Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government will extend the commitment to reimburse EU Member States for the cost of providing healthcare to UK nationals in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal and until the UK has secured a reciprocal healthcare agreement with the respective member state which provides for the reimbursement of costs.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The United Kingdom Government has proposed to European Union Member States that, in a no-deal scenario, we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to UK nationals’ and EU citizens’ healthcare provision. This is subject to negotiations, which are ongoing. For UK nationals that live in EU Member States, the UK cannot unilaterally guarantee the continuation of current arrangements, as this depends on decisions by Member States.
Individuals are always responsible for ensuring they have sufficient healthcare insurance. Anyone who is living, working or studying in EU Member States should check the country specific guidance on GOV.UK and NHS.UK for updates.
The UK Government has committed to fund healthcare for UK nationals (and others for whom the UK is responsible) 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.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on how existing reciprocal healthcare arrangements for people from the (a) UK, (b) EU, and (c) European Economic Area will be affected by the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regularly discusses plans for European Union exit, including those relating to reciprocal healthcare, with a wide range of stakeholders and other Government Departments.
Furthermore, I engage with Ministerial counterparts in both the Welsh and Scottish Governments, as well as the Permanent Secretary for the Department of Health in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, on preparations for EU exit.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)
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 ensure reciprocal healthcare arrangements are in place with EU countries after the UK’s leaves the EU.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
On 19 March 2019 I laid a written statement (HCWS1429) on the Department’s plans for the continuity of reciprocal healthcare arrangements in the event we exit the European Union without a deal.
This statement sets out that subject to Parliament ratifying the Withdrawal Agreement, in a deal scenario current reciprocal healthcare rights will continue during the implementation period until 31 December 2020. The Withdrawal Agreement and European Free Trade Area (EFTA) Agreements also give longer-term reciprocal healthcare rights to those who are living in or previously worked in the other country on exit day. This will include access to healthcare through the European Health Insurance Card scheme.
The reciprocal healthcare system requires reciprocity from the EU or individual Member States and cannot be protected unilaterally. That is why we have proposed to EU Member States and EFTA states that we should agree arrangements that maintain the existing healthcare arrangements in a ‘no deal’ scenario until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to United Kingdom nationals’ and EU and EFTA state citizens’ healthcare provision. This would mean that we will continue to pay healthcare costs for current or former UK residents for whom the UK has responsibility and who are living or working in or visiting the EU, and that EU and EFTA states can fund healthcare for their citizens in the UK. We are hopeful that we will reach such agreements.
We have published guidance profiles at the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides
We will update the guidance with further developments. Whenever travelling abroad, individuals are always responsible for ensuring they have travel insurance. It is already the case that we advise people to obtain comprehensive travel insurance when working, studying or travelling to the EU and the rest of the world. This will remain our advice in all circumstances.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the E111 European Health Insurance Card will be valid after 29 March in the event of (1) their present exit plan being agreed, (2) a no-deal Brexit, (3) the UK remaining in the Single Market, (4) the UK remaining in a customs union, and (5) the UK remaining in the EU.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
On 19 March 2019, I laid a written ministerial statement (HLWS1396) on the Department’s plans for the continuity of reciprocal healthcare arrangements in the event we exit the European Union without a deal. This statement includes specific guidance on European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs).
The United Kingdom Government remains committed to leaving the EU with a deal. Subject to the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement by Parliament, UK nationals will be able to continue benefiting from existing EU provisions, such as the EHIC scheme, during the implementation period until the end of December 2020.
In the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the UK Government is seeking agreements with Member States, so that no individuals face sudden changes to their healthcare cover.
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 have been issued to people with a registered disability.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Department does not hold the data on the number of people with a registered disability. This is not part of the eligibility criteria that is requested during the application process.
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 have been issued to people with a registered disability in each of the nations of the UK.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Department does not hold the data on the number of people with a registered disability. This is not part of the eligibility criteria that is requested during the application process.
Asked by: Gordon Marsden (Labour - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education, (b) NHS executives and (c) the EU on the status of the EU health insurance card for UK students studying abroad from September 2019 in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
On 19 March 2019, I laid a Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1429) on the Department’s plans for the continuity of reciprocal healthcare arrangements in the event we exit the European Union without a deal. This statement includes specific guidance for students and with regards to European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs).
