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Type 1 moving to "The Alps" e.g. Austria, France, Germany or Switzerland

K

Klang189

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Hello

I am a type 1 diabetic living in SW England and currently have a Medtronic Pump and Freestyle Libre which i get free on the NHS. I love both of these and pay for nothing but have recently been considering moving to the Alps to either Austria, France, Germany or Switzerland but worry first and foremost about my diabetes medication.

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of what it is like to obtain medication and treatment in any of these countries? I am fairly well controlled and do not really benefit from the advice from my diabetes specialist or local surgery but of course do NEED my medication. I would ideally like to stay on a pump and the Libre (semi-CGM) but would also like to hear about pen and blood glucose strip coverage and the likely costs.

I have of course googled and found out that in these countries that most of the costs are covered but this was with a variety of different employment scenarios which may not apply to me (I work freelance but may work locally too).

I would consider splitting my time between the UK and the Alps about 50/50 if that would work but would prefer to know what it is like to fully settle and live (and perhaps become) like a citizen of that country.

Thanks for your time reading this and anything you can contribute to the discussion. If you need anymore information in order to help me please do let me know!

Thanks to everyone!
 
Hello I live in France and have done for the last twenty five years, diabetic treatment has always been very good and is 100% covered, been on an insulin pump for more than 18 years and have had the libre for the last 2.5 years, you will need to get a carte de sejour to work in France after brexit and then you should be able to get your carte vitale and that will depend on how difficult the U.K. makes life for EU citizens living in the UK but I do not think you should have a problem if you are working in France, I find living in France so much better than the UK
 

Hello Peter

Thanks for your reply. That is very interesting to hear you have had such good health care and supplies over there in France. I have read that the French are not quite as open to Entrepreneurs and those working for themselves and so it would be difficult to prove I was working and thus eligible for the carte Vitale. let's hope the UK Govt doesn't entirely sour relations but then they haven't done a great job of it so far so it might not be so simple after all.

Thanks for your help and insight.
 

I think you will find that once you have a year or so under your belt of contributing to the system wherever you are based in terms of tax then you should be ok (timing could vary depending on country).. although obviously with the current precarious state of EU/UK relations make that a bit less clear.
If you don't contribute to the tax system though you will likely have to pay for everything. That was certainly the case when I lived in France and wasn't working or of pensionable age.
 
Yes you do need to register to work but their are different regimes such as a micro enterprise which has tax benefits for the first 2 year's and you do not necessary need to earn lots of money, but of course if you keep paying your tax in the UK then it is only right the UK pay for your health costs
 
Hi Klang189,

I am in a very similar position to you, as I'm planning on moving to the French Alps in Nov/Dec this year (I should have some work starting around then with a company I worked for over last winter), and am also on a Medtronic pump and Freestyle Libre, currently all provided through the NHS.

If you've managed to find out any more info on this (or have now moved over to France and have experience navigating it all!), I'd be really interested to have a chat and get some help please! It looks like as long as I'm living in France before 31st Dec 2020 then I should be able to apply for a carte de sejour (for residency purposes) by end of June 2021... but please correct me if I'm wrong! But for healthcare purposes it sounds like I need to let the NHS know I am moving abroad so that I can obtain a Carte Vitale (once social security is sorted and I've been living in France for 3 months)... just a bit worried about cutting off all ties and then the process taking ages to get me sorted with the French system and running short of supplies! And then there's also the question of sorting out switching to a French account with Medtronic... so many questions!

Any help/advice or past experience would be hugely appreciated
 
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