Posted by Scott on February 14, 2012, 12:32 am, in reply to "Re: retiring to ireland"
198.172.206.95
Yes, as I understand it, you will qualify for a medical card via your husband who is over 70 if your income is under 1,400 euro per week.
I dug further and realised I was wrong about whether you'd qualify under the residency requirement. The full document regarding the guidelines can be found at http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Find_a_Service/entitlements/Medical_Cards/o70mcguideline.pdf
Page 23 gives the requirements for qualifying for non-EC nationals
---begin---
1.1. An non-EC national should be regarded as “ordinarily resident” in Ireland if s/he satisfies the Health Area that it is his/her intention to remain in Ireland for a minimum period of one year. Examples of the evidence which may be sought in this context include
•
proof of property purchase or rental, including evidence that the property in question is the applicant’s principal residence;
Version 3.O
PCCC Projects Office
20/05/2009 24
•
evidence of transfer of funds, bank accounts, pensions;
•
Alien’s Registration Book (“Green Book”), residence permit as stamped on passport;
•
work permits or visas, statements from employers etc;
•
where necessary, the signing of the affidavit by the applicant
-----end---
So, it looks positive for you to qualify for a medical card.
Scott
--Previous Message--
:
: I have checked the website you suggested.
: My husband is presently 72 & I will be
: 65 in April. We plan to retire in 2 years
: or so- - - depending upon when our house
: here in Maine sells, so he will be 74 &
: I will be 67 or so when we move. It does
: appear we will meet the guidelines since one
: of us will be over 70. Or am I
: misinterpreting it?
: --Previous Message--
: You can buy a vehicle with or without a
: licence. But, you can't drive it off the lot
: without a driver's licence. Your current
: licence is good for a year, during which
: time you'll have to take 12 driving lessons
: and pass the Irish test for any further
: years.
:
: If you qualify for a medical card, then you
: get full coverage - and the full wait except
: in emergencies. But, you would qualify for a
: medical card if you have a low income and no
: savings or investments.
:
: The government's information site at
:
: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/entitlement_to_health_services/medical_card.html
: lays it out and contains these snippets
: that I include below:
:
: "To qualify for a medical card your
: weekly income must be below a certain figure
: for your family size. Cash income, savings,
: investments and property (except for your
: own home) are taken into account in the
: means test...."
:
: "Normally, your total income is taken
: into account in the means test for the
: medical card. There are different guidelines
: for those aged under 70 years and those aged
: over 70 years."
:
: There are lots more details including income
: thresholds - roughly 200 euro per week and
: below for a couple under 70 years of age.
: Again, check the page.
:
: But, you do not qualify for any of these
: benefits - no matter what your citizenship
: or level income - until you have been
: resident in Ireland for two years.
:
: Now the government has introduced a co-pay
: system that puts you on the hook for daily
: hospital stay expenses up to a total of
: 1,017 euro. And again, hospital costs are
: not covered except in certain cases for
: non-residents. There's also the possibility
: of paying 175 euro per week if you're kept
: in hospital longer than 30 days.
:
: I suppose I should try to put this all in a
: context that Americans will recognise. You
: know how so many people in America hate it
: when illegal aliens get health and welfare
: benefits. Until your two years of residency
: are up, you're basically in the same
: position in Ireland. I know you won't be the
: illegal part, but you don't qualify for much
: until you're living in Ireland for a while.
:
: The only way around this is to keep up your
: American health insurance till your Irish
: private insurance kicks in (at least 13
: weeks and, depending on age, up to 10
: years)or you have been resident in Ireland
: for two years. Many American insurers only
: require that you return to your state once
: every 6 months in order to keep up your
: coverage. I know this is a hassle, but it's
: one way around this. There's also coverage
: if either of you is a veteran, but that
: would be at a US base someplace in Europe,
: probably England.
:
: You can read about hospital charges here:
:
: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/hospital_services/hospital_charges.html
:
: Well, there you've put your finger on the
: nub of the problem for retirees to Ireland -
: health coverage. I cover this in the site,
: but I guess pulling it together would help.
:
: Scott
:
:
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: I was under the impression that the National
: Healthcare (i.e. medical card) covered
: everything & that private insurance was
: not necessary (if you don't mind waiting).
: Is that so? Thanks for the info re: car
: leasing. Do we need to have an Irish
: driver's license before buying a car or can
: we buy one when we first arrive & then
: get an Irish license?
