothing for you to worry about. My mum pays almost as much in travel insurance as she does for holidays but she can certainly always get insurance despite her age. Lesson learnt I think.

OP look up the reciprocal healthcare arrangements for international patients. As it was an emergency the cost should be covered by his home country if there is a reciprocal arrangement. This applies to countries both within and outside the EU. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-reciprocal-healthcare-agreements-with-non-eu-countries#visiting-eu-countries-and-switzerland

Yes! He’d be facing a bill a lot higher than 1,000 pounds if he came here without insurance

Yes it could be extortionate

Mad at that age imo not to have insurance, or any age but the risk gets higher

@SuperSange I totally agree

Sorry that link is actually what is covered for British people abroad but if you're coming here from those countries it should be the same things covered, that's the point of a "reciprocal" arrangement. You may need to do some digging for info on the specific country he came from.

Also OP, it’s not “impossible to find health insurance at his age”. He decided to take a risk and is now having to pay the price, literally.

And to add to my last post, my DSis worked for the NHS for nearly forty years until she moved abroad....

This.

I imagine the health insurance would have been cheaper than the bill he ran up.

You don't have to sell your car. The bill is his, not yours, and he used services he's not entitled to use for free. He needs to pay the bill since he wasn't willing to take out insurance.

Exactly

I'm actually delighted to hear that the hospital had the wherewithal to raise a bill. Far too many don't bother.

Do not do this. It is illegal and fraud. They most certainly do check particularly nowadays. The NHS can’t afford to effectively treat its current citizens to the same standard so please don’t even consider doing anything in the future to make it worse.

Not necessarily. I was quoted £850 for insurance recently as I am still on a waiting list for fairly routine surgery. I'm not 80+.
Probably about the same cost so ops dad hasn't as such lost out

Of course non-UK residents aren’t entitled to the NHS, get insurance for next time.

Additionally he could be taken ill on the plane. That would be a big ol’ bill right there.

My sis was blue lighted into A&E and kept overnight. She is still a British Citizen but lived overseas, yes there was a bill and she paid it (claimed back.. there is always health insurance even if the premiums are higher).
We have to protect the system we have

Isn’t it just?

People doing this is what's costing the NHS so much money. Really great advice 🙄

Also just noticed the “three month holiday” but can’t pay the £1000 or take out insurance .

He didn't need health insurance, he needed travel insurance. A broker would be able to find some cover for him no problem. I guess if he chose not to do that, he took a risk. It's not a risk you need to pay for though, the bill is his. Obviously he isn't entitled to free health care here if he isn't resident here. Didn't he know that, surely anyone who travels abroad knows that travel insurance that covers medical emergencies is essential?

Over 80s life insurance is not only not ‘impossible’, it’s pretty common and not that ridiculously expensive.

the NHS is a residency based benefit because you pay for it if you live here. It’s literally my money, and yours. Get to fuck I should pay for your dad because he didn’t want to bother with insurance

My parents are in Europe this week. Both in their 80’s. They used to live in Europe but returned due to changes due to Brexit. They previously had treatment in European hospitals but this time travel insurance required at £400 each. Worth it for piece of mind with any illness whilst away.

I regularly bought insurance for my 80+ year old father, with a host of medical conditions. I'm surprised at this, as A&E should be free, but he was mad to travel without insurance if no reciprocal agreement. It's his bill to pay though, not yours, and if he's leaving the UK they'll find it hard to chase him.