Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 June 2022
877. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the reason that medical card holders entitled to a medical card as a result of getting a social security pension from the United Kingdom or working and paying social insurance in the UK are not entitled to treatment under the cross-Border directive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34330/22]
View answerUnder the social security provisions of the EU UK Trade & Cooperation Agreement (TCA), a person for whom the UK is competent is, if they move to live in Ireland, entitled to a non-means tested medical card if they meet any of the following requirements:
- ordinarily resident in the Republic of Ireland and,
- insured under the social security legislation of another EU/EEA member state, Switzerland or UK; i.e. receiving a social security pension from that state or working and paying social insurance in that state
- not subject to Irish social security legislation. A person is subject to Irish social security legislation if they are receiving a contributory Irish social welfare payment or are subject to PRSI in the Irish State.
Prior to the 1st January 2021, UK pensioners residing in Ireland who had accessed healthcare under the EU Cross Border Directive were required to have their healthcare costs reimbursed by the UK as this was a requirement of the provisions of the EU Cross Border Directive. As a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, the provisions of the EU Cross Border Directive no longer apply to the UK.
Separately, the Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme has been in effective operation since 1 January 2021. This Scheme was introduced to mitigate the loss of access to care from private providers in Northern Ireland under the EU Cross Border Directive, which ceased to apply as a result of Brexit. The Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme enables persons resident in the State to access and be reimbursed for private healthcare in Northern Ireland by the HSE, provided such healthcare is publicly available within Ireland.