: --Previous Message--
: Long term car leasing is available, but
: there
: are no advantages other than for businesses
: who can deduct the costs as business
: expenses. You still owe the full cost of
: whatever hasn't been paid off at the end of
: the lease. The only significant plus is that
: maintenance is covered - but you're paying
: for that privilege whether you need it or
: not. Also, you'll only be able to lease
: almost new cars - which cost more.
:
: Health costs are rising fast. The main
: problem is that you have to wait for
: coverage for pre-existing illness even after
: buying into a health care plan. Below is
: Aviva health care's rules, but they're
: exactly the same for all three health
: insurers since this is the deal they all
: worked out with the government.
:
: ----begin----
:
: Exclusion periods for pre-existing
: conditions
:
: This exclusion applies to all in-patient
: benefits offered under your plan and cover
: for out-patient scans.
:
: If you have a pre-existing condition, as
: determined on medical advice, then the
: following exclusion periods will apply
: before any claim will be paid relating to
: that condition. Please note that these
: periods begin to run from the date you first
: become insured under any health insurance
: contract and do not start again on becoming
: a health member with Aviva unless there has
: been a lapse in cover of over 13 weeks.
:
: If this exclusion for pre-existing
: conditions applies, the length of the
: exclusion period is as follows:
: •persons aged under 55 on date of joining–5
: years
: •persons aged 55-59 on date of joining–7
: years
: •persons aged 60 or over on date of
: joining–10 years
:
: Please note that a pre-existing condition is
: determined from the date the condition
: commences rather than the date upon which
: the member becomes aware of the condition. A
: pre-existing condition may therefore be
: present before giving rise to any symptoms
: or being diagnosed by a doctor.
:
: ---end--------
:
: That last paragraph is a real kick in the
: teeth. Where does that leave cancer
: coverage? However, the national health care
: - once you're in the system which is the
: main thing private insurance is designed to
: speed up - will take care of you for major
: medical hospitalisation if your private
: insurer does not cover you.
:
: Scott
:
: --Previous Message--
: Thanks, Scott. What about the National
: Healthcare program? I understand about the
: waits, but here in the states you have to
: wait, too - even with premium (i.e.
: EXPENSIVE) insurance and then the insurance
: companies seem to only want to pay for
: medical care in a month with a "Q"
: in it!! I have to fight for every nickel
: they pay. Re: the car---is long-term
: leasing available? & might that be an
: option??
:
: --Previous Message--
: Thanks Pam for the sugggestion. It's really
: in
: tax matters and health insurance that
: retirement needs are particular concerns. In
: the health insurance, it can be years before
: you older people are fully covered,
: particularly for pre-existing illness. Your
: plans sound reasonable, but I think you'll
: find that public transport to small villages
: in the west (bus, basically) is erratic and
: won't suffice. Doctor appointments, special
: shopping outside the local stores, and
: suchlike will likely prove too difficult
: without your own set of wheels.
:
: Your plans to rent are the best since house
: prices are still falling and so are rents
: outside of Dublin and Cork. Part of the fun
: of the first months will be visiting
: different areas and seeing for yourself what
: meets your requirements. Again, you'll need
: a car for this.
:
: A decent used vehicle and insurance proof
: from your overseas insurance provider of
: no-claims will get you up to 3 years
: no-claims bonus. Figure under one thousand
: euro for car insurance and another one
: thousand for petrol and maybe another 3,000
: per year in car payments - more or less
: depending on the age of the vehicle,
: guarantees, etc. There are lots of privately
: available cheap vehicles - just so long as
: they'll pass the annual car test.
:
: Scott
:
: --Previous Message--
: My husband & I are planning to retire to
: Ireland within the next 2 years. I am an
: Irish Citizen (by descent) & he is not.
: He will be a legal resident of Ireland based
: on his marriage to me? Financially, we
: will each have our US Social Security income
: and the proceeds from the sale of our home.
: We plan to rent a furnished place somewhere
: near the west coast of Ireland - hopefully
: near the water (my husband is an avid salt
: water fisherperson) but also within a
: village (walking distance to amenities) -
: we really don't want to have to buy a car,
: we'd rather rent or lease one when we want
: to travel. I'd love to see more about
: retiring to Ireland on your website.
:
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