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By Paulina Guerrero Gutiérrez, KCL Mexican Society President 2014-17 Revised by Rodrigo Orcajo Castelan MD, Alumni Officer Given that most students are relatively young people, it is frequent for us not to worry too much about our health. However, this is a mistake. One of the first things that you should do when you arrive to the UK is to register with the National Health Service (NHS), the British “public and free” healthcare system, even if it is just to be on the safe side. It is important to register soon for two reasons: many universities and dorms require it and private healthcare is extremely expensive. The lowest fees that a private doctor will charge you will be £80-100 per appointment, if you’re lucky and don’t need any additional test or procedure. Finally, in case of an emergency – yes, we all say it won’t happen – everything will be speedier and better if you know how to use the system. Just as any other public healthcare system, the NHS is bureaucratic, complicated, and sometimes exasperatingly slow. However, if you know how to navigate it and use it smartly, you’ll get exceptional, quality care which will be nearly or completely free. This is something students in the US can’t say, having to subject themselves to expensive, private health-insurance companies that don’t necessarily cover everything, even if they can be tax-deductible.
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Por Paulina Guerrero Gutiérrez, KCL Mexican Society President 2014-17 Revisado/aumentado por Rodrigo Orcajo Castelan, Alumni Officer Usualmente, al ser personas relativamente jóvenes, los estudiantes no solemos preocuparnos por nuestra salud. Pero, ¡error! Una de las primeras cosas que se debe hacer al llegar a Reino Unido es registrarse en el National Health Service (NHS), es decir, el servicio británico de salud “público y gratuito”, aunque sea sólo por si acaso. Es importante registrarse pronto, en primer lugar porque muchas universidades o dorms lo tienen como requisito, y en segunda, porque las consultas médicas privadas son excesivamente caras. Lo más barato que cobrará un médico privado, si te va bien y sin ningún procedimiento extra, serán unas 80-100 libras. Por último, en caso de una emergencia - sí, todos decimos que nunca nos va a pasar- todo saldrá más rápido y adecuado si sabemos utilizar el sistema. Al igual que todo sistema público de salud, el NHS es burocrático complicado y en ocasiones simplemente desesperante, sin embargo, si sabemos sacarle la vuelta y utilizarlo a nuestro favor, obtendremos atención de excepcional calidad prácticamente gratis, cosa que no pueden decir nuestros compañeros que estudian en los EUA, al tener que someterse a las restricciones de un seguro médico que no cubre muchas cosas y exige el pago de cuotas de “copago” -deducible en México.
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