The Old System

Claire Daly

There is still uncertainty over the future of travellers’ emergency healthcare when visiting EU countries after Brexit. But travel agent association ABTA say a short-term resolution on EHIC health insurance cards is in sight.

“Earlier this year the EU and UK agreed terms of a Brexit transition period. Assuming this is signed into law, the current trading and travel arrangements will continue until the end of December 2020. This is helpful in terms of giving businesses and consumers time to adapt, and settling any anxieties about short-term changes,” alan wardle, Abta director of public affairs, told us.

If the Withdrawal Agreement is passed, it would mean that EHIC health insurance cards will continue to give UK citizens the right to free urgent treatment while they are on holiday in EU countries until December 2020. A long-standing reciprocal agreement has meant EU citizens have been entitled to free or discounted urgent healthcare when abroad.

“A lot needs to be done between now and 2020 to sort out important issues for the travel industry including aviation access, posted workers and consumer rights. Brexit shouldn’t have to mean that we lose reciprocal medical care rights with other European countries: the EHIC card is currently valid in Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU,” Wardle said. He added: “It is an important consumer protection for British citizens, used over 200,000 times in 2016, and the government should seek to protect it in the upcoming negotiations. Maintaining consumer confidence on issues like this will be important over the next couple of years.”

Until recently it was not The EHIC replaced the E11 form in 2005. Currently the European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) gives EU citizens free health care when travelling to other EU countries. The UK also has reciprocal health insurance deals with some Commonwealth countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, where UK visitors can receive free urgent treatment.