IRISH CITIZENS LIVING in England, Scotland and Wales may lose access to healthcare in EU countries after Brexit, with the future of European Health Insurance Cards uncertain post-Brexit.

And the possibility of having that access to healthcare taken away was a major concern for Irish citizens who sought advice from the Irish embassy in London over the past year.

In numerous items of correspondence received by the Irish Embassy in London over the past 12 months, concerned Irish citizens living in the UK have queried whether they will still be able to access healthcare in EU member states through the EHIC after Brexit.

Other fears expressed by Irish citizens in the UK included what their status would be after Brexit and if they’d be able to remain there. In some cases, people described how they’d lived in the UK for more than five decades and were now worried about their future.

This correspondence was released to TheJournal.ie under the Freedom of Information Act.

In one instance, someone wrote: “I am an Irish citizen and Irish passport holder, born in the six counties. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, is it possible for me to obtain an EHIC?”

 What is an EHIC?

An EHIC – formerly the E111 card – is a card that lets you get healthcare in another EU or European Economic Area state for free, or at a reduced cost.

It generally covers you if you’re there on holiday or on a short term stay.

Irish and EU citizens living in Ireland can apply for the card. You must be living in Ireland, have an address here and be able to show proof of it.

If you live elsewhere in the EU, you are still entitled to an Irish-issued EHIC under a set number of conditions.

If you’re not eligible for an Irish-issued EHIC, the HSE advises you to see if you’re eligible for one in the country you’re living in. 

And, if you live in the UK, Irish citizens are entitled to a UK-issued EHIC. But, with the UK set to leave the EU, that is now in doubt.

It’s clear from the volume of correspondence received by the Irish embassy that losing this access to healthcare was a primary concern with Brexit looming.

‘Can you issue me one?’

The Irish Embassy has fielded hundreds of queries on a variety of topics related to Brexit. But the EHIC is one topic that appeared in correspondence again and again over the past year.

Another Irish citizen living in the UK asked: “When the UK leaves the EU, will the Irish government issue me with a new E111 card (the former name for the EHIC) – an Irish one given that I am a citizen?”

“As an Irish passport holder living in the UK, I have their EHIC card. If the UK leaves the EU this card will no longer be valid,” another wrote. “Can you issue me one, or what alternative do I have apart from my personal health insurance?”

In another case, someone who’d recently obtained an Irish passport inquired if they’d be eligible.

“I recently acquired an Irish passport through my grandfather. How do I obtain an EHIC after 29/03/19 (the original Brexit date). I only have a UK National Insurance number,” the person said.

“I have been previously advised to get one via the UK government (and did) but I now fear this will not be accepted anywhere post-Brexit.”

There were dozens of similar emails all querying healthcare in the EU post-Brexit. One wrote in: “I am an Ulsterman who resides in England. I only have an Irish passport. Obviously the UK government clearly hasn’t a clue.”

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Residency

A Department of Health spokesperson confirmed to TheJournal.ie that the EHIC is issued not on the basis of someone’s nationality but instead issued based on a person’s residency in an EU country. 

“Although an individual may be an Irish passport holder, as they are resident in the UK, the issuance and continued validity of UK issued EHIC cards is a matter for the relevant British authorities,” the spokesperson said.

The department pointed to advice issued by the UK’s NHS on what would happen to the EHIC after Brexit.

It says: “The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) may not be valid if there’s a no-deal Brexit. This will depend on arrangements with individual countries and might mean you need to pay for treatment in full.

If you’re using an EHIC issued by the UK, this will still be valid until the UK leaves the EU. If your trip or treatment started before Brexit and you’re being asked to pay for healthcare coverage after Brexit, the UK can help.

The British government has secured a deal with Spain to keep the EHIC active even if there’s a no-deal Brexit up to the end of 2020. Similarly, passport holders will still be able to access healthcare in Portugal and Ireland in the wake of a no-deal. But it does not have a deal with other countries.

Even if there is a deal, the future of EHIC scheme for British residents is uncertain. Under Boris Johnson’s deal, the EHIC would apply for the transition period to 31 December 2020.

After this, however, any path forward would need to be negotiated between the UK and EU. 

With Boris Johnson’s crushing victory in the general election, this turns into another aspect that the UK and EU will need to work out with talks on trade deals and customs arrangements now set to get under way in earnest in 2020.