Medrefund has prepared a short guide on medical treatment abroad on NHS. On the 25th of October 2015, the rules on seeking health care treatment in another European Union country changed – EU Directive on patients rights came into force. Since that day every patient was given the right to access required treatment in any clinic in any EU state and get a chance to receive reimbursement. EU Directive applies to the UK as well – every NHS patient has the right to access refunded treatment in any EU country including access to private clinics outside the UK.
Treatment abroad on NHS with Medrefund guide
Medrefund LTD is the longest working company in the EU that specialises in the application of EU patient’s rights and we have made most applications in England. We are responsible for at least every tenth application in the UK. In total, we have helped more than a thousand people to reimburse the cost of their treatment.
We enable you to receive the best quality treatment without NHS waiting time, and we do our best so you can get an NHS refund for your treatment abroad. It is important for you to realise that you have a right to transfer your NHS treatment to a private clinic in any EU state including private clinics, where client service, exceptional service quality and safety is at the highest level and there are almost no or minimal waiting time. Below we present the abbreviated rules for getting the NHS cost refund for treatment abroad. Our assistants will help you in submitting and completing all of the required documents.
The rules on how to claim a refund from the NHS for treatment received abroad are quite complex, and if you don’t follow the correct procedures you can end with a refund application rejection. Rules and conditions of the NHS refund are different and depend on the area you’re living in. NHS England has 210 different regional bodies with their own rules and conditions of refund.
Things you have to keep in mind when going for NHS treatment abroad:
- EU Directive route is a funding arrangement between the clinic and you. The NHS will not pay directly to the clinic;
- You will have to pay for the treatment upfront and claim the reimbursement after your return. The reimbursement amount will be up to the amount the treatment would have cost in an NHS hospital;
- Some treatments in some UK areas will be required prior approval from the NHS before receiving the treatment. We always advise to get prior approval, if you are able to wait 4-6 weeks you have a diagnosis and required treatment;
- In order to get NHS prior approval to travel abroad, you will have to provide a letter from the doctor (NHS or private clinician, EU clinicians letter can be used too) where it clearly describes your diagnosis, condition, and information based on a full clinical assessment why the treatment is needed.
- After treatment you will need to supply original receipts and proof of payment (copy of transaction if you made a transfer or paid by card) in English – we would be glad to help you with documents translation;
- We can help you make all of the needed arrangements, including contacting the doctor/surgeon. We are unable to buy you your flight tickets;
- You have to be an ordinarily resident in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales and you must be entitled to NHS treatment;
- The treatment received abroad has to be the same as or equivalent to the one you would have received under NHS. New and experimental treatments are not usually funded by NHS.
Treatment abroad can be covered by NHS and can be refunded. Treatment abroad could be the alternative you can afford.
Useful links:
Why should you go for Private Treatment Abroad
Private Treatment in Poland: Costs, Treatments, Clinics
