Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

EuropeBrexitEconomics, government & businessLatest NewsHealth insurance

Health costs for UK staff in EU to be covered for six months after a no-deal Brexit

by Adam McCulloch 23 Sep 2019
by Adam McCulloch 23 Sep 2019 Photo: Shutterstock
Photo: Shutterstock

The government has promised to cover the healthcare costs of UK nationals working in EU countries for six months after 29 October in the event of a no-deal Brexit. 

In addition, the costs of UK nationals in the EU who are in the middle of treatment will be covered for up to a year from 29 October.

The announcement by the Department of Heath and Social Care was strongly criticised by some expat organisations.

Brexit

Vulnerable regions in UK to no-deal Brexit revealed

Workers at Mini plant may be forced to take unpaid leave

Polish ambassador advises Poles to leave the UK after Brexit

Priti confusing? Managing sudden immigration changes

The DoH stated that workers would also be covered while they were registering with a local healthcare scheme, even if the six month period had expired, to ensure they were not exposed to gaps in care coverage and potentially high costs.

Despite this commitment, the DoH advice to UK nationals said: “Consider buying health insurance while you are applying for, or if you are not eligible to join, local healthcare schemes.” It also stated that workers who moved between EU countries must make sure they had travel insurance that covered them for healthcare.

Many workers in this situation currently use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to gain state-provided medical treatment in all European Economic Area countries.

With EHIC, the cost of treatment can be subsequently reclaimed from the worker or visitor’s country of residence via reciprocal health care agreements. About 27 million people currently hold EHICs issued by the UK, the vast majority of whom travel as tourists or visitors.

State-funded healthcare is also provided to UK nationals and their dependents under the S1 scheme, funded by the UK government and administered by the NHS Business Services Authority. To use health services when visiting the UK after 29 October EU-based UK nationals will have to present a copy of their S1 form.

Pensions will not be affected by a no-deal Brexit, the government advice states.

There are more than one million British migrants living in EU countries, with 300,000 living in Spain and nearly 200,000 in France. The new advice applies to workers, pensioners, students and people on disability benefits living in EU countries.

The government’s announcement was strongly criticised by some UK nationals.

Sue Wilson, chair of Bremain in Spain, said: “They keep making these announcements and they seem to think they will provide reassurance. But they are time-limited and therefore have the opposite effect – people will ask what happens after six months.

“What we need is reassurance that our rights do not change regardless. That is what the leave campaign promised, that’s what Michael Gove promised and it’s clear every time they make one of these statements that it is not the case.”

Jeremy Morgan, vice-chair of British in Europe, told expat website The Oliver Press that the government’s plea to Britons to sort out healthcare if the NHS cover disappears was “more smoke and mirrors” and “another massive let down”.

“The government is urging them to ‘act now to secure access to healthcare’ as if it were as simple as ordering coffee in a restaurant,” he said. “If the UK government is serious about protecting some of its most vulnerable nationals from the fallout of Brexit – let alone no deal – it should commit to funding S1 healthcare indefinitely, not fob them off with empty promises of ‘smooth transitions’.”

Dr Layla McCay, director of international relations at the NHS Confederation, welcomed the government’s commitment to pay for care but emphasised that far more needed to be done.

“This has been a major worry for UK nationals living in EU countries and today’s announcement will provide some reassurance that most won’t have to pay for their healthcare costs immediately after Brexit,” she said. ”It’s a further sign of the extensive preparations that have been made for a no-deal outcome. But it’s only a temporary measure and the best way of guaranteeing that patients are protected in future will be through a negotiated deal.”

McCay continued: “We now need reassurance in other areas such as the UK’s continued participation in key data sharing platforms that protect the public from health threats, and recognising the authorisations of medicines and medical goods to keep medical supplies flowing. This will be best achieved through a negotiated deal but at the very least we will need a mini deal, or technical adjustments to keep both UK and EU patients safe.”

Latest HR job opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more human resources jobs

Adam McCulloch
Adam McCulloch

Adam McCulloch is a freelance writer and production editor who has worked in sectors including travel (The Guardian), aviation (Flight International), agriculture (Farmers' Weekly), music (Jazzwise), theatre (The Stage) and social work (Community Care). He also works for a national newspaper and is the author of KentWalksNearLondon

previous post
HR sector rallies to support Thomas Cook employees
next post
Labour spells out plans for four-day working week

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

Hiring activity in March 2022 began to stabilise

8 Apr 2022

Waning interest in roles once held by EU...

25 Feb 2022

Rees-Mogg calls for swathing civil service cuts

21 Feb 2022

EU Settlement Scheme application backlog adds to skills...

11 Feb 2022

Ursula von der Leyen to press for EU-wide...

13 Jan 2022

Care workers added to shortage occupation list for...

24 Dec 2021

Immigration tribunal delays increase by 33%

21 Dec 2021

City relocations due to Brexit fall over pandemic

20 Dec 2021

Home Office’s pre-settled status move could add to...

16 Dec 2021

Care workers recommended for shortage occupation list

15 Dec 2021
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+