Health Insurance.

First topic message reminder :

Can anyone recommend affordable health insurance, with either an English or Italian company, acceptable by the Comune for a residency application.

Good news Angie. Next hurdle the ASL. Take your husband with you as I'm sure he'll need to sign something to agree you are his dependent. Good luck.

Really glad to hear of your good result and many thanks for letting everyone know  as I'm sure it will help others, even if perhaps all comune would not be so accepting. We were told before we went to our that they would want a certified translation of both our marriage and birth certificates, cost us around €100 for the lot, including the bollo(s).

If ever you needed evidence for the positive use of forums/fora surely this thread is it.

Question asked.  Question answered.  Answer acted on.  Everybody happy!

I will post more as and when things materialize....hopefully soon.  And yes Ghiro, Penny and Steve, so far so good....watch this space...

Oops, forgot to say....The accompanying letter with the S1 form does say those issued with the S1 form must return their EHIC - European Health Insurance Cards prior to your move abroad as they are no longer valid and need to be returned.  Also if you, or a dependant member of your family are covered by S1 arrangements and need to visit the UK for planned medical treatment for an existing condition you need to apply to the Italian authorities to apply for an S2 form.... and produce it in UK or you will be charged for treatment as an overseas visitor...As usual all a bit complicated....

Angela Fuller wrote:Oops, forgot to say....The accompanying letter with the S1 form does say those issued with the S1 form must return their EHIC - European Health Insurance Cards prior to your move abroad as they are no longer valid and need to be returned.  Also if you, or a dependant member of your family are covered by S1 arrangements and need to visit the UK for planned medical treatment for an existing condition you need to apply to the Italian authorities to apply for an S2 form.... and produce it in UK or you will be charged for treatment as an overseas visitor...As usual all a bit complicated....

Angela I've not looked specifically for "planned treatment" but this update guidance LINK indicated that your OH and you are exempt from UK charges (bottom page 23). Others please note that the "10 year living in the UK" exemption has quietly been removed.... However it's worth noting, as far as I can see,  this is limited to hospital treatment but excludes A&E and more to the point GPs... i.e. they are still free of charges to all...

Just quoting the information we have been sent Steve dated 22.04 15.  The letter also states that if someone with an S1 decides to live permanently in the UK you must re-register with with a GP to get normal NHS treatment and services when back in the UK.  It seems an S1 form covers your health care while living abroad but in order to obtain it you are de-registered from the UK health care system.  If at some future date you decide to return to the UK you have to obtain an S2 form from the Italian authorities to be able to re-register in the UK.....

That's a really useful link Steve - thanks. To summarise the information:

-If you are a UK citizen and are not ordinarily resident in the UK then you must take your Italian EHIC card to the UK to get health cover. Without it you will be charged.
-If you spend some time in the UK and some in Italy then you can still be ordinarily resident in the UK, even if you spend more time in Italy, and can still have free UK healthcover.
-If you or your spouse is in receipt of a UK pension then you can be covered in your new country for healthcare and the UK will pay via the S1 registered in Italy. However, if you are not entitled in your own right to an S1 ie as the spouse of a retired person) then you must still present your Italian EHIC when in the UK to get free healthcare.
- If you are pregnant when visiting the UK you should bring an S2 form issued by Italy to cover any necessary treatments or check ups when you are in the UK. It is not clear if Italy is one of the countries that will issue an S2 for this purpose.

It does throw up an interesting black hole which is when you, before retirement age, leave the UK to take up residence in another EU country (no matter how long you lived in the UK for for) you are no longer entitled to UK healthcover and cannot claim (S1/S2 etc) health costs back from the UK in your new country. You are therefore on your own and not covered for healthcare in either country unless you can immediately get cover in your new country by working or paying contributions.

Have I missed anything?

According to the guidance notes Angie that is incorrect. In order to get UK healthcover if you return to the UK to live you need only be there legally, ordinarily resident and there for an established life. The S2 is a document that one EU state issues to authorise planned medical treatment in another EU state. The costs are born by the issuing state so you wouldn't need that when re-registering with a GP.

Think the changes in 2015 might just be too soon for the Department and they are either issuing incorrect information or using up old form... Neither are unusual for them and have in fact always happened ... Bit like the comune, but no where near as bad!

Third visit back to comune clutching my 3 photos as requested.  End result I was given my 'Carta D'Identita' so am now an official resident.  The helpful policewoman at the comune also telephoned the local hospital (ASL) and has arranged for me and OH to go see them Saturday morning to hopefully be issued with health card....So...it would seem the S1 form was accepted by my comune as adequate cover....quite a saving not having to have private health insurance, a result !

Angela Fuller wrote:Third visit back to comune clutching my 3 photos as requested.  End result I was given my 'Carta D'Identita' so am now an official resident.  The helpful policewoman at the comune also telephoned the local hospital (ASL) and has arranged for me and OH to go see them Saturday morning to hopefully be issued with health card....So...it would seem the S1 form was accepted by my comune as adequate cover....quite a saving not having to have private health insurance, a result !

