Expats in Turkey urged to consider health insurance

Tuesday October 7th , 2008

Britons living in countries such as Turkey must be aware of the need to organise appropriate health insurance to avoid getting into difficult situations, warns shelteroffshore.com.

For permanent residents abroad, UK medical treatment on the NHS is not an option and few, if any, insurers will cover those over the age of 65 at the time of moving, says the website.

Turkey is rising in popularity as a retirement spot but it has no national health system and those who do not speak the language and have never contributed to Turkish tax will find that the only option is to pay for private treatment.

Solutions presented by the online magazine include signing up with a reputable health insurance company before the age of 65 who will continue cover beyond 65 and only living for a few months abroad each year while keeping a UK home as a permanent base.

Another solution for those over 65 who want to live abroad full-time is to begin saving today for a health care pot.

In related news, expats are being advised to consider their pension options as, from the beginning of this month, changes in where the money is invested will come into force, according to the Daily Telegraph.