Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether negotiations have taken place on allowing residents in Northern Ireland to retain access to the European Health Insurance Card after the transition period.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
From January 2021, people protected under the Withdrawal Agreement will continue to be entitled to a United Kingdom-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). For those not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, their EHIC may not be valid from January 2021.
For people not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the future of reciprocal healthcare arrangements between the UK and European Union are subject to negotiations, which are ongoing. The UK is open to arrangements that provide healthcare cover for tourists, short-term business visitors and service providers.
Asked by: Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on negotiations for an equivalent scheme to replace EHIC cards when they expire on 31 December 2020.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
From January 2021, people protected under the Withdrawal Agreement will continue to be entitled to a United Kingdom-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). For those not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, their EHIC may not be valid from January 2021.
For people not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the future of reciprocal healthcare arrangements between the UK and European Union are subject to negotiations, which are ongoing.
Asked by: Julie Elliott (Labour - Sunderland Central)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the ability of health insurance providers to reimburse the cost of dialysis for people with kidney disease who need to travel to the European Union after 31 December 2020 in the event that reciprocal healthcare arrangements are not agreed with (a) the EU and (b) individual member states.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department is aware of the concerns of people with kidney disease and is carefully looking into the impact of any loss of necessary healthcare provisions. The Government will assess its options for reciprocal healthcare if we do not achieve a European Union-wide arrangement.
Asked by: Julie Elliott (Labour - Sunderland Central)
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 additional costs required to administer 27 separate bi-lateral reciprocal healthcare arrangements in the event that the UK does not negotiate a pan-EU reciprocal arrangement after 31 December 2020.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The cost of administering either bilateral reciprocal healthcare agreements with European Union member states or an EU-wide agreement on reciprocal healthcare will depend on the scope and content of either type of agreement.
Negotiations with the EU Commission on the future relationship on social security coordination, which includes reciprocal healthcare, are still ongoing. It is therefore not possible to make such an assessment.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for how long European Health Insurance Cards remain valid in respect of people travelling to an EU country before 31 December 2020 and who do not return before the end of the transition period.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Withdrawal Agreement protects United Kingdom and European Union nationals, including UK insured individuals, who find themselves in a ‘cross-border situation’ over 31 December 2020. For example, someone whose holiday begins before, but ended after, the 31 December 2020 would be covered. People in this situation will be able to continue to use their European Health Insurance Card to access ‘needs-arising treatment’ until they leave that country by travelling to another EU Member State or returning to the UK.
Asked by: Peter Kyle (Labour - Hove)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on what date ordinarily resident EU nationals will be able to apply for the new UK EHIC card.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
A new United Kingdom European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) has been developed for those eligible under the Withdrawal Agreement to protect the existing healthcare rights of people living, working and studying in the European Union prior to the end of the transition period. The new card will be valid from when it is received and for travel from 1 January 2021.
EU nationals living in the UK before 31 December 2020 will be able to apply for the new UK EHIC in December 2020. We will work with stakeholders and target communications at the relevant groups and audiences to ensure they get the call to action to apply for a new EHIC.
Should an EU national who is eligible for a new EHIC under the Withdrawal Agreement not have the card in time for any travel, they will still remain covered. If they require necessary healthcare whilst in the EU, they will be able to ask for a Provisional Replacement Certificate from the NHS Business Services Authority.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Government has to seek a continuation of the European Health Insurance Card scheme for UK citizens after the transition period.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
From 1 January 2021, under the Withdrawal Agreement some groups will be entitled to a United Kingdom issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for travel in the European Union. These include:
- UK state pensioners living in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland at the end of Transition Period,
- Individuals who are frontier workers at the end of the Transition Period, for as long as they continue to be covered by the Agreement, and
- EEA or Swiss nationals residing in the UK by the end of the Transition Period.
UK nationals already living in the EU who hold a Member State EHIC may use this when accessing healthcare within the EU and UK.
For people not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the future of reciprocal healthcare arrangements between the UK and EU are subject to negotiations, which are ongoing.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Bethell on 12 October (HL8659) and Lord True on 24 June (HL5754), which UK citizens will be entitled to a UK-issued European Health Insurance Card that remains valid for travel in the EU after 31 December.
Answered by Lord Bethell
From 1 January 2021, under the Withdrawal Agreement some groups will be entitled to a United Kingdom-issued European Health Insurance Card for travel in the European Union. These include:
- UK state pensioners living in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland at the end of the Transition Period;
- Individuals who are frontier workers at the end of the Transition Period, for as long as they continue to be covered by the Agreement; and
- EEA or Swiss nationals residing in the UK by the end of the Transition Period.
UK nationals already living in the EU who hold a member state EHIC may use this when accessing healthcare within the EU and UK.
For people not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the future of reciprocal healthcare arrangements between the UK and EU are subject to negotiations, which are ongoing.
Asked by: Lord Bowness (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any agreement in principle has been reached on continuance of the European Health Insurance Card scheme for UK citizens visiting the EU after 31 December 2020.
Answered by Lord Bethell
From January 2021, people protected under the Withdrawal Agreement will continue to be entitled to a United Kingdom-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). For those not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, their EHIC may not be valid from January 2021.
For people not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the future of reciprocal healthcare arrangements between the UK and European Union are subject to negotiations, which are ongoing.
The UK has set out that it is ready to work to establish practical, reciprocal healthcare provisions with the EU for the future. The UK is open to arrangements that provide healthcare cover for tourists, short-term business visitors and service providers. These arrangements could benefit UK nationals and EU citizens travelling or moving between the UK.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what his policy is on negotiating arrangements to replace the European Health Insurance Card for UK citizens from 1 January 2021.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
From 31 December 2020, people protected under the Withdrawal Agreement will continue to be entitled to a UK-issued EHIC. For people not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, the future of reciprocal healthcare arrangements between the UK and EU are subject to negotiations, which are ongoing.