Reciprocal healthcare arrangements after Brexit

Those EU 27 nationals who reside in or visit the UK, and vice versa, are currently entitled to healthcare under EU law. The law covers entitlements for people who are settled in a different country and includes, for visitors, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) system. The underlying ideas are reciprocity (people are entitled to medical treatment as if they were a national of the country providing it) and that the “home country” (where the patient has paid tax or national insurance) pays. The rules are quite complex and sometimes people use courts to enforce their entitlements. The European Commission operates as a clearing house for payments between countries and gives information to people about their rights.

On leaving the EU, the UK will no longer be part of this system. But the implications depend critically on whether the UK government secures a Brexit deal based on the current Withdrawal Agreement.1