Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was paid (1) by the UK to each EU member state for healthcare provided to (a) UK citizens, and (b) UK pensioners resident in of those states in the last year; and (2) by each EU member state to the UK for healthcare provided to (a) their citizens, and (b) pensioners resident in the UK.

The Department, on behalf of the United Kingdom Government, reimburses other European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland for the cost of providing treatment to people we are responsible for under European Union law, based on pension and benefit eligibility, and irrespective of nationality. In the same way, other EEA countries and Switzerland reimburse the Department, on behalf of the UK Government, for the cost of the National Health Service providing treatment to people they are responsible for under EU law, irrespective of nationality and including UK nationals insured in another EEA country or Switzerland.

Member state claims against the UK are in local currency, so totals are significantly affected by the exchange rate at the time of payment and can mean a difference of millions of pounds. Member states can submit claims up to 18 months in arrears, so claims for any 12 month period do not necessarily reflect treatment provided in that period.

Due to the size of the data, figures for the amount paid by the UK to each EU member state for healthcare in 2016/17 are provided in the attached table. These figures are the latest available and rounded to the nearest pound.

After the UK leaves the EU, and in a reciprocal deal, the UK will continue to export and uprate the UK state pension and to provide associated healthcare cover on behalf of the UK within the EU.