Foreigner's health cost
UHI unfortunately does not cover chronic illnesses.
Health costs and health insurance issues are the important problem for foreigners. I wrote many articles about them in recent months. John also asks a similar question about these issues. He says;
“Dear Sadettin Orhan,
Your replies to readers concerns have been very informative and I thank you for those. But, a couple more for you to answer if you can. Let us suppose that one suffers from hyper tension and buys the appropriate medication from a pharmacist. Would UHI take these costs under the UHI umbrella as it would be classed as an ongoing illness? Because previous illness or ongoing illnesses are an Insurance No-Go. Yours sincerely. John”
Dear John, in general, all health costs finances by Social Security Institution, or SSI, are UHI insured. However, some health costs are out of scope. According to Law Number 5510 Article 64, these health-care services are not to be financed by the SSI;
a) Any kind of healthcare service for aesthetic purposes and orthodontic dental treatments for aesthetic purposes, excluding the health care services which are made to ensure the integrity of the body and are caused due to a work accident or occupational disease, accident, sicknesses or congenital reasons.
b) Healthcare services not permitted or licensed by the Ministry of Health and health - care services not accepted to be a health - care service in medical terms by the Ministry of Health.
c) Chronic sicknesses of foreign-country citizens which was present before they were deemed to be universal health insurance holders or dependants of universal health insurance holders.
So, as a result of this arrangement, even if you were insured by UHI, your hyper tension (this illness is chronic) expenses are not considered within the scope of UHI.
[HH] Is the UHI only for workers?
The second question is from Clive. He also asks about Turkish UHI system.
“Hello,
We have read with interest your recent articles in the Hürriyet Daily News about UHI, but have heard that this scheme only applies to resident expatriates who are employed in Turkey. Is this true, and, if so, is there a similar scheme for resident expatriates who have retired here and are not employed?
We are too old for private health insurance policies, and there is apparently no reciprocal arrangement between British and Turkish health authorities, so we would be most interested in a Turkish state scheme (ideally at a lower cost) for retired people. Best regards. Clive and Val.”
Dear Clive, according to Law number 5510; “Foreigners who aren’t insured according to a foreign legislation but have a residence permit in Turkey are considered insured under the Universal Health Insurance regime. But reciprocity principle is taken into consideration in granting that right.”
As you can see, working is not required for UHI registration.
On the other hand, when you are older, your private insurance payments are increased. However, in the UHI system, your health premium payments are stable. Regardless of age, you pay the same premium.
Hurriyet Daily News/05.11.2010
Health costs and health insurance issues are the important problem for foreigners. I wrote many articles about them in recent months. John also asks a similar question about these issues. He says;
“Dear Sadettin Orhan,
Your replies to readers concerns have been very informative and I thank you for those. But, a couple more for you to answer if you can. Let us suppose that one suffers from hyper tension and buys the appropriate medication from a pharmacist. Would UHI take these costs under the UHI umbrella as it would be classed as an ongoing illness? Because previous illness or ongoing illnesses are an Insurance No-Go. Yours sincerely. John”
Dear John, in general, all health costs finances by Social Security Institution, or SSI, are UHI insured. However, some health costs are out of scope. According to Law Number 5510 Article 64, these health-care services are not to be financed by the SSI;
a) Any kind of healthcare service for aesthetic purposes and orthodontic dental treatments for aesthetic purposes, excluding the health care services which are made to ensure the integrity of the body and are caused due to a work accident or occupational disease, accident, sicknesses or congenital reasons.
b) Healthcare services not permitted or licensed by the Ministry of Health and health - care services not accepted to be a health - care service in medical terms by the Ministry of Health.
c) Chronic sicknesses of foreign-country citizens which was present before they were deemed to be universal health insurance holders or dependants of universal health insurance holders.
So, as a result of this arrangement, even if you were insured by UHI, your hyper tension (this illness is chronic) expenses are not considered within the scope of UHI.
[HH] Is the UHI only for workers?
The second question is from Clive. He also asks about Turkish UHI system.
“Hello,
We have read with interest your recent articles in the Hürriyet Daily News about UHI, but have heard that this scheme only applies to resident expatriates who are employed in Turkey. Is this true, and, if so, is there a similar scheme for resident expatriates who have retired here and are not employed?
We are too old for private health insurance policies, and there is apparently no reciprocal arrangement between British and Turkish health authorities, so we would be most interested in a Turkish state scheme (ideally at a lower cost) for retired people. Best regards. Clive and Val.”
Dear Clive, according to Law number 5510; “Foreigners who aren’t insured according to a foreign legislation but have a residence permit in Turkey are considered insured under the Universal Health Insurance regime. But reciprocity principle is taken into consideration in granting that right.”
As you can see, working is not required for UHI registration.
On the other hand, when you are older, your private insurance payments are increased. However, in the UHI system, your health premium payments are stable. Regardless of age, you pay the same premium.
Hurriyet Daily News/05.11.2010