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, whether the EHIC system will be continued or replaced after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The United Kingdom Government has proposed to all Member States that we should maintain existing reciprocal healthcare arrangements, including the European Healthcare Insurance Card scheme, until 31 December 2020 if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal.
I laid a Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1832) on 26 September 2019, setting out the Department’s position on ‘no deal’ reciprocal healthcare arrangements, and updated information has been published on GOV.UK and NHS.UK on the situation for each Member State, including what arrangements have been put in place. These pages will be kept updated as further assurances from Member States are received.
The UK will consider the long-term arrangements for reciprocal healthcare once we have left the EU.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the longest time is that an applicant has had to wait for the renewal of an S1 form in 2019.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
I laid a Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1832 on 26 September 2019, setting out the transitional healthcare arrangements across the European Union that the Department has put in place if we are unable to secure a deal. The contingency arrangements will cover all those living in an EU or European Free Trade Area member state who are eligible for a healthcare S1 form at the time the United Kingdom leaves the EU even if they have not yet obtained that form at the time the UK leaves the EU.
The NHS Business Services Authority only issues healthcare S1s. It does not issue S1 forms for posted workers which are issued by HM Revenue and Customs. Pensioners do not need to apply to renew their form. When the NHS Business Services Authority record a registered S1, there is no ability to capture the date the S1 was received, only the date it was processed.
At the end of calendar year 2018, the UK had outstanding reciprocal healthcare claims valued at £307 million, including for the S1 scheme.
The NHS Business Services Authority does not have data regarding the number of UK citizens that have a right to healthcare cover in the EU. The total number of registered UK S1s is 152,000 (excluding Ireland). For the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, there were a total of 35,535 S1 applications, of which 10,908 have been registered on NHS Business Services Authority systems.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many outstanding claims for healthcare cover under the S1 scheme there were on 25 September 2019.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
I laid a Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1832 on 26 September 2019, setting out the transitional healthcare arrangements across the European Union that the Department has put in place if we are unable to secure a deal. The contingency arrangements will cover all those living in an EU or European Free Trade Area member state who are eligible for a healthcare S1 form at the time the United Kingdom leaves the EU even if they have not yet obtained that form at the time the UK leaves the EU.
The NHS Business Services Authority only issues healthcare S1s. It does not issue S1 forms for posted workers which are issued by HM Revenue and Customs. Pensioners do not need to apply to renew their form. When the NHS Business Services Authority record a registered S1, there is no ability to capture the date the S1 was received, only the date it was processed.
At the end of calendar year 2018, the UK had outstanding reciprocal healthcare claims valued at £307 million, including for the S1 scheme.
The NHS Business Services Authority does not have data regarding the number of UK citizens that have a right to healthcare cover in the EU. The total number of registered UK S1s is 152,000 (excluding Ireland). For the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, there were a total of 35,535 S1 applications, of which 10,908 have been registered on NHS Business Services Authority systems.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of UK citizens that have a right to healthcare cover in the EU (a) have applied for that cover and (b) are receiving that cover.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
I laid a Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1832 on 26 September 2019, setting out the transitional healthcare arrangements across the European Union that the Department has put in place if we are unable to secure a deal. The contingency arrangements will cover all those living in an EU or European Free Trade Area member state who are eligible for a healthcare S1 form at the time the United Kingdom leaves the EU even if they have not yet obtained that form at the time the UK leaves the EU.
The NHS Business Services Authority only issues healthcare S1s. It does not issue S1 forms for posted workers which are issued by HM Revenue and Customs. Pensioners do not need to apply to renew their form. When the NHS Business Services Authority record a registered S1, there is no ability to capture the date the S1 was received, only the date it was processed.
At the end of calendar year 2018, the UK had outstanding reciprocal healthcare claims valued at £307 million, including for the S1 scheme.
The NHS Business Services Authority does not have data regarding the number of UK citizens that have a right to healthcare cover in the EU. The total number of registered UK S1s is 152,000 (excluding Ireland). For the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, there were a total of 35,535 S1 applications, of which 10,908 have been registered on NHS Business Services Authority systems.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that UK nationals living in EU states who have applied for but not yet been issued with an S1 certificate by HMRC can access (a) routine and (b) emergency healthcare.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
I laid a Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1832 on 26 September 2019, setting out the transitional healthcare arrangements across the European Union that the Department has put in place if we are unable to secure a deal. The contingency arrangements will cover all those living in an EU or European Free Trade Area member state who are eligible for a healthcare S1 form at the time the United Kingdom leaves the EU even if they have not yet obtained that form at the time the UK leaves the EU.
