The US to the UK

[xtente]

I am moving from the US to the UK and want to know what I can do about getting meds there. I am a US citizen and my spouse is a UK citizen. I am currently on adap and am scared to death i wont be able to get meds over there. Anyone have any info on this? My issue is how to pay for meds. and, if you move to the UK from the US and are hiv + do they give you a hard time?

[o]

hello xtente
I do not exactly know the British situation, but as far as i know, health care is free in England. So are the medicines i suppose. Or i can say that they wont let anyone die. And being HIV+ is a personal info. i do not think you have to give this info to any governmental institution. At least as far as i know, the hospitals do not give any info about their patients to any governmental authorities. That's what i guess living very close to UK.

[newt]

NHS entitlement is completely separate from citizenship (which confers very little in the UK).

NHS treatment is free for anyone who is "ordinarily resident".  This means someone who has lived in England legally for 12 months or more, or can show they are entitled to live here permanently and intend to do so.

The key here is your spouse.

If your spouse has lived overseas for longer than 3 months, then the NHS will ask for proof from your spouse of an intention to settle permanently back in England.  Once this is sorted, s/he will be entitled to free NHS care...and so will you as this entitlement is extended to spouses, civil partners and children (so the NHS may ask for proof you are married too). 

If your spouse is already living here then NHS care will be free straight away.

More generally, medicines prescribed at hospitals, which currently includes HIV clinics and therefore ARVs, are free, while medicines prescribed by a GP and collected from a community pharmacy have a small charge per item (currently £6.95 I think). There are various schemes to exempt poor people, old people + some meds for some conditions from all or part of this charge.

Hope this helps

- matt

[thunter34]

How sensible and humane the whole thing sounds.

[Miss Philicia]

Well, I think the civil partner part is new.  IIRC it wasn't in effect when I was planning on moving to London in 2001, or am I incorrect with that newt?

But yes, it is horribly civil.

[Dachshund]

                                  WANTED:

            One Englishman for civil union. Prefer proper country squire but will 
            consider all options. Available immediately. Must love dogs.

                                 ~ Dachshund

[thunter34]

So how would a "UK to US'' thread read?

[Miss Philicia]

like a really bad joke

[xtente]

From what I understand, the US does not allow citizenship of any sort to immigrant with HIV. Draconian to say the least.

[keyite]

Kinda sad isn't it? Despite Bush's grand announcement on World AIDS Day 2006 we're STILL waiting for the easing of the outright ban on HIV+ tourists visiting the US. No mention, of course, of doing something about the ban on people wishing to migrate there.

[Miss Philicia]

I do, however, know someone from Mexico who met his boyfriend in 1989 while the bf was on vacation in the Yucatan.  The Mexican guy came here on a tourist visa and just didn't return.  I know he has had a green card since the early 90's and is here legally now, though I don't know the details about how that came about.  He's also self-employed and I'm sure he gets his HIV meds though ADAP, so it's doable though obviously quite contorted.

I assume however he was negative when he first came here though.  Sadly his older brother in Mexico also got AIDS and didn't last long in their dusty village back home.

[Cliff]

Matt provides a good overview of the requirements.  The only thing I would tweek is the requirements for "ordinarily resident."  I think it may be more broad.

NHS treatment is free for anyone who is "ordinarily resident".  This means someone who has lived in England legally for 12 months or more, or can show they are entitled to live here permanently and intend to do so.

You are also entitled to NHS care even if you don't intend to live in the UK permanently, (e.g., someone moving to the UK on a 1 or 2 year work permit/hsmp, need not show proof that they will reside in the UK past the expiration of that work permit/hsmp visa to access NHS care).

[milker]

From what I understand, the US does not allow citizenship of any sort to immigrant with HIV. Draconian to say the least.

No, the US does not allow non-residents to enter the country if they are HIV positive, unless they have a waiver. If you acquire HIV in the US after becoming a legal resident (green card), the process of applying and getting citizenship does not include the HIV test again.

Of course, this may change any time.

Milker.

[englishgirl]

                                  WANTED:

            One Englishman for civil union. Prefer proper country squire but will 
            consider all options. Available immediately. Must love dogs.

                                 ~ Dachshund

if you would accept an englishwoman who lives in a city instead i offer my services

your humble english servant
xxx

[Dachshund]

if you would accept an englishwoman who lives in a city instead i offer my services

your humble english servant
xxx

If you will accept a dog-eared ol' yank...agreed!

[newt]

Well, I think the civil partner part is new.

Civil partnership bit is new, yes (but good).

- matt