Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of UK nationals in EU countries who will potentially face increased healthcare costs in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

The Government has proposed to all European Union Member States that when we leave, we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to healthcare provision for United Kingdom nationals and EU citizens.

After the UK leaves the EU, the majority of UK nationals who currently live or work in EU Member States will still have options for accessing healthcare under local rules. Depending on the country, it will generally be possible to access healthcare through legal residency, current or previous employment, or through joining a social insurance scheme and contributing a percentage of their income as other residents need to do. Some people may need to purchase private health insurance while applying or if they are not eligible for local schemes.