Consider healthcare before moving to the EU before Brexit

If you’re thinking of emigrating to Europe before Brexit hits in, considerations about the possible effects of Britain’s EU divorce on healthcare should be closely examined.

Expat media reports there are more Britons and expat UK citizens than ever before buying into EU member countries’ properties but, especially for retirees, the possible effects of Brexit on foreign public healthcare should be a major consideration. For those unlucky enough to develop a life-threatening illness, Brexit may mean the difference between life and death.

Early last year, the UK High Court delivered a major blow to Theresa May’s hopes of banning the UK parliament’s say over Article 50. In the court at the time was British expat cancer patient John Shaw, a member of one of the UK expat protest groups active in securing expat rights. Talking with reporters after the judge had ruled, he said Brexit is a matter of life or death for many UK expats in Europe.

Nothing significant as regards healthcare has changed to date, and the risks to critically ill Brits in Europe are still in the hands of the negotiators. Until March 2019, Brits living in the EU are entitled to have the majority of their healthcare costs met by the British government but, unless a similar scheme forms a solid part of the Brexit deal, this may well all stop. It’s bad news for the average UK expat, but worse by far for those suffering from cancer, acute heart problems and other potentially lethal conditions.

The only options would be expensive, often unaffordable private healthcare insurance or a return to the UK to hopefully get free NHS treatment even although it’s normally refused unless the recipient has lived in Britain for six months or more. John Shaw’s friend Paul was refused NHS treatment for his cancer, but was immediately treated once he’d quickly moved to France.

A Parliamentary Select Committee was informed of the fact that many thousands of elderly, sick expats would be forced back to the UK should Brexit result on non-coverage of healthcare costs. The strain on the already malfunctioning NHS was made clear, but no concrete proposals have yet been agreed and, whatever has been promised during the first phases of negotiations, nothing is as yet set in stone.