UK offers healthcare coverage for expat retirees in EU

The British government has introduced a bill aimed at continuing the funding of EU-based Brit expat pensioners’ healthcare in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The bill came after French lawmakers said their government was considering safeguarding healthcare provisions for British expats if Britain ceased to make reciprocal payments post-Brexit. The French bill will also cover British holidaymakers during their time in France, as does the present system. According to recent reports, the bill will cover both ‘no-deal’ and ‘deal’ scenarios.

The bill, to be known as the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill, is intended to safeguard healthcare provisions for the estimated 190,000 Brits at present in France as well as the 50 million or so Brits who travel abroad every year. Agreements will need to be made with EU member states, and it would seem the bill will also cover those moving to EU member states after Brexit is over and done with. The large number of arrangements needing to be made could be a stumbling block, but at least the British government has shown a will in recognising the importance of the issue as well as a willingness to engage with it.

The development represents the first time the British government has actually made an explicit move to safeguard British citizens who’ve chosen to live in the EU, although the right to claim ‘exported’ disability and other benefits as well as the scandal of frozen pensions are still languishing on the agenda, at least for now. For British expats living in EU member states, especially those in retirement, the possibility of losing reciprocal healthcare provision has been a major headache ever since the Brexit referendum, as the vast majority would not be able to afford private healthcare insurance and would possibly have been forced to relocate back to the UK.