Proof of insurance from the NHS

[sparkymark 0]

Hello! 

I have recently moved to Germany and trying to sort out my health insurance with TK. Sent off the forms they have asked for but as I am earning less than 450 euros a month they require proof that I was covered by the NHS back in the UK.

Has anyone been through a similar thing, having to get proof from the NHS, how to go about that and any pointers?

thanks in advance!

Mark

[john g. 23,622]

Legally speaking, it´s up to TK to write to the UK to get the proof but they usually don´t know that! You can´t get the written proof from the social security people...What may work is if you get a short, written statement from your GP in the UK, confirming you have been his/her patient since...and until now!

[StefanInHesse 3]

I was asked by AOK to provide all sorts of documents but told them I don't need to. They were abit taken aback at my response but I happened to mention it is a requirement to have health insurance in Germany and if they require proof to give it to me then they need to get it.

A week and a half later I was insured. I don't know if they got the information they needed/wanted/required but I have a feeling it is not at all neccessary.

[SpiderPig 4,981]

Can you not just show them your National Insurance Card/Number then show them that you pay it each month from your bank?

 

If I am not mistaken, the NI contributions goes towards footing the NHS bill.. 

[john g. 23,622]

6 minutes ago, StefanInHesse said:

I was asked by AOK to provide all sorts of documents but told them I don't need to. They were abit taken aback at my response but I happened to mention it is a requirement to have health insurance in Germany and if they require proof to give it to me then they need to get it.

A week and a half later I was insured. I don't know if they got the information they needed/wanted/required but I have a feeling it is not at all neccessary.

 Nice one! You know, it sort of depends who you are dealing with. A young lady at TK the other day said " no ,not possible " to something I asked but then passed me on to an older male with a very " secure " opinion, who went on to say " that is not a problem ".

 

Summary:

if you´re not an employee, public insurers usually want you to prove you can get confirmation you´ve been publicly insured in a fellow European country prior to arriving in Germany - from the relevant authority.

BUT: they are wrong...another BUT: if they try to sort it out, they are also dealing with bureaucrats who equally usually have no idea.

What often helps? A letter from your GP stating you have been their patient from...till..( BUT it must be until before arriving in Germany ie NOT Ms Smith was my patient from 1st Dec 2014 till 1st August 2017..it MUST be from December 2014 till NOW (-ish ). NO gaps ie no doc letter three months old etc.

 

What MAY also help? A utility bill eg  telephone bill ,gas bill, rent payment..

What NEVER works? ANYTHING from Greece!!!

 

Spider: maybe a good idea. Never thought about that before!!!

Spider: maybe not a good idea if a Greece resident moves to Germany!!! HAVE thought about that (and have negative experience of that!!)

 

[Tim Hortons Man 450]

On 19/11/2017, 10:49:43, john g. said:

Legally speaking, it´s up to TK to write to the UK to get the proof but they usually don´t know that! You can´t get the written proof from the social security people...What may work is if you get a short, written statement from your GP in the UK, confirming you have been his/her patient since...and until now!

I heard that the  NHS doesn't issue health cards. If they don't issue cards how do they know you're entitled to free healthcare? Even Canada (well the provinces) issue healthcards.

[Smaug 4,577]

I used to have a card from the NHS when I lived in the UK. I think it was A6-sized and plain thick paper. I am not sure they are still around.

[Tim Hortons Man 450]

13 hours ago, Smaug said:

I used to have a card from the NHS when I lived in the UK. I think it was A6-sized and plain thick paper. I am not sure they are still around.

Thanks was asking as I was reading that people who have non British surnames are being asked to show proof of residency. Just struck me as odd that's all

[optimista 2,201]

Everyone is issued with a NHS Health Card and told to store it safely (most people then forget they even have one). You are supposed to send it in if you move abroad permanently. I can quote you my NHS no. if you like. Mother told me to memorise it way back when and I did. It floors the docs if you have to change surgery and it turns out you actually know your number, even if you don't present them with a card. This apparent lack of card is also why there is such widespread abuse of the system by outsiders in the UK. No checks are made and if they are, nobody ever shows this card. Shoulders are shrugged and treatment ensues at no charge.

