health cost in amandola

I am a bit lost with this one.........I look forward to hearing responses to this one. There is a requirement to provide cover, but never heard of it being related to income? There IS a new notice at the ospedale, it may be linked to this? Penny will know................... S

If you have been paying NI in the UK for the 3 years prior to your departure from the UK then you need to get a form S1 - see below from the NHS website. If you didn't, then you will have to pay and the figure of €388 sounds right (it is slightly different each year) and runs Jan to December (tough luck if you arrive part way through the year I'm afraid). The 7.5% on UK income is nonsense and not correct information/advice - however you should be aware there is no maximum ceiling on Italian NI (INPS) and you could quite easily end up paying €1500. If you are resident in Italy then you need to do a tax return here and pay tax here on your worldwide income and you will pay INPS (Italian NI) on this income which covers your healthcare contributions. If you are still resident in the UK, then in theory you are only entitled to a doctor in the UK but can pay to see a GP here privately (about €25/€30 a visit) or you will need health insurance to cover your medical costs here just like for any holiday or extended holiday or maybe they will let you pay the €388 per year but you still have to present your residency docs to register the first time so I can't see any way round the residency situation which obviously has tax implications here. Remember the EHIC card only covers you for emergency care. After 5 years of continuous residency (when you can ask for your permanent residency certificate), you should also get a permanent inscription into the healthcare system but in this area this has previously been a problem (please see the many, many messages I have posted about this on this forum). "If you move to an EEA country to live but not work and don't receive a UK benefit, you may be eligible for up to two-and-a-half years of state healthcare, paid for by the UK. You will need to apply for form S1 (or form E106 if you are moving to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland) with the Overseas Healthcare Team (Newcastle). You also need to prove that you have worked in the UK and paid National Insurance contributions up to three years before your departure. For further advice, contact the Overseas Healthcare Team (Newcastle): Overseas Healthcare Team (Newcastle) Room TC001 Tyneview Park Whitley Road Newcastle upon Tyne NE98 1BA Phone 0191 218 1999 (Monday to Friday 8am-5pm). The S1 (or E106) will entitle you to treatment on the same basis as a resident of the country you are moving to. This may mean that you have to make a patient contribution toward the cost of your care. When the cover on the S1 (or E106) expires, you cannot get any further medical cover from the UK until you receive a UK state pension. It is up to the country’s authorities to decided whether you are eligible to join their healthcare scheme.  You will also be entitled to a UK-issued EHIC, allowing you to visit other EEA countries besides the one you are a resident with."