The NHS Business Services Authority only issues healthcare S1s. It does not issue S1 forms for posted workers which are issued by HM Revenue and Customs. Pensioners do not need to apply to renew their form. When the NHS Business Services Authority record a registered S1, there is no ability to capture the date the S1 was received, only the date it was processed.
At the end of calendar year 2018, the UK had outstanding reciprocal healthcare claims valued at £307 million, including for the S1 scheme.
The NHS Business Services Authority does not have data regarding the number of UK citizens that have a right to healthcare cover in the EU. The total number of registered UK S1s is 152,000 (excluding Ireland). For the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, there were a total of 35,535 S1 applications, of which 10,908 have been registered on NHS Business Services Authority systems.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK citizens will continue to benefit from the European Health Insurance Card in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on 31 October; if so, by what mechanism; and if not, what alternative provision, if any, they intend to make.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
The Government has proposed to all European Union Member States that when we leave, we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements including the European Healthcare Insurance Card (EHIC) Scheme until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to healthcare provision for United Kingdom nationals and EU citizens. This is subject to agreement by individual EU Member States.
In a ‘no deal’ scenario, the continuation of the EHIC scheme will be dependent on the UK agreeing its continuation with individual Member States through bilateral reciprocal healthcare agreements. It is not possible for the UK Government to guarantee access unilaterally to healthcare abroad, as this depends on decisions by Member States.
The UK Government has already committed to fund healthcare for UK-insured people who have applied for, or are undergoing, treatments in the EU prior to and on exit day, for up to one year, to protect the most vulnerable.
The Government always advises UK nationals to take out comprehensive travel insurance when going overseas, both to EU and non-EU destinations. The EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance and we have always advised that individuals should have both when travelling abroad.
Asked by: Emma Reynolds (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to replicate European Health Insurance Card reciprocal arrangements after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
The Government has proposed to all European Union Member States that when we leave, we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements including the European Healthcare Insurance Card (EHIC) Scheme until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to healthcare provision for United Kingdom nationals and EU citizens. This is subject to negotiations, which are ongoing.
In the event that we cannot reach an agreement with EU Member States, EHICs may no longer be valid after exit day. It is not possible for the UK Government to guarantee access unilaterally to healthcare abroad, as this depends on decisions by Member States.
The Government has always advised UK nationals to take out comprehensive travel insurance when going overseas, both to EU and non-EU destinations. This will remain our advice in all circumstances.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many European Health Insurance Cards in circulation are issued to people under 16 years of age.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
There are 4,644,621 valid European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) in circulation held by people who are under 16 years of age as at 17 July 2019.
For the period 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019, there were 21,204 EHIC claims and 331 Provisional Replacement Certificate claims entered on the system for people under the age of 16 at the time of the claim.
Asked by: Lord Watson of Wyre Forest (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims were made for people under the age of 16 through the European Health Insurance Card scheme in the most 12 months for which data is available.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
There are 4,644,621 valid European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) in circulation held by people who are under 16 years of age as at 17 July 2019.
For the period 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019, there were 21,204 EHIC claims and 331 Provisional Replacement Certificate claims entered on the system for people under the age of 16 at the time of the claim.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring the maintenance of the European Health Insurance Card for UK citizens when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
DExEU Ministers and officials have regular discussions with their counterparts in the Department for Health and Social Care to discuss a wide range of issues related to the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
Subject to the Withdrawal Agreement being agreed by Parliament, where the UK or an EU Member State is responsible for the healthcare of those within the scope of the Agreement, these individuals will continue to be entitled to reciprocal healthcare cover, including EHIC rights, from that country. For individuals not in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement, and as part of our future relationship with the EU, we have said that we want continued participation in the EHIC scheme.
In the event of a no deal exit, reciprocal healthcare cannot be protected unilaterally and requires reciprocity from the EU or individual Member States. We have a duty to ensure that any potential harmful impacts on our citizens in the EU, and on EU citizens residing in the UK, are minimised as far as possible.
That is why, in the event of no deal, the UK is seeking an EU-wide approach or bilateral arrangements with Member States to transitionally apply the current social security coordination regulations, including reciprocal healthcare, in full until the end of 2020. This includes current EHIC arrangements. This will provide certainty to individuals who move to, visit or work in the UK or EU until that date. UK Government Ministers highlighted the importance of transitionally maintaining these arrangements in letters sent to Ministerial counterparts in each Member State.