色花堂

Surprisingly ? Temporary SNS number ? There's no such thing.

You have to pay for the treatment. Let me remind you that the NHS is paid for with Portuguese taxpayers' money. Money doesn't fall from the sky... the way the expats are using the NHS is abusive and totally unacceptable, and could lead to the extinction of the NHS itself. This has nothing to do with your son or you, it has to do with the implicit attitude...

聽 聽 Hello to everyone,I have my residency card for more than 2 years while my spouse and son have an appointment on October for family reunification. Since, my 3 years old son is receiving monthly injections 鈥� which will continue for the next18 months -, as soon as they arrived to Porto, I got a temporary SNS number from the nearest health center for him.Actually, I assumed and heard that by this temporary SNS number which is called 鈥減rovisory鈥� we can get an admission from Hospital to get him under professional supervision and continuing his treatment till their residency cards issuance. But, surprisingly, the admission officer in the hospital said this temporary SNS number is not valid for such a service and you should pay a full deposit of 18 months treatment ahead.Can anyone have an idea in this regard? Where can I follow the process to solve this problem? I have only one week before the schedule of the next injection.Thanks for your support.聽 聽 聽 聽 -@Davoud Lou

Hi and Welcome,

Not helpful but Shirley as a parent having an 3 year old child with known medical issues you would have asked exactly what a "provisory" SNS number covered medically from the place which issued it, then, if it did not cover what is required for your child made alternative arrangements for the treatment.聽 ?

聽 聽 Surprisingly ? Temporary SNS number ? There's no such thing.
You have to pay for the treatment. Let me remind you that the NHS is paid for with Portuguese taxpayers' money. Money doesn't fall from the sky... the way the expats are using the NHS is abusive and totally unacceptable, and could lead to the extinction of the NHS itself. This has nothing to do with your son or you, it has to do with the implicit attitude...
聽 聽 聽 聽-@JohnnyPT

Thanks JohnnyPT for clarifying this. The SNS is paid for by all tax-paying residents of Portugal and by Portuguese law all residents are allowed to use the service. Many expats I know have comprehensive private halth insurance and practically never use the SNS (except for vaccinations). It is the Portuguese state that explicitly allows every "abuse" that you mention. Every pregnant woman (resident or not) that gives birth in Portugal will receive free SNS treatment, as does the child. Every recent Ukrainian migrant is accepted into the SNS (and all health systems of the EU). This isn't abuse, but an offer of the relevant government that the individual may or may not use.

@JohnnyPT

First of all, thanks for your reply.

For your information, most of foreigners and expats are residents here, (temporary or permanent) and are paying tax too.

Besides, it is not the matter of cost and misusing at all, since, most of the time families - like us - have no problem with the payment of the cost. The only reason that makes necessary to have a SNS number is to be eligible to get medical services through a systematic procedure while without a proper identification, total process is confusing and stressful.

Plus, imagine someone got his/her residency 3 years back, working here, paying tax and is waiting for his family members to be reunified. How should these family members be considered in the subject of health care if they need? Are they eligible to get it or not?

Ultimately, I got the answer of my own question which is a law mentioning that children should have 90 days stay in the country to be eligible to receive a SNS number.

Thanks Again and regards.