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Sorry for no content on title page! There is a drive in Marche at present under the guise of re-registration with your family GP. What it appears to be achieving is testing the eligability for health care, across the board. Having queued for 2 hrs at Fermo hospital on Thursday and after much wrangling with the official there we were given a new form dated for 2 yrs....This doesnt seem to be correct after having followed Pennys exhaustive research on the topic...we have permenant residency and long lasting Tessera cards. Anyone else come across this? It is worrying. The new form states that this is a new EU directive and is to be carried out in all states of the union.

Angie, can you post the directive number they refer to please and I will look into it. As far as I know there has been no new European Directive other than this one: which concerns patients going to another country to get treated or getting treated whilst abroad. Nowhere does it refer to permanent residents of Italy from another country. Sounds like they are just trying in Fermo what they are already doing in AP.

When wife went to renew her GP on the old annual basis in Amandola earlier this year, she was told it was now permanent. Said mine would be the same on renewal. but that is not till next year, so will wait and see!!!

She hadn't reached retirement age had she? If not, there is hope for us all!! Maybe the person causing the problems (who shal remain nameless) has moved to Fermo!!

EU countries face large cuts in their budgets and public health is an area of concern. Similar moves have already occured in Spain and foreign residents are not the only ones affected by them; however, if you have been granted health cover on a permanent basis you should be entitled to it. It is a worrying thing, though.....