Health
State Healthcare and InsuranceLast Updated 8 Mar 2024
EMERGENCY AMBULANCES
We were recently made aware of a member who required an ambulance for her partner during a health emergency. Instead of calling 112 (State Ambulance Service) she called another number which resulted in her partner being taken to a Private Hospital. Unfortunately, this resulted in costs which they have struggled to pay.
If you have Residency or have applied to renew your permit, then you are covered by the State Health Insurance which is mandatory, which will mean you will be taken to a State Hospital, but the insurance means your costs to make the patient stable will be minimal in comparison. (Please see below)
It is also important to note that should you call 112 and are taken to a State Hospital but they do not have capacity to treat you or your partner/family member, then you will be transferred to a Private Hospital BUT the State Health insurance will cover those costs.
Below is the actual cover provided by the State Health Insurance. We were provided with the document in Turkish and this is a certified copy of that document.
HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE (Compulsory for residency visas)
For Foreign Nationals with an Immigration Permit Foreign nationals, who have paid the premium determined in accordance with Article 11 of the National Health Insurance Scheme, can benefit from health examination and treatment services carried out in the emergency services free of charge. However, all other public health services, excluding the emergency health treatment services carried out after the necessary examination and diagnosis in the emergency services, including consumables, polyclinic services, laboratory and examination services, public pharmacies, drug supply services, all kinds of inpatient treatment services, any paramedical services and any other public health services offered can be used at full cost. The scope of emergency treatment services as per Article 11 of the National Health Insurance Scheme is as follows:
- Drowning
- Traffic Accident
- Suicide Attempt
- Rape
- Fall
- Injury/ limb rupture
- Electric shock
- Freeze
- Cold Shock
- Heat Shock
- severe burns
- Serious Eye injuries
- Poisoning
- Serious allergy anaphylactic situations: Severe allergy or low blood pressure that may lead to impaired heart rhythm, respiratory tract obstruction.
- All kinds of spinal fractures of the spine and lower extremity fractures, which cause large external or internal bleeding.
- Decompression (diver's disease) situation commonly known as ‘crippled by the bends’
- MI, Arrhythmia hypertension crises: Heart attack, types of heart rhythm disorders that require urgent treatment, brain pressure, hemorrhage etc. rising to a degree that can lead to serious outcomes
- Asthma crisis, acute breathing problems
- Any situation that causes loss of consciousness
- Sudden strokes
- Serious general condition disorder
- High fever: poisoning, infectious diseases, heat stroke, etc. If the average body temperature is 39.5 C or above.
- Diabetic and uremic bleeding: conditions that may start from confusion caused by diabetes and kidney failure to complete loss of consciousness (coma).
- Dialysis disease accompanied by general condition disorder
- Acute abdomen: Perforation, hollow or knotted inflammation of hollow organs such as stomach intestine, etc. situations requiring urgent intervention.
- Acute massive hemorrhages: Life-threatening internal or external bleeding, usually caused by trauma.
- Meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess
- Renalcoholic: A condition that causes severe pain that may lead to urinary tract or kidney damage caused by renal calculus.
- Acute psychotic pictures: Neurological or psychological discomfort.
- Migraine and/or vomiting, loss of consciousness, headaches.
- Discomfort due to delirium tremens.