Brexit is affecting a lot of things, but the full scope of how much it will have an impact on is not yet in focus. The United Kingdom leaving the European Union will not only affect the people in the United Kingdom, but it will also change the lives of Europeans and the thousands of British people living in Europe. For years citizens of the UK have moved to Europe for the opportunity and lower standards of living, and up until recently, they brought their affordable and adequate healthcare with them. With Brexit looming, this may all change.
Healthcare for British Citizens in the EU
For years British citizens have enjoyed healthcare provided by the UK government. The situation was such that any people living outside of the UK received the same healthcare benefits as nationals of the country they were living in. It is still this way, but it might change with Brexit. The people who have been living abroad and taking advantage of good healthcare benefits may find themselves without them, forced to find their insurance. But for now all is uncertain, it is tough to tell what will happen. Here is what’s going on.
The Impact of Brexit
With 780,000 UK citizens already living in Europe, this number is set to continue to increase. There is a lot of uncertainty, but particularly for those Britons enjoying free or very cheap health care coverage for being a part of the European Union. These people are entitled to an EHIC issued by the UK, which covers medically necessary state-provided healthcare at a reduced cost. It can also be free of charge during a temporary stay in another country. To date, the UK has issued 27 million EHIC cards. £150 million worth of treatment has been provided every year.
This is all put in jeopardy by Brexit. The healthcare insurance in the EU for temporary visitors from the UK may change significantly depending on the outcome of Brexit. It depends on if the UK and the EU will strike a deal, or if they will go ahead with Brexit without one.
There are essentially three scenarios. The UK strikes a deal with the EU, with the British people living in Europe getting the ability to keep their healthcare. Or the UK could make deals with specific countries, helping some in this regard and leaving others to fend for themselves. Finally, the third scenario is no deal at all, and the UK goes into the world without any protections for many things, including the healthcare of those living in Europe.
Preparing for Brexit’s Effect on Healthcare
This has a lot of people asking what they should be doing to prepare for the uncertainty of Brexit. The only real solution is to take out your insurance before anything goes awry. It also depends on what EU country the person is living in. The UK is making some initial agreements with specific countries. It also prudent to keep on the relations of the UK and your home country. You may be able to keep your benefits in the event of a no-deal Brexit, but you have to stay aware to make sure you don’t end in a bad position.
According to the site MoneyPug, which is widely used in the UK to find health insurance, one country that the United Kingdom has already done a deal with is Spain, providing healthcare coverage to UK nationals living there until 2021. In France, the government has said that if the UK leaves the Union without a deal, UK nationals will continue to receive state-provided healthcare for up to two years.
The changes Brexit will cause don’t only affect UK residents living in Europe, it will also impact the healthcare of EU residents living in the UK, of which there are 3.7 million. Luckily for them, those who arrive before 2021 will continue to receive public services if they apply for the settled status.
After three years, there is still much uncertainty when it comes to Brexit. Nobody knows fully what will happen, it is best to take precautions for what will happen to your healthcare should there be a no-deal Brexit. Protecting yourself is the only way to make sure that you will have the healthcare you need to face when a worst-case scenario occurs.
