prescription drugs

[Clara 0]

I'm petitioning for my British fiance and was wondering once he gets here is he still allowed to have prescription medication sent to him from England? I'm not sure if he's still allowed to use the NHS for that or not.

[Dan J 277]

Thats more of a question for the UK forum. I would think he can for awhile, as he would still be a UKC. But I dont know what kind of restrictions they have for citizens living abroad.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

If you are no longer resident in the UK you can not access the NHS even if you go to the UK on vacation they can charge you for any care you recieve other than emergancy care..... I would doubt that his GP in the UK would be happy to prescribe drugs for someone who is not living in the UK and is no longer his patient....

Kez

[cheeky^Wolf 0]

The maximum a doctor can prescribe drugs in advance is 6 months, so the answer is no.

If he needs medications, you better make sure he has some kind of insurance over here. I was dreading paying for my diabetes meds, but it only works out to about $5 a month for them with insurance. Which is actually cheaper than a UK NHS prescription.

Helen

P.S. Interesting thing I heard the other day, an American couple went to London on vacation, he got taken ill and had to go into hospital for 3 months. They kept asking how much the treatment would cost and kept being told they would be sent a bill. They finally got it... $450!!

[Lou Lou 1]

If he needs medications, you better make sure he has some kind of insurance over here. I was dreading paying for my diabetes meds, but it only works out to about $5 a month for them with insurance. Which is actually cheaper than a UK NHS prescription.

I thought diabetics got free prescriptions, or did it depend what postcode you had?

(sorry OP)

Clara, as everyone has stated, it's a no no for prescriptions once he's left the UK. He should perhaps go to his GP and let them know of his intentions, and perhaps try to pick up a copy of his records (or at least a list of his meds), so when he gets treatment in the US it may make it all a bit easier to explain.

[Lansbury 19]

If he needs medications, you better make sure he has some kind of insurance over here. I was dreading paying for my diabetes meds, but it only works out to about $5 a month for them with insurance. Which is actually cheaper than a UK NHS prescription.

I thought diabetics got free prescriptions, or did it depend what postcode you had?

(sorry OP)

My wife got free prescriptions because of diabetes in the UK. Cost us about $110 a month here. Also no insurance company would accept her here and she had to go into the Oregon Medical Pool, and we pay about $470 a month for her medical cover though that scheme.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Yikes!

[cheeky^Wolf 0]

If he needs medications, you better make sure he has some kind of insurance over here. I was dreading paying for my diabetes meds, but it only works out to about $5 a month for them with insurance. Which is actually cheaper than a UK NHS prescription.

I thought diabetics got free prescriptions, or did it depend what postcode you had?

(sorry OP)

Clara, as everyone has stated, it's a no no for prescriptions once he's left the UK. He should perhaps go to his GP and let them know of his intentions, and perhaps try to pick up a copy of his records (or at least a list of his meds), so when he gets treatment in the US it may make it all a bit easier to explain.

Yep diabetics got free meds, I was just comparing the price over here to the NHS prescriptions for other drugs.

I looked into getting copies of my medical records in the UK. They wanted something like £10 for every page and couldn't tell me how many pages there were! I think doctors over here like to make their own opinions on your health from blood tests etc. Mine didn't really ask me much about my history, just got the tests done and made their own diagnosis.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

If he needs medications, you better make sure he has some kind of insurance over here. I was dreading paying for my diabetes meds, but it only works out to about $5 a month for them with insurance. Which is actually cheaper than a UK NHS prescription.

I thought diabetics got free prescriptions, or did it depend what postcode you had?

(sorry OP)

My wife got free prescriptions because of diabetes in the UK. Cost us about $110 a month here. Also no insurance company would accept her here and she had to go into the Oregon Medical Pool, and we pay about $470 a month for her medical cover though that scheme.

Could you not get her added to your insurance??? also people from the UK can use their NHS medical card as proof of prior insurance and the insurance companies will cover pre-exisiting conditions....

Kez

[Clarky and Tarah 0]

I'm petitioning for my British fiance and was wondering once he gets here is he still allowed to have prescription medication sent to him from England? I'm not sure if he's still allowed to use the NHS for that or not.

I'm looking for health insurance for my fiance, too. I'm a student so he can't get covered on my insurance. I think we have him a job lined up with good health insurance, but we need something to bridge the gap until he gets his EAD. I didn't even think about him bringing prescriptions here with him. It might work for awhile since your fiance will still be a UKC, but like Kez said, he wouldn't be living there. You should probably have him talk to someone in charge, but I doubt he'd be able to.

My wife got free prescriptions because of diabetes in the UK. Cost us about $110 a month here. Also no insurance company would accept her here and she had to go into the Oregon Medical Pool, and we pay about $470 a month for her medical cover though that scheme.

That's awful that they wouldn't cover her. What is the Oregon Medical Pool? My fiance has asthma and I'm worried he won't be able to get coverage.

[NealandCari 0]

Yeah, anyone who is considered too "high risk" has to go in the state pool. My mom was bipolar, and eventaully lost her insurance. I think she was paying somwhere near $1000 a month for insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico state pool.

[Bill and Hayley 0]

I went into my uk doctors to see about staying on their books cos i'll be spending a fair amount of time in the uk still, and got told that could only happen if i wasnt registering with a doctor over here.... I can get on bills insurance so i will be having a doctor here, but the docs back in the uk are still willing to see me as a visitor.They also done me a 6 year med print out and didnt charge.

[Clarky and Tarah 0]

I went into my uk doctors to see about staying on their books cos i'll be spending a fair amount of time in the uk still, and got told that could only happen if i wasnt registering with a doctor over here.... I can get on bills insurance so i will be having a doctor here, but the docs back in the uk are still willing to see me as a visitor.They also done me a 6 year med print out and didnt charge.

Will they be charging alot more to see you as a visitor?

[Bill and Hayley 0]

Im not sure about that...bills health insurance will cover me when im there anyway i think, i asked them cos sometimes i get tonsilitis or a chest infection, just handy knowing they will still see me if needed.

[Lansbury 19]

I'm petitioning for my British fiance and was wondering once he gets here is he still allowed to have prescription medication sent to him from England? I'm not sure if he's still allowed to use the NHS for that or not.

I'm looking for health insurance for my fiance, too. I'm a student so he can't get covered on my insurance. I think we have him a job lined up with good health insurance, but we need something to bridge the gap until he gets his EAD. I didn't even think about him bringing prescriptions here with him. It might work for awhile since your fiance will still be a UKC, but like Kez said, he wouldn't be living there. You should probably have him talk to someone in charge, but I doubt he'd be able to.

My wife got free prescriptions because of diabetes in the UK. Cost us about $110 a month here. Also no insurance company would accept her here and she had to go into the Oregon Medical Pool, and we pay about $470 a month for her medical cover though that scheme.

That's awful that they wouldn't cover her. What is the Oregon Medical Pool? My fiance has asthma and I'm worried he won't be able to get coverage.

The Oregon Medical Insurance Pool (OMIP) is the high-risk health insurance pool for the state. OMIP was established by the Oregon Legislature to cover adults and children who are unable to obtain medical insurance because of health conditions.

The joke of it is they arranged her cover with Blue Cross/Blue Shield who originally turned her down. I also have my cover from them but in the normal way.

Most medical insurance companies will not accept pre-existing conditions for the 1st six months of cover. If the scheme is through an employer than it maybe different depending on the agreement the employer has with the insurer.

As neither of us are working we pay our own premium.