Healthcare in Malta

Hi Julien,

Healthcare in Malta is very good, it is ranged among the best in the world, better than UK, USA, Spain and most others.
It is to some extent similar to the UK model with GP's having a lot of responsibility and authority. Find a good GP and you are in good hands.
As for Private vs public; shorter time to be seen. Still it depends on priorities, healthcare is good but if you can afford it insurance is more like a security insurance, nice to have but not really a necessity.

"Still it depends on priorities, healthcare is good but if you can afford it insurance is more like a security insurance, nice to have but not really a necessity’

Re the above statement, I have read on the gov website that you have to show evidence of health insurance to get the residents permit.  Is this not the case?

Hi Lesley,

yes, to apply for residency you must have health care coverage , either through the National insurance contributions if you work or through private insurance if you are economically self-efficient:

'The EEA national concerned must be covered by sickness insurance against all risks whilst in Malta and have sufficient resources not to become a burden on the State'

The DCEA will ask for proof when you apply.

Cheers
Ricky

Thank you all for your input

Aurélie

Thanks Ricky for the info

Hi,

In order to help expats and soon-to-be expats, we would like to invite you to share your experience on this topic, with updated info on the healthcare system.

Thank you in advance,

Julie
Expat.com Team

It depends on your circumstances, you don't always need health insurance, the RHA certificate will suffice for residency purposes and UK state pensioners can make use of the S1 form to get full health cover and still be able to use the NHS if they go back to the UK.

Ray

nice one Foxy

Perhaps I'll have to change my 'Username' !  (But then I don't think I've ever been Foxy!}

if you remember talk about 7 years NI in UK for expats to get access to NHS? this is now abroad working for less than 5 years and previously resident in UK for 10 or more years. (state pensioners are fully covered), the relevant regulations are here:

If one of the following applies to you then you will be exempt from charges for all of your NHS hospital treatment, except any statutory charges such as prescriptions. Download the Department of Health's guidance on implementing the overseas visitors hospital charging regulations (PDF, 421kb) for further details.
•Anyone who has lived lawfully in the UK for the 12 months prior to treatment. An absence of up to 182 days is allowed but you must have had immigration permission to be in the UK for the full 12 months
•Anyone taking up, or resuming, permanent residence in the UK. You must have the right to live here permanently, or a route to settlement allowing permanent residence in time. You may be asked to show how you emigrated to the UK
•Anyone who is working in the UK for a UK-based employer or who is self-employed in the UK. This does not include people looking for work
•Any full-time student attending either a course of at least six months' duration, or a course substantially funded by the UK government
•Any volunteer with a voluntary organisation providing services similar to health or social services
•Diplomatic staff posted to the UK
•Serving NATO personnel
•Anyone who receives a UK war pension, war widows pension or armed forces compensation scheme payment
•Former UK residents of 10 continuous years or more who are now working abroad (including self employed people) for not more than five years
•Anyone given refugee status in the UK
•Those seeking asylum or humanitarian protection, until their applications, including appeals, are decided
•Failed asylum seekers receiving section 4 or section 95 UK Border Agency support
•Children in the care of the local authority
•Anyone who is detained in prison or by the Immigration Authorities in the UK
•Anyone employed on a ship or vessel registered in the UK
•The spouse or civil partner and any children (under 16) of anyone who is exempt under the above criteria, but only if accompanying the exempt person on a permanent basis

If one of the following applies to you, then not only will you be exempt from charges for all of your NHS hospital treatment, but your spouse/civil partner/dependent children will also be exempt from charges in their own right. This means you, as the principal exempt family member, do not have to be in the UK with them at the time of their treatment, nor do they have to have been with you in the UK permanently.
•Members of Her Majesty’s UK armed forces
•UK civil servants or British Council/Commonwealth War Graves Commission staff recruited in the UK, or anyone in a post overseas that is financed in part by the UK government in agreement with another government or public body
•Missionaries acting overseas for an organisation principally based in the UK
•Those who have been formally identified, or suspected as being, a victim of human trafficking

that info is from:  http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSse … vices.aspx

one assumes "early retirees" can blag it as "working cash in hand" or some such if they want proof of overseas employment.

whilst we are on the subject I thought it might be helpful to list those exempt from healthcare charges in Malta

