Foreigners may have to pay for emergency medical care in UK

Foreigners visiting Britain from countries like India may soon have to pay for the use of ambulance and other Accident and Emergency (A&E) services, medical authorities said today.
UK health secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce charges for A&E treatment on all non-British residents next month.
All nationals from outside theEuropean Economic Area (EEA), including Indians, planning to migrate to Britain for longer periods of time already have to pay an additional annual surcharge when applying for their visa.
The surcharge of 200 pounds per year for general visa categories and 150 pounds for student visas came into force from April this year. This new charges being planned are likely to be over and above this surcharge.

"International visitors are welcome to use the NHS, provided they pay for it - just as families living in the UK do through their taxes. This government was the first to introduce tough measures to clamp down on migrants accessing NHS care and have always been clear we want to look at extending charges for non-EEA migrants," a spokesperson of the UK Department of Health said.
"No one will be denied urgent treatment, and vulnerable groups will continue to be exempt from charging," he added.

All visitors to the UK and non-British taxpayers already have to pay for elective care, but A&E, ambulances and visits to the general practitioner (GP) had been exempt over fears that it would undermine public health.

The latest proposals are believed to be at a consultation stage, with a number of possible options being considered on how they will be enforced.
Hunt believes that the charges, combined with the present fees for foreigners' routine care, could help the National Health Service (NHS) recoup 500 million pounds a year.
The NHS faces an annual 30 billion pounds shortfall in the next Parliament. The latest decision could leave patients facing bills for thousands of pounds. Seeing an A&E doctor costs the NHS a minimum of 56 pounds if no treatment is needed, and 316 pounds with more extensive care.

Scans and tests can cost more than 200 pounds each. Crisis maternity care will also fall under the new charging system.
Visitors from within the European Union (EU) will be required to present a European Health Insurance Card so that the NHS can send the bill to their government, while those from outside Europe will be chased for the fees.
Mark Porter, chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA) governing council, said: "A doctor's duty is to treat the patient in front of them, not to act as border guard. Any plans to charge migrants and short-term visitors need to be practical, economic and efficient."

Officials in Britain have calculated that only 73 million pounds of the 461 million pounds that should be charged to overseas visitors is recouped, estimating that half a billion could be raised by chasing payment and barring so-called "health tourists".