Discussions about EHICs, including for students, forms part of the broader negotiations with the European Commission and Member States about continued reciprocal healthcare arrangements.
Subject to Parliament ratifying the Withdrawal Agreement, current reciprocal healthcare rights will continue during the implementation period until 31 December 2020. This includes EHICs for students.
In a ‘no deal’ scenario, the United Kingdom Government has proposed to EU Member States that we should maintain the existing healthcare arrangements until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to UK nationals’ and EU citizens’ healthcare provision. The UK cannot unilaterally guarantee people’s healthcare cover if they live abroad, as this depends on decisions by Member States.
Currently, students residing in the UK who are going on a placement abroad are entitled to a UK-issued EHIC to cover healthcare costs for the duration of their placement. We cannot guarantee that this will continue for all EU Member States in the event of a ‘no deal’ scenario where the existing arrangements are not extended.
UK nationals living in or travelling to the EU should ensure they are taking the necessary steps to prepare including taking out comprehensive health insurance and ensuring they access up-to-date information on GOV.UK and NHS.UK at the following links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides
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, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2019 to Question 224304 on Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements, how many European Health Insurance Cards have been issued to people over the age of 70 in each of the nations and regions of the UK.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The number of active European Health Insurance Cards issued to people over 70 is as follows:
Northern Ireland | 60,132 |
England | 2,391,876 |
Scotland | 219,675 |
Wales | 140,439 |
The data by region is not available.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department when drafting the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill made an assessment of the effect of implementing that legislation on the (a) EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and (b) Trade in Services Agreement.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill is enabling legislation and is intended to support the implementation of comprehensive reciprocal healthcare arrangements with countries both within and outside the European Union. There is no intention to the use the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill to implement trade agreements.
Free trade agreements, including the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and all other agreements that we are party to as EU members, contain specific wording to safeguard public services, including the National Health Service. As we leave the EU, the United Kingdom will ensure that future agreements have the same protections.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what contingency plans his Department has in place to ensure that reciprocal healthcare arrangements stay in place for UK citizens living in European countries following the UK leaving the EU (a) with and (b) without an agreement.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The United Kingdom Government appreciates the importance of retaining reciprocal healthcare arrangements with the European Union and has been clear in the negotiations that it wants to protect the rights of UK citizens in the EU. Extensive work to prepare for a ‘no deal’ scenario, including contingency planning, has been under way for over two years and we are taking necessary steps to ensure the country continues to operate smoothly from the day we leave.
Subject to the Withdrawal Agreement being agreed by Parliament, during the implementation period the current rules on reciprocal healthcare will continue until December 2020. The rights of UK nationals living in the EU, and who fall within the scope of the Withdrawal Agreement, will continue to be protected after December 2020, for as long as these individuals remain in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement. This includes state pensioners already benefiting from that cover.
In the event that the UK exits the EU without a deal, EU citizens resident in the UK by 29 March 2019 will be able to stay and continue to access in country benefits and services, including healthcare, on broadly the same terms as now. This demonstrates the UK Government’s ongoing commitment to citizens and removes any ambiguity over their future. We are engaging with EU counterparts to urge them to make the same commitment to protect the rights of UK nationals in the EU.
The reciprocal healthcare system requires reciprocity from the EU or individual Member States and cannot be protected unilaterally. The UK Government is seeking agreements with Member States, so that no individual, including retired UK citizen living in other EU Member States, will face sudden changes to their healthcare cover.
The Government has published updated advice for UK persons resident in countries in the European Economic Area as well as for those wishing to travel to such countries with specific information on potential changes to access to reciprocal healthcare and precautions they may wish to take in the event of a ‘no deal’ scenario.
General information is available on the GOV.UK website and country-specific advice can be found under the relevant sections of NHS.UK as well. This includes guidance for UK citizens living in European countries and suggestions on alternative arrangements they may wish to make, should existing arrangements such as the European Health Insurance Card scheme cease, which appears as a section under the profile of each individual country.
The information provided on these pages will be updated in light of new developments and changing circumstances.