1.working and paying NI .proof = last payslip
2.married to a maltese. proof = marriage certificate or freedom of movement
3. dual citizenship. proof = passport or related docs
4. British citizens. proof = passport or any ID that shows you are british
5. EU member state citizens. proof = EHIC card (EMERGENCY CASES ONLY)
6. adoption. proof = adoption documents and parental ID cards
7. your spouse works and pays NI. proof = marriage certificate and last payslip
8. Children under 18 who have one maltese parent. proof = Birth certificate and parental ID cards
9. full time course at University of Malta. proof = University student card
10. regugee or under humanitarian protection. proof = refugee status or police documents
11. children under 18 with both parents foreigners and at least one of them works in malta. proof = Birth certificate and last payslip
12. self employed. proof = last NI receipt

hope this Is all helpful to some/all

Thanks redders. So just to double check, my little family unit will be entitled to free healthcare through the NHS for the first 5 years we are in Malta? (I'm self-employed and we're all three of us British)

Does this mean we won't need health insurance or need to pay NI contributions?

Sorry if I've misunderstood this.

My husband has worked out of the UK for 7 years but works for a UK company and has continued to pay NI but no longer pays UK taxes.  What do you think would apply in this situation?  Myself and kids are US citizens.  I'm hoping to not have to purchase health insurance!

Pig Ear wrote:

Thanks redders. So just to double check, my little family unit will be entitled to free healthcare through the NHS for the first 5 years we are in Malta? (I'm self-employed and we're all three of us British)

Does this mean we won't need health insurance or need to pay NI contributions?

Sorry if I've misunderstood this.

Hi yes you are conflating 2 issues. the 5 years thing applies to NHS cover should you return to UK for treatment.
as things stand (despite the real rules) Mater Die is only interested in proof you are british not production of the RHA card. the list I posted is directly transcribed by me from the "charging" letter that accompanies appointments at the hospital for secondary care.

so all you need to do is produce your passport to access things although Govt rules say you should produce your RHA card but if you are genuinely self employed here you should be paying NI so your last NI receipt will cover it too, sorry just realised you are still in UK so forget the self employed here bit. if you register here to be self employed as a foreigner you have to produce your "bona fides" and pay NI so covered anyway.

way above my pay grade that one. definitely covered for care in the UK but as for Malta I have no idea. maybe someone else can help?

Do you think that would just be him covered in UK or the family as well? 
  I would also be interested in hearing from anyone that has purchased private health insurance in Malta.  Cost, coverage,  out of pocket costs? Is it like US health insurance with deductibles and Co pays?
  Someone else mentioned that we would need to purchase a full year of coverage before applying for residency which sounded a bit excessive (and probably expensive for 4 people!)

if you work then SSC payments will give you and your family healthcare cover at the same level as local nationals

Otherwise its private healthcare

unless your home country has a reciprocal health agreement with Malta

I think you need specific legal advice or someone here who is the same as you are. im not actually sure he is even covered in UK as it is residency based not payment based care. I misread what you said about 7 years. if you go down the pvt insurance route then buy a local one from gasan mamo or BUPA Malta, definitely do not get an international one.

BUPA have an online quick-quote system if you google BUPA Malta.

For me, my partner and my daughter it gave an annual quote of £4500. If that's indicative of private health insurance then I think I'll stick to the NI payments.

Pig Ear wrote:

BUPA have an online quick-quote system if you google BUPA Malta.

For me, my partner and my daughter it gave an annual quote of £4500. If that's indicative of private health insurance then I think I'll stick to the NI payments.

yes I was replying to jasmine not you lol NI here for self employed is around 20 euros per week but your British Passport will get you healthcover. bring your EHIC card to register at local health centre. when I first went to see GP I said " I have an RHA card" they said "whats that?" so registered with passport and EHIC, I had to go before I got my residency card. in case you think I am joking all I can say is "it's Malta Ta" lol

£4500 year is more expensive than US health care!  How hard is it to become "self employed" and just pay into NI in Malta?

self employed as a foreigner isn't totally easy it has to be genuine etc as far as I know they will want proof of the business etc, but once you are, you pay NI and get a receipt then you are all covered as per my post of those eligible points 7 11 and 12. as for BUPA Malta it depends on level of cover you want and gp visits/medicine cover. basic hospital cover is quite cheap and from memory Gasan Mamo is much cheaper than BUPA if you have a clean health record

I meant to say 4500 euros per annum? wtf did you put in for full international cover with overseas coverage and GP visitis and meds? they wanted 30 euros a month from me for the better level of cover for malta only so not sure you got a malta quote or a bupa international one lol

To be self-employed and pay NI contributions you have to be resident first and to be resident you need health insurance coverage for the whole family.

