Covid Rise in Central Türkiye and Other Areas
Covid is on the rise in Türkiye, according to health authorities in the country. Back pain is a significant symptom of some of these new variants, as are muscle pain, digestive disorders, and fever. If you are resident or travelling in the area, it’s worth keeping an eye on any developing symptoms, although in most cases these remain mild.
In Spain, the Nimbus and Stratus sub-variants have also been in evidence; these are related to Omicron. Nimbus in particular is highly transmissible. Stratus, meanwhile, has the capacity to evade antibodies.
Highest Out-of-Pocket Costs in EU
Eastern European countries tend to have higher out-of-pocket healthcare costs compared with the rest of Europe, according to a recent report from the health ministry of Malta. Bulgaria, for example, has an out-of-pocket rate of 35.5%.
“Stronger economies can allocate more financial resources to their health systems and, consequently, achieve lower levels of out-of-pocket health expenditure,”
Croatia, France (8.9%), Luxembourg, and Germany (10.7%) had the lowest out-of-pocket costs. Spain and Italy are higher than the UK (20.9% and 22.3% respectively).
Jonathan Cylus, a spokesperson for the WHO, says that:
“In many of the worst-performing countries, like Bulgaria, people who do not pay their social insurance contributions are excluded from publicly financed coverage, so any health needs are paid in full out of pocket.”
In countries with broad social medical insurance, OOP costs are lower, and there is more protection for vulnerable groups such as the elderly.
Eurostat notes that on average, a person in Europe paid €542 per year out of pocket for healthcare, ranging from €136 in Croatia to €1,176 in Belgium.
Calls for New Regulation of Medical Tourism
Health platform Longevita has been calling for more regulation in the UK on medical tourism, after a series of well-publicised fatalities and health crises involving Brits undergoing surgery abroad. We have reported on this here at Expat Focus in recent months, but what many fail to realise is that in 96% of cases where surgery abroad has gone wrong, patients are then treated by the NHS. This results in further strain on the overstretched state system, with costs ranging from over £1K to just under £20K per patient.
Longevita is calling for five pillars:
• mandatory clinic accreditation via a proposed UK Medical Tourism Accreditation Association (UKMTAA)
• compulsory insurance
• UK-based aftercare
• transparent marketing practices
• a national database to track clinical outcomes
The platform is partnering with NHS Charities Together and has pledged a donation for each signature up to £10K. It is calling for much stricter controls on overseas marketing directed at UK citizens, and the aim of the petition is to secure at least an official government response.
Cap on Medical School Places Drives Students Abroad
British students are increasingly looking to Eastern European universities to gain their qualifications, according to a recent report. The UK government needs more doctors, but the cap on medical school places means that competition is intense. 40% of students at the Medical University of Plovdiv are from the UK; classes are held in English, and there is a well-established network to assist them with accommodation and travel.
The timetable is strict, but students receive extensive practical experience, particularly with complex dental procedures.
US: New Guidelines on Medical Conditions
A recent leak suggests that the Trump administration has asked visa officials to start factoring in a range of health conditions as possible grounds to deny visas. This is due to the concern that applicants with these conditions — which include respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases as well as mental health disorders, high blood pressure, and sleep apnoea — may end up becoming a “public charge,” requiring US government support. The US government has recently introduced a number of initiatives to raise the difficulty of obtaining entry (for example, revisions to the H1-B visa), and this appears to be part of that process.
It has also been reported that visa officers have been asked to take factors such as obesity into consideration. The guidelines are said to include the question:
“Does the applicant have adequate financial resources to cover the costs of such care over his entire expected lifespan without seeking public cash assistance or long-term institutionalization at government expense?”
The Kaiser Family Foundation, which has seen the guidelines, also reports that immigrant families are often under- or uninsured.
This new measure has come under significant criticism. Visa officers are not medically trained and may use their discretion to assess applicants’ eligibility. The guidelines state:
“There is no ‘bright-line’ test. You must consider all aspects of the case and determine whether the applicant’s circumstances… suggest that he is more likely than not to become a public charge at any time.”
Conversely, America’s northern neighbour has launched a programme to invite foreigners to take part in Canada’s national healthcare system. Liberal politician Marcus Powlowski told the press:
“If it wasn’t for immigrants our health-care system would be totally overrun. I would like to personally thank all the immigrants who came here and who have helped our health-care system rather than trying to demonize them as being a problem.”
However, Canadian Conservatives say that the rise in immigration has been putting further stress on the state system and that a “surge in population growth” is straining national services.
New ‘Health Fee’ for US Visitors to France
France has introduced a health fee for US expats entering the country on visas for those living off investments or pensions. At present, these residents become eligible for French state healthcare (PUMA) after three months, but politicians have questioned why this should be the case when they are not paying French taxes.
Their solution has been to propose a “health fee” for those entering on long-stay visitor visas. The suggestion has been opposed by the Left, who consider it discriminatory. This new amendment will not affect Brits resident in France, who are protected by post-Brexit agreements.