Long term illness and travel

sqooka

Hi all,
I was just wondering if anyone could tell me if having a chronic illness which requires treatment on the long term illness scheme.........kind of rules out emigration? I have heard of people having meds posted to them, I'm just not sure if you're really supposed to or if you can if you're really only planning on going abroad for about a year? I'm not looking for ways to play the system or anything, I just work in a very specialised field and am trying to work out if I'd be better off with a career change now..... All answers appreciated because I need to make a very fast decision!

colrow

Hi Sqooka,

I have Diabetes Type 2, and I work abroad a lot, I ask my pharmacy for 3 months of medication up front, some of my meds aren't on the LTI scheme.

I try and get a return trip before I run out, I've also shown my prescriptions to GP's abroad and its easy to get a prescription if I run out, and usually its far cheaper than here at home.

sqooka

Thanks, I probably would be able to get a few months supply at a time alright, but I wouldn't be able to afford it in another country ($34000 a year I is what I'm told it costs). From what I'm told you're eligible for the long-term illness scheme if you've been resident in Ireland for the previous 3 tax years, called "ordinarily resident". So I'm unsure if that means that if I even went abroad for 1 year that would mean I'd be ineligible after that!!!! There's no way I can stay in my current field unless I'm willing to move, and I'd love to, but I mightn't be able to.

sqooka

I thought I'd post this separately in case any one else ever wants to know about this..... That three-year thing applies to people who've moved to Ireland! You don't lose eligibility just be leaving for a year, you lose after 3 years abroad!!! Which is an awful lot fairer I think personally, you can go abroad for a short time and it doesn't instantly cancel out the fact that you've lived here your entire life!

Hello Lady!

Many countries may not allow a years worth of medication to be brought into the country and you are not allowed to post it (although I know a lot of people who do anyway). Australia for example do not recommend you bring large quantities of drugs with you and you do run the risk of them being confiscated. Same if you get family to post it over. I know this as my friend recently moved to Australia and enquired before leaving about it.

cassid

Thats interesting to know thanks

suds1984

I'm aware of someone who has had up to 6 months of medication posted to them in Australia. It would have been a sizeable enough box. It was declared and posted with copies of prescriptions and doctor letters. So as far as it is declared, and have copy of rx should be fine. It was sent via courier as opposed to regular post. Also aware of someone that posted one month of pill to Singapore, not declared and that got confiscated.