Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

(asked on 4th September 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the Government's policy is on (a) continuing membership of the European Health Insurance Card scheme and (b) establishing similar arrangements to those which obtain under that scheme after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Philip Dunne Portrait
Philip Dunne
This question was answered on 12th September 2017

As long as we are a member of the European Union we will respect the rights and obligations of EU membership, therefore the current arrangements for European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) remain in place.

As recently set out in the United Kingdom’s offer on citizens' rights, “Safeguarding the position of EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU”, in a reciprocal deal, the UK will seek to protect the ability of individuals who are eligible for a UK EHIC, before the specified date, to continue to benefit from free, or reduced cost, needs-arising healthcare while on a temporary stay in the EU. The UK will also seek an ongoing arrangement akin to the EHIC scheme as part of negotiations on our future arrangements with the EU.

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