Thrown out of the Krankenkasse

I know its been discussed b4, but I need some help here !!
Due to some circumstances that were not my fault, I have been thrown out of the german private Health insurance, and I don't seem to be able to find one that will take me.
My question is: Am I still covered by the NHS ? What do I have to do if something happens ? ( Hope not !! )
Anyone with any suggestions ??

I was told fairly recently that the NHS could pay your KK monthly fee under certain circumstances. Now I don't know what the circumstances are or where to look. Good luck though with your search.

That could be a tricky one.

If you're officially full-time resident here, I wouldn't have thought the NHS would cover you here, but you can get treatment in Britain. I don't know how that works with the new EU insurance cards, though. I'm sure many would be very interested to know under which circumstances they will provide cover here, as there is always the risk of being thrown out of private insurance here.

A lot will depend on your age and status here. If it is because of illness, try the compulsory insurers AOK, they have to take everybody who comes under the compulsory insurance rules. If you are older than 50 or 55 (I don't know which off-hand), and were privately insured, they don't have to take you.

You then fall into an increasing category of people, who can't get health insurance. You then have to pay for treatment from your own pocket, until you become bankrupt and apply for social help. The social department then pay for your treatment.

With regards to the EU insurance Card, even if you could get hold of one it doesn't actually cover everything anyway, but I suppose every little would help.

I found this on a site

If you go to work in another EEA country or Switzerland for up to a year, and HM Revenue and Customs confirms that you must continue paying compulsory UK national insurance (NI) contributions, you are entitled to a UK-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This includes any dependants that go with you. If you are already abroad, you’ll need to apply for an EHIC by post and send a photocopy of your E-form (i.e. E101, E102 or E106) as well as your completed EHIC application form. You can get an application form from the EHIC Applications service.

If your employment/self-employment lasts longer than 12 months, you may continue to pay compulsory UK NI contributions for another 12 months, subject to the agreement of the insurance authorities in the country where you are working. For more information, contact HM Revenue and Customs.

If you work in the UK but pay compulsory social security contributions to another EEA country or Switzerland, you should apply for your EHIC in the country where you pay your contributions.

I suppose there are other ways round it, by registering at an address in UK etc.

What did u do to get thrown out?
You could always get insured with bupa intl. Or pretend you are in the USA and just pay your medical bills out of your own pocket.

The question I have is, far-lands, is do you mean the "NHS" as in National Health Service in the UK, or do you mean NHS as in die Gesetzlichen Krankenassen in Germany?

Me thinks you needs to shed some light on the situation before anyone can help...

Are you currently employed? My understanding was that once you started working you can join any KK, I mention that because I have some friends, her were privately insured when she started working part time, she joined the public system, which is really weird. I'll be seeing them in a week I be sure to ask.

It was a while ago...

I joined the AOK, as they were the easiest to join. They organised the transfer of payments I made to the UK NHS to their payments accounts - that means they took over the role of the NHS and my account in the UK was laid to rest. They are not the cheapest, but I personally find them to be less complicated than the others. There appears to be less traps and hidden clauses. I was working when I joined, but I don't think that makes much difference to them.

I suggest you go to your local AOK office - www.aok.de

The only English pages are for students, but it may help: www.unilife.de

By the way, your wife or husband does not pay extra! Two for the price of one!

I am referring to the UK NHS.
I am employed here, and there has been a huge cock up. I theoretically shouldn't have been privately insured anyway. It looks like the "gesetzliche" will have to take me bak.
But it is a shitty feeling not having any healt insurance at the moment ...

Sorry, but what does that mean? You have an account at the NHS? I thought NHS was paid for out of income tax revenues.

I think I understand what has happened here. If you are employed you have to be in the Krankenkasse unless you earn above a specified limit when you become eligible to leave the KK and take out private insurance if you want to. If, far-lands, you are being forced into the KK where you should have been all the time then there shouldn't be a qualifying period - you should let the old policy run until the new one starts. I'm sure your private insurer will be happy to have your money for a few more months if the KK are insisting on a qualifying period.

Or am I missing the point completely?

[
By the way, your wife or husband does not pay extra! Two for the price of one!
[/quote]

Only if one of you is working. Both working both pay.

I applied for this extra service while unemployed and my wife is going to University - and was back then too.

Maybe I was lucky!

From the outset ... I am retired,67 years old, with no private pension or income. OK.?

I phoned the NHS in UK as to the position regarding my situation.

I was told to pay for the visits to Doctors or Dentists, and for any prescriptional medication ... then to present these bills to the local BARMER office who would reimburse me, and they in turn will claim from UK NHS. Haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it will be OK.! ( Gulp. )

Raffles.

All settled.
My employer used a small trick, and now I am back in the "gesetzliche krankenkasse"
Phew, these last weeks have been a complete nightmare for me !!!
I have never driven so carefully in my life b4
FCUK the private Krankenkasse, if they don't want my cash, them I'm sure that the gesetzliche do !!!

If all else fails, maybe you could try out a few of the exploits of the original Raffles!

... or are you the original?

No insult intended

Not very helpful... I know!

Hi Chris, sorry for the very late reply.
No, I am not the original Raffles ... wish I were though.!!! At 67 I feel as though I am out on a limb here in Germany, but I do hope to resolve this issue regarding MY position when next I am in the UK. Last time I was there I went to a local Doctor and had no trouble getting medications, and all for free being an OAP.
I still have to try sending my Apotheke reciepts to the Barmer, and seeing if I get the cash refunded. Will post the outcome on here as soon as I do this.

Raffles.

Raffles - I'd try and regularise things from the German end as there's recently been a crackdown on non-residents using the NHS and certainly there's been a lot of newspaper coverage of British OAPs living in Spain being told that they have to pay into Spanish health insurance like Spanish OAPs and are not entitled to NHS treatment. I THINK one of the reports said the new EHIC cards were part of some change in health coverage in the EU and it was based on residency now not citizenship. Maybe the EU website might say more...

isnt this the same companies? gesetzliche & privat?

I thought the differences lies in what you get, ie private room to a normal 3 bed room etc etc.

Gesetzliche is from the government (AOK, BKK, etc), like the NHS in UK.

Private is from companies like DBV Winterthur (I guess like BUPA in the UK, although I have no experience of them). You can go private when you earn over a certain limit. There are also many many different policies that cover you for different things, enable you to one-bed room, to choose which hospital you go to, etc. Best to speak to an "independant" advisor, tell them your requirements and they can tell you what they have available.

There is no such thing as an "independent" advisor. The majority of their advice is based on the commission they can earn... which means chances of you buying what your "independent" recommends does much more good for them than it does for you.

I've bought various different insurance policies from an "independent" whom I trusted - only to find out at a later date that this "independent" is an official sales agent for these "various" companies that she "found"...

But cant you get private insurance from companies that do gesetzliche too.

I think you can buy private upgrade insurance to pay for stuff not covered on the standard gesetzliche insurance. This will then pay for extras such as a private room or a senior doctor to do your op.