Well done!  I too was issued with  my Carta d'identita & Tesseria Sanitaria (in Lazio) by just showing my S1 (or it's earlier equivalent) & proof of income.
It helped when I had returned a few times & asked nicely, & become friendly with the ASL staff in my local commune.

These local communes seem to be able to do anything that they wish really, it's just a question of luck with the personalities that run the offices. A single official can make all the difference. In Ascoli Piceno there was on member of staff who for years made things as difficult as possible for any applicants.
I believe that things have recently got much better there as the awkward official hase left/been removed.

I was helped by kind locals &, after a coffee with the boss of the commune, things all fell into place!

I bocco al lupo!

Just goes to show Chris, it's WHO you know not WHAT you know, here in Italy. It never pays to Pee someone off here or argue, play it nice and simple and make them feel superior/special, that way you'll get what you want; flattery gets you everywhere....

Flip wrote:To Qualify for 'Assisted' not free Health Cover in Italy, you need to contribute to the system through INAIL/INPS or be Resident and of 'Pensionable' age. Ask Penny (Admin) for the finer details she's a past master at all this I think.

Flip, The S1 form entitles you to the same health care as any Italian citizen.  I am not of pensionable age but OH is.  So therefore the posting is supposed to help others in my situation.  Well done Chris, we have achieved something !

Entitlement is one thing Angela, getting it is another. I know of many people who should be 'entitled' to Health Cover with a S1 form but unless you have the cooperation of your local ASL officers then it can be nye impossible to gain that benefit if they want to test you. I know of an acquaintance of ours (now sadly back in the UK due to unhelpful ASL people) who was not so lucky and after numerous attempts at with the local ASL office was forced to either go back to the UK for treatment or pay out for Private Health cover.
Consider oneself fortunate and that ''others in your situation'' have the same fortune, as it's not so simple as waving a piece of paper and saying 'I'm entitled to this'.

Flip wrote:Entitlement is one thing Angela, getting it is another. I know of many people who should be 'entitled' to Health Cover with a S1 form but unless you have the cooperation of your local ASL officers then it can be nye impossible to gain that benefit if they want to test you. I know of an acquaintance of ours (now sadly back in the UK due to unhelpful ASL people) who was not so lucky and after numerous attempts at with the local ASL office was forced to either go back to the UK for treatment or pay out for Private Health cover.Consider oneself fortunate and that ''others in your situation'' have the same fortune, as it's not so simple as waving a piece of paper and saying 'I'm entitled to this'.

Flip, Private health Insurance need not cost more than a return flight to the UK and given the choice surely your acquaintence would have paid for it unless there were other circumstances that made him / her decide to go back.  I find it difficult to believe that an ASL employee would not be able to process an S1 form nowadays for any UK citizen who had become an Italian resident.  You have to support your S1 form with evidence of income (something many do not like to do), proof of identity and proof of residency.  It is certainly not just a matter of waving a piece of paper and demanding whatever. Politeness not arrogance goes a long way.

Hi Angie.

Did you manage to get everything sorted with the ASL in the end?
I was on my wifes S1 as she had reached 60, so had no problem with having to get insurance. I broken hip, open heart surgery both before I reached 65, so it does work!!!
Also check whether hubby can get the E01, if he has not already got it. Think the income limit is sub 35k Euro.

Hi Geo,

Typical, there appears to be a bit of a problem.  I went through the process of handing over every piece of paperwork wanted on Saturday, signed many documents and everything seemed to be going to plan.....apart from the ASL admin lady having to make many phonecalls (not sure if they had anything to do with me or not).  She then put all my paperwork to one side asked for my tel number and said she had finished with me !  So I left, none the wiser and not knowing  whether the card is to be issued or not.  I  will return with a friend who speaks good Italian later this week so will hopefully get an explanation.  Watch this space......

I hope you get a result Angela, but like I said, that is what happened to our friend she left all the papers and documentation she said was needed and told she would get a call; 6 weeks went by nothing and after repeated visits and being told 'these things take time' she had to go back to the UK for her medical treatment.
When I got mine we were told there and then that it was all OK and got a print out showing the details before I received my card 5 days later.
In Bocca Lupo !!

Angie, she should have given you a slip of paper if it was OK. I hope you didn't leave any originals of anything. I would definitely go back to find out what is going on. Was it Amandola hospital? Does your address come under Ascoli, Fermo or Macerata province? You have to go to the correct ASL office for your province and I'm not sure some of the anagrafe offices have even acknowledged that Fermo province exists.....

Penny,  They gave me back 2 copies of the S1 and kept the original.  It was Sarnano hospital as we are in the Macerata province.  No slip of paper was given....I will return in the next few days with friend who speaks good Italian and try to find out whats happening.  Flip, I hope I do get through the whole nightmare situation....will let you know.....

Well, just an update.... Went to see ASL peeps today with back-up....Did not need it as when the staff saw me they immediately knew who I was and gave me an official letter stating who my chosen Dr was etc that would be listed on my health card.....This letter has unlimited validity and no expiry date.  It was processed on 06.06 and the official health card should be in the post this week...  If all goes to plan, job jobbed...a success I hope, hooray !

Glad you got it all sorted Angie. The system does work at times

Yes Geo, it does thank goodness.....

Health card arrived last week, hooray !