 

My mother used to work in a pharmacy and had to "check" whether patients were covered by the NHS. She used to ask them the question, to which they responded in the affirmative without documentary proof from behind their full burkas and hey presto, the medicine only cost the price of a prescription. The English are very naive in that way. They are only just waking up to the fact that sometimes people lie.

[Marianne013 266]

They stopped issuing these cards in the UK a while ago (they used to send you a new one every time you changed GPs as it had your GP's address on).

The prescription forms in the UK make it very clear whether this is an NHS or a private prescription (I've had both),  there is no need to double check anything. Most of them are electronic anyway these days, the patient never gets their hands on them.

Otherwise John G. is right, the TK needs to verify your coverage by the NHS.

 

[sparkymark 0]

Thanks for all the replies, while all useful to read, not to many answers. TK sent a letter back, asking for proof of coverage by the NHS, to say how long I was a "member". Obviously from birth! I have no idea who to contact in order to get a hold of that.

Has anyone had similar things asked for and how did they obtain a verification of it?

[optimista 2,201]

https://digital.nhs.uk/NHS-Number

 

This is about as helpful as it gets. You need correspondence from your GP.

 

[Marianne013 266]

It's a bit old, but I think this is still relevant. Try a different Krankenkasse ?

 

[smurf 33]

Perhaps as a starting point is to write a short a "self-certification" in writing to the German insurance company which contains something like " I hereby confirm I was insured by X from dates X to X and I confirm I earn under X amount. Sign and date it. 

In the meantime you can work on getting the necessary confirmations. 

 

The NHS website is very informative on the steps to take if you are moving abroad:

https://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/movingabroad/Pages/Introduction.aspx

 

I would suggest perhaps trying this route first setting up your Government Gateway and then filling out the form CA3916. If you have a valid address/bank account still in the UK they will be able to verify you quickly online and you will be able to communicate online and be able to download your information online if you no longer have any financial connection to the UK they will respond to your German postal address. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-insurance-statement-of-national-insurance-contributions-ca3916

 

Do let us know what the outcome is 

 

[kielo 1]

Has the situation changed since 2017 or is it still the same? 

I may move from the UK to Germany soon and would prefer gesetzlich (I'm self-employed.)

[john g. 23,622]

Hello Kielo! Basically, it´s still a pain mostly. The easiest way (mostly but not guaranteed ): get a mini-letter from your GP ( who may or may not agree but will be flummoxed as to what to write and  WHY ):

Mr/Ms etc was my NHS patient from...till (day before you register in Germany ). NO GAPS of a week or a month-NO GAPS (from the German perspective ).

Failing that, a utility bill with your address on it.

The Germans keep asking for the non-existent E104 form ( from a UK perspective ). AND it is THEIR (German public insurer´s  ) responsibility to write to the UK but they don´t usually know that!

Disclaimer: I´m an independent insurance broker and advertiser on Toytown

 

By the way, may I be so bold and ask why you prefer " gesetzlich" ?

It may or may not be in your interest, depending on your situation..unless it´s ideological or you have a pre-existing medical condition which may make it a no-brainer.

[kielo 1]

Thanks for your answer john g.

 

I will try to get such a letter from my GP but it may be complicated because I changed GP recently. I asked NHS for the E104 and they told me to ask "the relevant authorities" but couldn't tell me who that was.

 

I don't actually necessarily prefer gesetzlich. You helped me get an insurance with Hanse Merkur a while back and I was quite happy with it. I just want to make sure I have as many options when/if I move back to Germany. I will probably contact you if I go the private route. 

 

[RoseNeu 3]

Hi,

 

My husband and I had this exact problem when we moved to Germany in October. In the end we just spoke to them on the phone. If your German is up to it call them - was reasonably straightforward for us once we did that.