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T1D and immigration

broccoliSK

Active Member
Messages
27
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi everyone.

I have a couple of questions about diabetes and immigration. I don't plan on immigrating in the next few years but I've been toying with the idea of moving to a different country for quite some time now. Needless to say, being diagnosed with diabetes complicated things, so I'd like to get some info.

After a cursory search on the internet my concerns were confirmed - I found out that pretty much no insurance company in the US would give me insurance due to having an expensive pre-diagnosed condition. I also found that Canada may refuse an immigration application if the applicant's health imposes an undue strain on the health services.

So my questions to those of you who live or have immigrated to these countries are basically as follows:

1. Does having T1D preclude me from immigrating to countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the UK?
2. Let's say that I apply and my application is granted. Would I be covered by the government-provided healthcare programme of that particular country (the NHS, Medicare in Canada, etc.) or would I be required to pay thousands of dollars either through increased insurance payments or through having to pay for medical supplies out of my own pocket?

Thanks!
 
A better question is would your current health insurer cover you in another country? In the US an insurance company cannot use diabetes as a reason to not sell you insurance nor can they charge you more because you have it. They can charge you more because of your age and if you smoke. You won't be an American citizen but I think you can buy health insurance here. You would probably be better off buying your insulin wherever you live now and/or have it shipped to you here. With my health insurance I pay about 10 cents/unit of insulin, about $4/day. I knew someone who lived in Mexico 9 month/year and he bought insurance for he and his wife for like $1800/year, which is dirt cheap. I knew a guy who lived in Costa Rico and needed a heart stent and he paid for it with a credit card it was about as much as a big screen TV at Costco and got reimbursed by his US insurance company later. If you don't have insurance here healthcare is REALLY EXPENSIVE.
 
I guess some useful info would be where you are now and what country you are a national of?
 
Thanks for the replies.

@bulkbiker I'm from Slovakia and live there and since my country is part of the European Union I'm also a citizen of the EU. I know that makes me eligible to be treated the same in the UK as a UK citizen, I just wanted to know if there are any additional caveats.

@TheBigNewt Actually I feel slightly embarrassed to admit that the thought of having my current insurer pay for my medical expenses abroad never even crossed my mind. I'll look into it. Also the idea of having insulin shipped from overseas is something I didn't think of. Wouldn't that violate some sort of law?

@mahola so I've heard. I read that the NHS is under increasing pressure but is it really that bad?
 
No I don't think sending prescriptions via the mail violates any laws in this country providing they were prescribed and are going to the prescribed person. We're not talking narcotics here. I used to get my insulin from Canadian pharmacies much cheaper than I could in the US (back then I was not insurable because of diabetes, only catastrophic policy, I can write my own prescriptions). But Obama made that illegal citing the potential for quality issues. As if there can't be quality issues with US pharmacies. He's a 100% pawn of the drug companies.
 
mahola said:
Don't come to the UK, it's s**t and the NHS is going bye-bye! Oh and it rains 95% of the time!
Click to expand...

Mahola, I'm so sorry you feel that way! I on the other hand have lived in a few countries (although I am British) and I actually choose to live in the U.K. rather than anywhere else. That decision was made before I became T1! Yes the NHS is under considerable stress, we are a very heavily populated country, but I have to say I think it's bloody brilliant! Yes I would also like warmer weather but you can't have everything and I love the UK and I love the people who live here! The grass isn't always greener you know! Lol.
 
Thanks, I had no idea. Well I think with the dismantling of Obamacare that Trump is planning the US is in for some interesting times.
 
broccoliSK said:
Thanks, I had no idea. Well I think with the dismantling of Obamacare that Trump is planning the US is in for some interesting times.
Click to expand...
Maybe "interesting" if you're on Medicaid or are getting your insurance via the gubment exchange and get a subsidy form the the gubment. Heck, right now under Obamacare in several counties in my state you have ONE CHOICE of insurance policies. Next year in some counties you'll have NONE. I think you'll have none in the whole state of Iowa. The good new is that your health insurance is paid for by the gubment. The bad news is there isn't any. Nice!
 

Well yes I suppose being an EU citizen does entitle you to be treated the same as a UK citizen. But bear in mind entitlement to treatment on the NHS is dependent upon residence, not citizenship. So a UK citizen who doesn't actually live in the uk will be charged for NHS treatment just like an eu citizen who can't prove they're ordinarily resident in the uk will be charged for treatment. A patient who isn't a uk resident will get emergency care in the NHS, but they will get charged for it or their government will get charged for it retrospectively. Treatment that isn't emergency treatment is unlikely to be provided to some one not ordinarily resident in the uk without an upfront payment.

To be eligible for free treatment on the NHS you need to be a uk resident - you need proof that you have lived there, usually for 12 months. Being a citizen of the EU doesn't change that.
 
broccoliSK said:
I don't plan on immigrating in the next few years
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Not being pedantic, but you emigrate to another country not immigrate, when you get to another country of choice you are a immigrant / migrant.

I was a immigrant / migrant to Australia nearly 50 years ago, they had stringent medical examinations before I left the UK. TB was and still is a big concern for migrants coming to Australia.

Whether Medicare would be available to you is a big question as well, a lot of the rules have been changed to deter people from coming here with a medical condition.
 
But non emergency treatment for a diabetic would probably have nothing to do with their diabetes (I'm assuming you won't end up in the hospital in DKA or insulin shock). And I bet pay to play medical care in the UK is pretty cheap. My daughter's boyfriend ended up in an ED in Spain he had some food poisoning. The whole bill was like $200. In the US it would be more like $2,000.
 
@catapillar Thanks for the clarification.
@Tipetoo You're right, I must have had a brain fart or something when writing my original post. I can see why they would try to deter people with diseases that require expensive medical care.
 

BroccoliSK - Once you have a clue which country or countries you are interested in, it could be useful to contact their authorities directly to make your enquiries. I do this where I consider I could require, say, a travel visa. I'd want the answer, in writing, from the relevant authority, rather then a well-meaning forum.

Do you have foreign embassies in Slovakia? That would be my starting point.

Good luck with it all.
 
@AndBreathe thank you for the suggestion. As I've said, I'm not planning on migrating any time soon so I just wanted to know if maybe some other members had experience with this. Don't worry, I wouldn't emigrate without first checking with the authorities and getting as much information as possible.
 
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