New rules to improve overseas visitors’ contributions to NHS
care
From: Department of Health
First
published: 16
February 2015
Part of: National Health Service
Changes
to NHS charging regulations will also affect former UK residents.
Overseas
visitors who need healthcare while in England will soon be charged differently
for using the NHS as part of efforts to recoup £500 million a year by 2017 to
2018. From 6 April, the way the NHS charges these visitors is being changed so that it does
not lose out on income from migrants, visitors and former residents of the UK
who have left, who should all pay for their care while in the country. Within
the UK, free NHS treatment is provided on the basis of someone being
‘ordinarily resident’. It is not dependent upon nationality, payment of UK
taxes, national insurance contributions, being registered with a GP, having an
NHS number or owning property in the UK. The
changes which come into effect from 6 April will affect visitors and former UK
residents differently, depending on where they now live. Treatment
in A&E departments and at GP surgeries will remain free for all.
People living in an EEA country
or Switzerland.
As is
the case already, most people, who live or work in another EEA country or
Switzerland will continue to get free NHS care using a European Health
Insurance Card (EHIC) issued by the country they live in. This means the NHS
can reclaim healthcare costs from the original country of residence.
UK
state pensioners who live elsewhere in the EEA will now have the same rights to
NHS care as people who live in England. This applies to all pensioners who
receive a UK state retirement pension and registered for healthcare in Europe
with an S1 form. However,
people who live elsewhere in the EEA or Switzerland who are not working and are
under the UK retirement age should either use their EHIC if they’re
entitled to one, or make sure they have health insurance if they need NHS care
when visiting England. Otherwise they will have to pay for their care. This
includes former UK residents, and ensures that people who already live and work
in the UK do not end up paying through their taxes for visitors who are not
economically active.
People living outside the EEA
People
who live outside the EEA, including former UK residents, should now make sure
they are covered by personal health insurance, unless an exemption applies to
them. Anyone who does not have insurance will be charged at 150% of the NHS
national tariff for any care they receive.
Exemptions
There
are several groups of people who are exempt from charging, or entitled to free
care because they remain ordinarily resident here despite spending time outside
the UK. UK Crown servants, British Council or Commonwealth War Graves staff,
those working in UK government-funded posts overseas, and the spouse/civil
partner and children under 18 of these people, are exempt from charging if they
were ordinarily resident prior to leaving the UK for that purpose. Those who
were not ordinarily resident in the UK before taking up such a post will be
charged.
There
is also no change for armed forces members, war pensioners and armed forces
compensation scheme recipients and their families, who are not required to have
formerly been an ordinary resident of the UK.
Returning to the UK to settle
Citizens
who return to the UK on a settled basis will be classed as ordinarily resident,
and will be eligible for free NHS care immediately.