So check if you are covered through the UK. Your family is definitly not !

Quite simple !

Ricky

Jasminej wrote:

£4500 year is more expensive than US health care!  How hard is it to become "self employed" and just pay into NI in Malta?

http://www.bupa.com.mt/health-insurance … ital-cover check the essential and or premier option not the international plans. no need to be maltese or resident to get the cover to get residency.

€30 month per person sounds a lot better!  I can do that.  I guess I need to get some quotes.  What coverage did you get for 30?

just the basic with top ups etc. use the link I posted and check it out or ring them up but also check out http://www.gasanmamo.com/personal/healt … nce-malta/  once you are resident you can then pay NI if you go the self employed route. pay pvt insurance monthly hint hint

So I have a pet sitting business in the US that I do on the side.  Legit website and all.  Could I not just switch that over to Malta and claim that as self employment? 

And....are you saying I don't have to buy 1 year coverage up front?  I would much rather pay monthly.

no as riky said you have to be resident here first before you can claim self employment. BUPA will take monthly payments cant remember if gasan mamo will. so yes I was saying that

Right so I will plan to just pay monthly premiums on health insurance,  get residency as self sufficient,  then try to claim self employed

Jasminej wrote:

Right so I will plan to just pay monthly premiums on health insurance,  get residency as self sufficient,  then try to claim self employed

that's a good plan as for residency I am no expert by a long shot, I do have a friend on twitter (us citizen) who wants to come and live in malta. all I know is he looked into it in detail and decided best way forward was to go to Germany or Austria. his father was on the last kindertransport out of Nazi Germany so both Germany and Austria offer incentives to go back. once back and incentivised he can move to malta as an EU citizen. so I assume you have done your homework on residency here for y'all

My husband is a UK citizen and we can claim self sufficiency either through savings or my income in the US  (hopefully through income).  I also have a 17 year old daughter that doesn't want to come without her boyfriend  (both US citizens). I know she can get residence but I don't know about him!  I guess maybe  if he comes as a visitor and finds a job? But I'm not to worried about him. Don't really like him much anyways

Jasminej wrote:

My husband is a UK citizen and we can claim self sufficiency either through savings or my income in the US  (hopefully through income).  I also have a 17 year old daughter that doesn't want to come without her boyfriend  (both US citizens). I know she can get residence but I don't know about him!  I guess maybe  if he comes as a visitor and finds a job? But I'm not to worried about him. Don't really like him much anyways

ahhh yes a UK citizen so back to the drawing board. you are covered here by his citizenship if you can persuade them to give him the reciprocal health care agreement (see the relevant thread) that would cover y'all I thought you said on earlier post you were both US citizens (aka you and hubby). as for her BF all I can say is "bad mom" lol

I think the most recent posts said that reciprocal health care is no longer valid.  So now it's down to buying coverage and then trying to claim self employed or finding a part time job  to get free coverage in Malta.

And my daughter is nearly 18 so it's either deal with the boyfriend or she will probably stay in the US with him 

Jasminej wrote:

I think the most recent posts said that reciprocal health care is no longer valid.  So now it's down to buying coverage and then trying to claim self employed or finding a part time job  to get free coverage in Malta.

And my daughter is nearly 18 so it's either deal with the boyfriend or she will probably stay in the US with him 

eh? no longer valid? what? lost me on that one. I posted I had a fight to get it. link for it is here https://ehealth.gov.mt/download.aspx?id=10380

yes she has to decide what to do

I'm sure I read the info on here- something about the reciprocal agreement only covering pensioners or up to a 90 day stay.  I think. I'll have to look for it.  Also I think it said that it only covered emergency care?

no definitely not the RHA covers all british citizens and their families. Pensioners are covered by the S1 form nothing to do with the RHA per se. the only problem is convincing the entitlement unit to give you the interim certificate of entitlement. we have all had varying experiences of that. the EHIC card covers emergency care and 90 day stays I think you are confusing the 2 things.

I wonder if it matters that my husband gave up his UK residency (for tax reasons).  He only pays into NI.

https://ehealth.gov.mt/HealthPortal/chi … ltauk.aspx

This is the information you need

Jasminej wrote:

I wonder if it matters that my husband gave up his UK residency (for tax reasons).  He only pays into NI.

its not UK residency its British Citizenship for the RHA a British passport.