Health plans are crucial for living a happy life, as it can help you to feel at your physical best and provide you with the needed structure to aid your mental wellbeing. However, for expats moving to the UK, the process of creating a successful health plan can be difficult as there’s a lot of new information you’ll be presented with that can be confusing. Luckily, the UK has a lot of useful amenities that can help expats make their new life as healthy as possible, such as free healthcare through the NHS and affordable treatments.

In this guide, we will help expats moving to the UK by providing advice on how they can create a successful health plan that is guaranteed to work. Continue reading to learn more about what planning you need to do as a UK expat.

Public Healthcare Rights

For expats that have obtained a visa that lasts longer than 6 months, they will typically pay the IHS during the visa application process. This will grant them access to the NHS Healthcare Guide for free at the point of use, so they can be treated for any illnesses by doctors, nurses and surgeons with no extra charge.

After this, you can register with a local General Practitioner (GP) as soon as you arrive in your local area to access primary care, prescriptions and specialist referrals. This is much better than a lot of other countries in the UK, which require payments for simple doctor visits.

However, there are some limitations with going public for your healthcare. The NHS covers emergency and hospital care well, but routine dental care, optical needs and non-urgent specialist treatments like cosmetic surgery can have long waiting lists and require patients to pay for private care.

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Choosing Private Medical Insurance (PMI)

There are differences between the UK PMI and International Plans. Local UK policies cover private care within the country, while international options can allow you to seek treatment across borders or in your home country. Each of these have their positives and negatives, so it’s worth getting in touch with local care providers and those from your home country to decide what’s best for you.

There are tiered coverage levels in the UK with basic plans covering in–patient hospital stays only, whereas medium plans also add capped out-patient diagnostic tests. For plans over a higher level, you can receive full out-patient care, specialists and therapies, so all bases are covered.

Health Insurance & Private Care

You need to audit your employer benefits when creating a successful health plan in the UK as an expat. Checking if your job provides corporate health insurance before buying a separate policy is recommended to ensure that you aren’t unnecessarily paying more than you should. There’s a lot of roles that offer health insurance in the UK, so make sure to check this as soon as your role is confirmed.

Local UK private health insurance averages around £960 annually, while basic tiers start near £500, scaling with age and coverage level. Many expats choose private healthcare for a more comfortable and high-quality experience, but public healthcare through the NHS is still very good.

Choosing a Health Insurance Provider

If you do need to find a health insurer, there’s some things to consider that will make the process easier. Make sure to assess your needs by thinking about your budget and the level of care you want, as the higher quality care will come at a higher cost. You should also seek providers that have a good track record and have plenty of positive reviews from past and present customers. 

When choosing a provider, make sure to obtain multiple quotes so you can compare them all against each other. Count the number of benefits each of them has and choose the one that has the most, it’s that simple. You can also seek expert advice from independent brokers that specialise in expat health insurance, as they are more likely to support all of your needs.

Creating a Healthy Schedule

Scheduling is very important for living a healthy life. Expats need to balance their work and personal life, ensuring that they have a consistent physical routine, good meal planning and get enough sleep at nighttime. All of this can be ruined when you move to a new country, so having structured times will help you to maintain your physical wellbeing. There are several things that can help you with this, such as finding local fitness groups.

Don’t forget to take care of your mental health too, helping you to adjust to your new country. Make sure to stay in contact with all of your friends and family back home, as well as take advantage of any wellness resources that will help you. Having a good balance of your work and home life will make your UK health much better.

Final Thoughts

For expats moving to the UK and obtaining indefinite leave to remain, following these steps should help you to live a healthier lifestyle. Whether you go public or private, it’s entirely up to you, but make sure to analyse your options properly and plan it all to fit your schedule.