NHAngst--an epistolary entry!!
Apr. 15th, 2011 11:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
x_losToo wordy, but I get WELL wordy when annoyed. Scarlett!icon represents my GRITS-umbrage atm.
"I'm an American student doing a year-long MA in London. I went into the Soho walk-in clinic with a swollen finger this morning, about an hour ago. I've had this before and know that it only requires a sterile, 10 min procedure and accompanying antibiotic. But after I'd filled out the info form, the nurses wouldn't believe me when I told them that because I'm in a year-long program I have NHS entitlement. They wanted a 50 pound fee plus an 8 pound charge for the medicine. That sum may not seem huge, but add 12 pounds and that's my weekly budget, so no thanks. I think they're wrong. I double-checked:
"Can I get medical treatment?
If you come from a country with a health-care agreement with the United Kingdom, or you are enrolled on a course for six months or more, you may be able to get medical treatment on the National Health Service (NHS)... You can get more information from the Department of Health."
(source: http://www.intstudy.com/visauk.htm)
and
"I'm going to be entering the UK in September for a year-long course of study; I know that because I'm on a student visa and will be in the UK for more than six months, I'm entitled to NHS coverage. I do, however, have some questions."
(source: http://ask.metafilter.com/67919/Help-This-American-Student-Navigate-the-NHS)
Metafilter may seem unofficial, but it's quite dependable, in a wikipedia-is-about-as-reliable-as-Britannica (http://news.cnet.com/Study-Wikipedia-as-accurate-as-Britannica/2100-1038_3-5997332.html) sort of way.
I might add that if the NHS more clearly publicized its policy regarding long-term American students on its website, neither the nurses nor I would be potentially confused as to who's in the right.
Barring a weird exception that's quite new and exclusive to US students, I am not wrong here. This scares me, frankly. What if I'd had a more serious problem? Either the Soho Clinic denied me basic care I believe I'm entitled to through ignorance of relatively straight-forward policy: not on, or my university lied to me as to whether I needed health insurance while here: likewise bad.
I need to know whether I'm covered in this country, as I was told by the ULondon system, or whether I need to get some insurance stat. And I need to know that when I go to a walk in clinic, they know too. But mostly? I need someone to look at my stupid finger for a sum less than fifty eight pounds.
Erin"
"I'm an American student doing a year-long MA in London. I went into the Soho walk-in clinic with a swollen finger this morning, about an hour ago. I've had this before and know that it only requires a sterile, 10 min procedure and accompanying antibiotic. But after I'd filled out the info form, the nurses wouldn't believe me when I told them that because I'm in a year-long program I have NHS entitlement. They wanted a 50 pound fee plus an 8 pound charge for the medicine. That sum may not seem huge, but add 12 pounds and that's my weekly budget, so no thanks. I think they're wrong. I double-checked:
"Can I get medical treatment?
If you come from a country with a health-care agreement with the United Kingdom, or you are enrolled on a course for six months or more, you may be able to get medical treatment on the National Health Service (NHS)... You can get more information from the Department of Health."
(source: http://www.intstudy.com/visauk.htm)
and
"I'm going to be entering the UK in September for a year-long course of study; I know that because I'm on a student visa and will be in the UK for more than six months, I'm entitled to NHS coverage. I do, however, have some questions."
(source: http://ask.metafilter.com/67919/Help-This-American-Student-Navigate-the-NHS)
Metafilter may seem unofficial, but it's quite dependable, in a wikipedia-is-about-as-reliable-as-Britannica (http://news.cnet.com/Study-Wikipedia-as-accurate-as-Britannica/2100-1038_3-5997332.html) sort of way.
I might add that if the NHS more clearly publicized its policy regarding long-term American students on its website, neither the nurses nor I would be potentially confused as to who's in the right.
Barring a weird exception that's quite new and exclusive to US students, I am not wrong here. This scares me, frankly. What if I'd had a more serious problem? Either the Soho Clinic denied me basic care I believe I'm entitled to through ignorance of relatively straight-forward policy: not on, or my university lied to me as to whether I needed health insurance while here: likewise bad.
I need to know whether I'm covered in this country, as I was told by the ULondon system, or whether I need to get some insurance stat. And I need to know that when I go to a walk in clinic, they know too. But mostly? I need someone to look at my stupid finger for a sum less than fifty eight pounds.
Erin"
