CyprusLiving

I have just renewed my pink medical card. Last one lasted for 2 years, this one it's only for 5 months, until the end of this year. I didn't notice until I left so I didn't ask why. Does anyone know why this can be?

Kristina

If you work and pay Social Insurance it appears that they are only renewing medical cards for 6 months at a time (or until the end of year). This happened to me when I renewed mine at the Citizens Service Centre in May. I was told that there would be new rules with regard to medical cards later on in the year and at the time even they didn't know what they would involve. I believe the new rules may require that you have paid continual social insurance contributions for a period of 3 years. I suppose it makes sense that they aren't going to give out cards for 2 years as the new rules may mean that a lot of us will no longer be eligible under the new guidelines.

Thank you for the answer. Seems a bit unfair that you would have to paid for 3 years to get a medical card in the future.... We will be ok but many will be struggling if they are not on high income and have not paid for 3 years. They seem to make it harder and harder to live and work here.....

Anything to do with: ... the changes to free medical care... I wonder?

taken from the http://cyprus-mail.com/2013/06/11/pensioners-we-have-barely-enough-for-food/article

"If you work and pay Social Insurance it appears that they are only renewing medical cards for 6 months at a time"

Both myself and my partner work and pay social insurance here, for nearly a decade. Recently, we both went to get medical cards. We were declined, on the grounds that we earn 'too much'...

I was of the understanding that all EU citizens were entitled to a healthcare card. How wrong was I.

Keo.

Hi I come under my husband's medical card which we only got six months ago and has now expired. Where do we renew this card? can I do this at the Citizens Centre? and what documents do we need? I have been reading in the paper about new requirements of paying social for three years,is this the case? as my husband has only paid contributions for 18 months, will he still get a new card does anyone know.

I paid contributions about 8 years ago for a couple of years, can these be added to my husbands?

Any help would be appreciated, many thanks Dee


Morning check out our FAQ page's may find what you are looking for admin.

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=49057

I think your best course of action is to take your expired card and yellow slip to the Citizens centre. this is the place that you can get new cards at.

It may help others if you can post how you went on.

Trev..

Got ours 3 years ago. Just been to Polis to renew, and they said it not need renewing!

Trev I think you are right and I will take a trip to the Citizens Centre and will post the outcome. Our medical card was only valid for six months, and I am not sure what will happen now as my husband has only paid contributions for 18 months, will let you know how we get on.

cheers Dee

Sadly Dee I think they may interpret the rules to the letter and you may not get a renewal. I had a 'B' card (half paying) which was due to expire at the end of this year but from 1st August it suddenly became redundant. I am now officially cardless and just have to pay the going rate or go private as there is probably not that much difference now in the cost.

Jeanne

Hi,
I don't know if this is any help but I visited the One Stop Shop today with my S1 forms, as Iv'e just become 65 and wanted to get myself registered.
The staff there were very helpful and it was all done in about 10 minutes, they said I would get my new medical card in about 3 weeks from Nicosia.
There was one problem, My wife who will get cover through my claim was not mentioned on the S1 form, so they couldn't process her part of the claim, her name had been omitted from the form through a mistake back at the Pension and Health department back in the UK, I had failed to notice this.
No problem for the staff at the shop, they simply gave me the UK telephone number I needed to get a replacement, they told me to come back when I get the replacement S1 form also to take my newly acquired Medical card back to them, they will cancel it out and redo the S1 form for us as a couple.
So, they are very helpful and it looks like they are still issuing the Medical Cards.
hope this gives a little insight.

On this subject, when I reached 60 and I received my forms from the UK to enable me to get a medical card here, I queried why my husbands name wasn't on the form too, I was told because I had not asked for it to be put on. Strange answer I thought as the form was sent automatically , not at my request , so how could I possibly ask before they sent it for them to include my husbands name on it too?? I suppose I should have been psychic. Just a thought that it may be 'Heads up' to anyone else shortly reaching state pension age to stop this happening again that they could ring and ask for their spouses name to be included and that would save much to-ing and fro-ing of forms. Not sure that makes sense but I know what I mean.

Helen

Hi Helen,
yes I know exactly what you mean, the thing I omitted from my last post was that when I rang the UK pensions service to say my wife's name was not on the S1 forms, I was told that I did not ask to include her on the forms. I told them I had completed everything that was asked of me on my pension claim form including my wife's name, age etc, I told them there was nothing else to include her on, when the S1 arrived it was already completed with my details why didn't YOU add her, their answer again was I should have asked to include her. we were going around in circles, I just said, look, just add her and send me new forms thank you, and put the phone down.
I don't know but it seems to be a hidden agenda going on here, maybe they are trying to get out of paying for spouses, hoping some people will just give up let it go.

Just to let you know I went to the citizens centre in paphos and they were more than helpful.

Jeanne you were right, they are enforcing the 3 year rule as from 1 August 2014 if you are under pension age then you must have paid 3 years contributions in order to get a medical card. Luckily my contributions (which I paid a few years ago) can be added to my husbands in order to make the three years. The chap at the citizens centre made lots of phone calls to the social office to check this out, and then called me at home a few days later to confirm it was OK and I could collect my new card.

Dee
PS going to get the card tomorrow will be interesting to see what the expiry date is.