Portugal liveaboards and the vaccine

[webcraft]

Looks like our EHICs are still valid until expiry.

Anyone know if an EHIC is any help if you go private in Portugal? I am guessing this is a stupid question, but it's Portugal, so you never know.

(The thought occurred because a worrying mole started falling off yesterday and I was about to make a 90 euro private appointment to see a dermatologist. Forestalled because a friend's mum who is a dermatologist gave me a free WhatsApp consultation)

- W

 

[nortada]

Looks like our EHICs are still valid until expiry.

Anyone know if an EHIC is any help if you go private in Portugal? I am guessing this is a stupid question, but it's Portugal, so you never know.

(The thought occurred because a worrying mole started falling off yesterday and I was about to make a 90 euro private appointment to see a dermatologist. Forestalled because a friend's mum who is a dermatologist gave me a free WhatsApp consultation)

- W

EHIC still valid in Portugal so why go private

 

[nortada]

Back To Topic. The Petition to ask the UK Government to give Portugal 20 million does of the vaccine.

Surprise, surprise got a response from HMG (below).

Someway to go and I have no illusions of success but is showing solidarity with Portugal.

Once it goes live, I will post it in a new thread.

From:-

The Petitions Team, UK Government and Parliament.

Dear Petitioner,

You’re not done yet!

Forward the email below to your potential supporters.

5 people need to click the link and confirm their support for us to check your petition.

Once you’ve gained the required number of supporters, we’ll check your petition to make sure it meets the petition standards. If it does, we’ll publish it. Because of Coronavirus we have a very large number of petitions to check at the moment so it may take a few weeks. Thank you for your patience.

Once your petition has 21 signatures it won’t be able to add more until it’s been checked by the petitions team. So, please wait until it’s been checked and published before sharing it more widely.

Thanks,

The Petitions Team
UK Government and Parliament

I’ve made a petition – will you sign it?

Click this link to sign the petition:
Petition: Provide Portugal with AZ COVID-19 vaccine free.

My petition:

Provide Portugal with AZ COVID-19 vaccine free.

Portugal is short of Covid vaccine Under the Terms of the Treaty (Anglo-Portuguese Treaty of 1373 - Wikipedia). Help a country, who’s people have always stood by Britain in its hour of need. For example in The Trenches in WW1 and more recently, the Falklands Campaign .

Click this link to sign the petition:
Petition: Provide Portugal with AZ COVID-19 vaccine free.

 

[webcraft]

Signed. Needs 5 signatures to go live.

- W

 

[nortada]

Signed. Needs 5 signatures to go live.

- W

Think we may have got the 5.

 

[Sailfree]

Seems you are not prepared to try to register for your health facilities in Portugal as you are specifically not prepared to be deregistered from your UK doctor.

I think it would be a good idea to know the facts before posting. As a UK citizen you are entitled to treatment from the NHS. If you are resident abroad and retired receiving a UK state pension then you can register for S1 and your new host country health system can recharge the NHS for any treatment you receive.

If you think about it this is reasonable. In my case I worked for 52yrs paying UK taxes and was healthy. It is more likely that in my older age I will require more health treatment so why shouldn't a service I paid for 52years when healthy not now pay for my health service in retirement.

I suspect that Portugal health treatments costs will be actually be far cheaper that NHS costs. Certainly will be if our comparison of private treatment costs are anything to go by.

Applying for an S1 does not remove any right for UK NHS treatment nor require you to deregister from your doctor. Obviously to be registered with any UK doctor you must have a local UK address.

As an aside a US couple with a poor medical history moved to Portugal. As US is outside the EU they were required to prove adequate health insurance. After informing their US insurer that they were now resident in Portugal full time the insurance company reduced their high premium to only 33% providing they paid extra for any US visits!

 

[nortada]

Think we may have got the 5.

HMG Petitions Team have confirmed we have met the requirements and the petition should go live in the very near future.?

 

[Graham376]

Looks like our EHICs are still valid until expiry.
Anyone know if an EHIC is any help if you go private in Portugal? I am guessing this is a stupid question, but it's Portugal, so you never know.

EHIC no use for private treatment. As with the UK, Covid has caused endless delay with state hospital treatment so best to pay your money for private treatment which isn't too expensive and avoid hospitals which are not safe places to visit at the moment.

 

[webcraft]

EHIC no use for private treatment. As with the UK, Covid has caused endless delay with state hospital treatment so best to pay your money for private treatment which isn't too expensive and avoid hospitals which are not safe places to visit at the moment.

Pretty much what I thought. Was quoted 90 euros for a dermatology apointment (next day) , but a friend's mum is a dermatologist and she took a look on WhatsApp!

So prob cheaper than UK, but not cheap. Mind you, probably cheaper outside Cascais.

Got a form to fill in and scan and an address to send it to, so maybe get our Utentes soon, then maybe get on the vaccine register.

- W

 

[Graham376]

So prob cheaper than UK, but not cheap. Mind you, probably cheaper outside Cascais.
Got a form to fill in and scan and an address to send it to, so maybe get our Utentes soon, then maybe get on the vaccine register.
- W

Friend paid €50 in Faro for consultant + €70 for same day laser treatment to burn bits off one arm. Don't hold you're breath for vaccine here, daily news reports of officials having relatives jabbed instead of patients but, being Portugal, that's to be expected.

 

[webcraft]

EHIC still valid in Portugal so why go private

Because the NHS is totally stacked out with Covid?

- W

 

[nortada]

Because the NHS is totally stacked out with Covid?

- W

Don't follow, you are in Portugal so what has 'the NHS is totally stacked out with Covid' got to do with it?

 

[webcraft]

Don't follow, you are in Portugal so what has 'the NHS is totally stacked out with Covid' got to do with it?

The Portuguese NHS, I meant...

I could have written SNS, but those not living here would not know what that was.

- W

 

[nortada]

The Portuguese NHS, I meant...

I could have written SNS, but those not living here would not know what that was.

- W

Ah! Will be interested to hear how you get on.

In your position, I would head off to the local Centro de Saude and take it from there. If you do not have SI take your, still valid, UK EHIC. From my experience they are medics first and worry about your health and let others get involved with bureaucracy.

Another option is to join a private health panel. You pay an annual fee and will then get cheaper initial advice and if required, subsequently cheaper medical care.

Not used one myself but know of others that do and speak highly of them