Migrants who arrive in this country should have a two year period from which they must pay pre-designated set fees for NHS services. This would hope to de-incentivise health tourism as well as ensuring those who have not yet paid into the system do not take out funds from the NHS.
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Personally, I think 2 years isn’t a long enough deterrent.
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The issue is more complex. There is already an Immigration Health Surcharge, but there are many exemptions and the fee is too low. Trying to fairly address the various likely contingencies seems cumbersome.
Perhaps better simply to make all non-emergency care billable, at cost or higher, to all foreign nationals. Thus it essentially requires them to take out insurance, just as you or I would if visiting or living in most other countries.
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I really think it should be 5 years and only if you are employed full time, earning about £40000. If not the person should not be in the country.
I feel the focus should be in removing the benefit incentives for them to come here in the first place & to stop them getting certain benefits such as Universal Credit / PIP–just a basic amount until theyre deported.
If they are billed by the NHS they won’t pay it, they ll just call emergency services & turn up to hospitals demanding to be seen. I don’t see how we could stop them.
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