Healthcare

Hi I am planning to move to Malta in March 15 with my Husband and 10 year old daughter. I intend to work part time in the UK as I can work remotely and only visit the uk 5 days each month. This will be whilst I source employment in Malta. My biggest concern is my husbands health as he has a medical condition that requires some strong, regular medication. As I intend to work in Malta and pay tax, I believe that hubby will be entitled to access the healthcare system. I have read some of the information available and am a little - OK a lot confused. Any advice/guidance will be appreciated

Hi, have you ever been to Malta except on holiday? Have you considered every aspect of your proposed move and how it may relate to your husband's condition and your daughter's education? Are you prepared to go through the difficulties of finding employment here? (You don't say what that may be.)
And yes, you will find the processes you have to go through very tedious, at times very confusing and those processes could change by the day and you will have to do a lot of 'chasing up'. Also, don't forget to inform the Tax Authorities here and in UK and you will be required to submit 2 different tax returns each year, at different times.
That's just the 'tip of the iceberg in the list of considerations but still remaining positive.................................

I will try to clarify the health issues......everyone has access to the health service, it is how it is paid for that is the issue. There are two parallel systems here, private and public. Private, no problem, just book, turn up and pay.

You may intend to work here and commute but will your husband? If not, before 90 days are up, he will have to satisfy the procedures etc that I hope you would have read here:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=370643

If you are returning to UK for just 5 days a month then you should also become officially resident on Malta, so you too should register for residency before 90 days expire. If not working here by then can you satisfy the 'self sufficiency' requirements? (May be longer if officially a 'job seeker'.)

NB, the first link in that article has been changed but I cannot change the article so the first link is this:

http://homeaffairs.gov.mt/en/MHAS-Infor … dence.aspx

If you gain employment here and pay contributions here your husband and daughter will receive free treatment in the same way as you will.

If your husband expects to receive FREE regular medication then, irrespective of your status, he will have to be either
resident or intending to reside and proceeding with residency application, also hold a Certificate of Entitlement and he will have to go through the Schedule V process. See that article I mentioned, again, it explains things.

That's all I can offer as I am not qualified nor do I want to get involved with dual residency etc. There are other methods I suppose but they may be either unlawful or at best misleading the authorities so I will end here.

Thank you for your prompt reply.
We pay for medication in the UK so I expect to pay for it in Malta and have been told that I can take his records to a doctor and they would continue to prescribe them.  It was being able to access further healthcare if/when his condition deteriorates which was my main worry. The reason for moving  is because the heat eases his pain and will significantly slow down the deterioration of his condition.  He is hoping to find some kind of employment but this will depend greatly on his health so I am surmising that he won't be employed in any significant capacity for any length of time, especially in the beginning, but remain hopeful.
Both of us intend to register as a resident within the 90 days as I want to make Malta my home.
I am currently a health and social care trainer/ assessor and am in the process of approaching the training organisations who specialize in this area to identify if my qualifications meet their requirements etc and discuss employment possibilities.
We will be self sufficient to begin with but I am only in my 40's so am to young to retire.!
I am in discussion with my present employer re working on a self employed basis , working between 10-15 hrs per week, most of which can be completed remotely.
Not sure if I will be earning enough for tax in UK but im assuming that i will be paying national insurance contributions. I need to seek further advice from an accountant - something else to put on my to do list!
I am hoping to be employed in Malta within 3-6 months and can stop working in the UK if it proves to be to complicated, tax wise.
My understanding was that we could become residents and I could register as a job seeker. I have qualifications and experience in training and management but would be open to having a complete career change.
We should be self sufficient for at least a year to 18 months before having to make a decision to stay or return to the UK (something I really didn't want to consider).
With regards to my daughters education she is young enough to make the transition and I honestly believe that she will ultimately have better future prospects in Malta, as well as a better quality of life.

Hi, all thought through then  :) I only posed the questions in my responses as we did not have much information of your situation and others read the posts. So many come out here without knowing the reality of life here, usually based upon a holiday experience. Day to day living is, of course, much different. Yes, the weather can alleviate many conditions BUT in winter it can feel very cold and damp. Remember, the homes are rarely if ever insulated or heated adequately and even more rare is central heating. I also have to say that your daughter may only have better prospects if she eventually moves away from Malta. I say that because so many do have to move away. I would also suggest that if you are looking to continue working as you do now, when here, you will need to speak Maltese.

totaly agree with Redmik on this one - if you speak to the younger gereation of maltese you wil find that most cant wait to leave the island to better themselves.... its one thing getting an education but jobs arent easy to find...unless you know the niche of jobs that pay well and are in demand... and they will change over time

Thank you for all advice and guidance so far but could I ask some more questions please.
Where do I find out if the medication that my husband is currently taking can be prescribed in Malta and roughly how much it will cost. He takes pregablin and amitripyline and if it can't how do we adjust his medication?
I have seen adverts when in Malta re Maltese lessons but in reality how difficult is it for a 46 year old woman to learn? I am prepared to learn but would like a reality check please.
I agree re my Daughter having to move away to gain employment when she is older but I am focusing on the experience it will give her and us  living in a different culture
The list seems to growing but I am really grateful to have found you guys as your advice is invaluable

cant help on the medication questions

but as for learning maltese  - it is perhaps one of the most diifficult languages to learn but not impossible - i am 57 now and was 51 when i started and can proudly say that I know at least 400 words  - not including the swear words...lol

we did he council run course for beginners - quite an enjoyable experience with people of varying abilities

its fun try it  - even if you only learn  the basics pronounciation and letters numbers times etc its a start - but we have to admit to pulling out after the first year as we werent really learning what we wanted to - day to day stuff - and we used our maltese friends neighbours etc to teach us more. and that worked better for us - well me -as the missus gave up due to most days when she tried to use it -  the replies were invariably given to you in english - give it a go what you got to lose

I can only speak about medication for physical conditions that I and my wife have experienced not medication for mental health conditions. The medication available on Malta can be different from that in UK. Sometimes there is a shortage of certain types and sometimes they are not available and equivalents have to be used. What is used will be up to the doctor who prescribes, who may be, in this case, a consultant at Mount Carmel Hospital.

I suggest you look here:
https://www.gov.mt/en/Services-And-Info … icine.aspx
and here (give it time to load)
http://www.maltamedicineslist.com/

Also for more information, here: https://secure3.gov.mt/mentalhealthservices/