Living with respiratory conditions, such as those that require the regular use of medical oxygen, can make living abroad a very tempting prospect. Long days under sunny skies, with low humidity and plenty of fresh air? Almost literally what the doctor ordered! But health conditions come along with you, and with them the need for specialist equipment, regular supplies of oxygen along with consumables like nasal cannulas and tubing, and the thought of arranging supply lines in a foreign language can be daunting, especially if you are feeling unwell already, suffering from a condition like COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), heart failure or pulmonary fibrosis. 

Let’s take a look at some of your options if you are a long-term resident away from your home country, and learn how OxygenWorldwide supports expats year round to ensure you have access to oxygen and can carefully look after your health so as to enjoy great quality of life.

The Realities of Using Oxygen as an Expat

If you are moving from the UK, for example, it may surprise you to realise that local health systems in your new country may not offer the same experiences – and you might also be facing different equipment, new refill scheduling and even different ways of receiving your oxygen and equipment at home.

Language barriers might arise too, which can complicate your access to appointments (and the appointments themselves, unless your new doctor speaks flawless English for you while you learn the language of your new home town), your prescriptions, and even repairs to your equipment, up to and including your power sockets in your home from which your equipment will run!

Speaking of which, living abroad with medical oxygen can also be affected by things that you have perhaps not considered: the weather and humidity can affect your oxygen use – how much you need and how frequently – and also can have an impact on oxygen loss – no cylinder will retain 100% of the oxygen in it, but the rate of loss can increase under some circumstances. Your housing setup, too, might be different and require some finessing before you are ready to settle in.

Even if you have private medical insurance (probably a must with the twin factors of living away from your home country and having a long-term medical issue) they may not cover everything you need. Make sure your specific medical needs are covered by your policy before you commit to it.

Common Situations We Help With

Of course, sometimes you might not be ill before you move abroad, but find yourself falling ill while you are already living in your dream destination. OxygenWorldwide can help you to get started with the whole process, from prescription onwards, and will soon have you receiving regular deliveries of oxygen without too much fuss or bother, even if you are still learning the language and the way the country works.

If you are settled and used to your condition, OxygenWorldwide can help you should there be a problem with your usual supply. For example, if you can’t access your usual POC (portable oxygen concentrator) or LOX (liquid oxygen) system, OxygenWorldwide can source a replacement or a very similar substitute that will meet all your needs and be just as easy for you to use. OxygenWorldwide can also help if you’re struggling to refill cylinders or find spare parts that help you to properly use your oxygen.

It doesn’t have to be you, the expat, who requires the oxygen: if you are having visitors who do require medical oxygen, you can ask for OxygenWorldwide’s help and advice on how best to cater for your guest’s medical needs so they enjoy their short-term visit to your adopted country.

And finally, if you are recovering from a hospital stay, you might have been advised to use medical oxygen to aid with your recovery. OxygenWorldwide can help you by arranging for your oxygen to be in place and waiting for you on your return home from the hospital so you have a seamless and stress-free transition into your home comforts and can focus on getting well again.

What Can OxygenWorldwide Do for Expats

OxygenWorldwide offers solutions to a wide range of problems, from simple advice and guidance to organising contacts with local suppliers. We can help with:

  • Equipment rental: tailored to your needs and the length of your stay
  • Refill and maintenance support: for as long as you need it (only available in certain regions and countries – contact us for details)
  • Multilingual support staff: so that we can help with prescription sourcing and explanations, equipment and contract setups, and troubleshooting in the events that something goes awry. With multilingual support both you and your suppliers will know exactly what is needed and what can be provided and when
  • Liaison with your existing supply chain: OxygenWorldwide will work with your existing oxygen provider or your insurer to make sure that what you receive in your destination country is exactly what you need and what is covered by your policy, so you end up with the oxygen you need without incurring unexpected expenses.
  • Emergency replacement: In some countries – specifically in some regions of Spain, Portugal and France – we can even help to source and provide emergency replacements for you should something go wrong with your existing equipment

What You’ll Need to Get Started

First of all, you will need a valid prescription. Don’t worry too much if this is in your home language, as most prescriptions are recognisable abroad and, even if they are not directly accepted, will often be enough to get you started on the process to getting one that is valid in your new home country. You’ll also need a fixed address to which the oxygen and equipment can be delivered. For obvious safety reasons, delivery of oxygen to a poste restante address is simply unfeasible.

You must provide the details of for how long you’ll need the support, either because you are recovering or because you are moving on, along with the details about any pre-existing arrangements or supplier contacts you have made.

And finally, you should have a contact person, someone who can be contacted and consulted, especially if you have communication issues (from being able to speak the language to struggling to speak at all).

How to Navigate Health Systems as a Foreign Resident

Travelling in Europe from the UK can be covered by the reciprocal medical arrangements between the two parties. You do have to apply for an EHIC/ GHIC card though, before you travel. Also, be aware that these agreements are designed to save your life, patch you up, and get you well enough to travel home: they are not designed to cover long-term treatment, ‘health tourism’, or anything outside of a genuine, short-term medical issue.

Local GPs and specialists in your new country may not have immediate access to oxygen treatments and equipment. It is best to reach out long before you need a resupply or confirmation prescription to be sure that your medical treatment can continue seamlessly when you do need to renew your prescription or sign a new equipment contract.

Medical insurance – we’ve mentioned this above, but it is important enough to be worth repeating! Make sure that your existing conditions are specifically included, but also make sure that you private medical insurance is acceptable to the medical centre from which you are accessing medical care. Often, private policies require pre-approval, so, to ensure you avoid an unexpected bill, make sure you have, preferably in writing, confirmation that your treatment and equipment is covered.

When in doubt, consult OxygenWorldwide’s experts – we can often help you navigate complex systems and speed up delayed paperwork and access to the medical supplies you need.

To conclude, living abroad with medical oxygen does not have to be an impossibility. If your dream is to retire to a Mediterranean coastal village, you do not have to compromise: oxygen support for expats in Spain, Portugal and France is manageable with the right support and advice. So if you need long-term oxygen therapy abroad, are having an emergency, or just need some advice with planning support going forward, we are here to help you breathe easier – literally.