10.08.15
NHS allegedly vulnerable to ‘legal EHIC loophole’
An alleged ‘loophole’ in issuing European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) is allowing non-UK residents to charge the NHS for healthcare they receive elsewhere in the EEA, an investigation by the Daily Mail has found.
European migrants are able to use EHIC, issued by the NHS, to charge for partial or full cost of medical treatment received in their own countries – even if they are not certified taxpayers in England.
The findings emerged after a Hungarian woman, working for the Mail, received a card within one day in the UK and then was able to use it for free treatment in clinics in her native country.
Several ministers and MPs have spoken out against the “completely unacceptable” situation.
Health minister Alistair Burt MP said: “It is completely unacceptable that people living outside the UK think they can abuse our NHS. That’s why this government has already introduced tough measures to clamp down on migrants using healthcare without making a contribution, to save half a billion pounds within a few years.
“We are continually looking at ways we can tighten up the process further and, as a result of this investigation, the department will urgently carry out more work to include EHIC applications.”
Roy Lilley, a health policy analyst and commentator, said on Twitter that the situation would constitute fraud – not a “loophole”. He added that the story doesn’t stand up as the supposed loophole was closed in July 2014 when EHIC rules were altered
The alterations specified that while cardholders could receive the same treatment abroad as the residents of that country, they might still need to pay a non-refundable ‘co-payment’ for certain services. This means that EHIC holders would need to pay the same fees that locals pay for healthcare.
Other politicians are therefore questioning why tourists would risk committing a crime if they could be issued an EHIC from their home country instead, receiving the same quality of care and paying the same fees.
Lilley argued that the “hardly easy” process would require forgery, an airline ticket and tax avoidance.
The Department of Health said there would be an investigation into the system. Whitehall does not currently know how much of the money paid to other health systems for EHIC use could be allegedly fraudulent.