I live in the UK and may be able to get access to a Polish passport, which means I could leave and potentially live a better life somewhere in Europe. Anyone have a clue as to where support and treatment (financial and medical) looks the kindest upon ME/CFS sufferers?
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Which European Country Treats ME/CFS Sufferers the best?
- Thread starter Guwop2
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BrightCandle
Senior Member
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A none abusive medical system so avoid Norway Finland and Belgium and the best disability amount of out of work payments for non residents. Germany is one of the better ones for patient advocacy. It's probably them or France but it really depends on the precise rules for people moving there for benefits.
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Germany has some good private options, if expensive, like HELP apheresis or immunadsorption. Charite University Berlin seems to have an excellent ME/CFS service but don't know how easy it is to get onto their books. I haven't lived in Germany apart from 3 months earlier this year when I did HELP apheresis in Bayreuth.
Sweden has 2-3 clinics dedicated to ME/CFS I believe. From googling around over time, it seems to be one of the better options in terms of state healthcare that at least recognises the illness. And you have the research centre at Uppsala.
Sweden has 2-3 clinics dedicated to ME/CFS I believe. From googling around over time, it seems to be one of the better options in terms of state healthcare that at least recognises the illness. And you have the research centre at Uppsala.
So Norway, Finland and Belgium have an unsympathetic medical system (towards ME/CFS - i guess they still treat like a psychological porblem) but they actually offer the best out-of-work disabililty benefits for non-residents - is this your experience of it? I have friends in Antwerp at least and in reality never use the medical system in the UK (until theres treatment fotr ME, what would i need it for as im perfectly healthy otherwise 🥲
Germany is a possibility, might look into this. Thanks
Sweden is super appealing, though id be going there to enter the benefits system immediately so would have to look into how difficult that would be. Wouldn't be going there for private treatment, but more to have an easier time with receiving benefits/support than the UK offers. Such a struggle each time I have to apply (whcih is every 2-3 years). thanks for you comments
BrightCandle
Senior Member
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Yep that sums it up, very good benefits but lightning process front and centre and going deeper into it despite the evidence, they are the primary allies of the NHS BPS crowd. The fine print on immigration access to healthcare, benefits and housing is going to dominate this decision I suspect and I really don't know what limitations there might be for moving for healthcare and you'll have to check every country one by one.
Its also notable I think we have a few key experts in the UK for ME/CFS/LC in William Weir and Claire Taylor. While I have no confidence in the NHS, privately you may be able to treat symptoms like MCAS, histamines and POTS with Claire Taylor.
Cipher
Administrator
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The last publicly funded ME/CFS clinic (Bragee) is unfortunately shutting down in December, with no replacement. There are few private doctors that treat ME/CFS in Sweden.
Getting benefits for ME/CFS is very hard, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency is notorious for denying people with ME/CFS benefits.
Doctors are very limited in prescribing things off-label, and you aren't allowed to import medicines for personal use. As a Swede, I think I would be much better off in the UK.
Ah thank you for that. I was looking into moving to Sweden a few years ago and had thought it a more enlightened country for ME patients. Sorry to hear the last ME.CFS clinic is shutting down. I remember looking through its website.
i too was under that impression.
I wonder how America is, perhaps some states are better than others.. (i would instinctively place it at near the bottom, just before the 3rd world - i actually have US citzenship, but it strikes me as a hostile place for someone in my condition)
lyran
Senior Member
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- 193
I can only speak of Finland but yes CFS/ME is considered being a functional disorder in here and treatment options are CBT+GET and antidepressants. You can get unemployment benefits but you have to search for a job constantly and report it monthly and participate in rehabilitative work which is basically working without salary. You can't get sick leave or disability pension with CFS/ME diagnosis, it doesn't matter what your condition is, they will automatically reject your application with that diagnosis.
Sweden is more progressed in this field but that progression doesn't seem to reach Finland, Norway or Denmark.
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Sounds extremely hostile there. I have friends in Finland and they have benefited from moving from the UK there (improved quality of life etc), but they are healthy.
It's a shame. I've had this conversation with friends (partially because I used to travel a lot). As far as I can tell, there is no country in the world where ME/CFS is treated well by medicine or disability, just degrees of awful. I wish there were some beacons of hope, but I think we have a better chance of getting cured (minimal in my opinion) than of changing the culture (so much outright hostility).