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Pensioners Abroad

Volume 448: debated on Wednesday 12 July 2006

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral arrangements the United Kingdom has with the Czech Republic on the provision of health care for UK pensioners resident in that country; (83141)

(2) what (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral arrangements the United Kingdom has with Denmark on the provision of health care for UK pensioners resident in that country;

(3) what (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral arrangements the United Kingdom has with Cyprus on the provision of health care for UK pensioners resident in that country;

(4) what (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral arrangements the United Kingdom has with Belgium on the provision of health care for UK pensioners resident in that country;

(5) what (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral arrangements the United Kingdom has with Austria on the provision of health care for UK pensioners resident in that country.

There are arrangements co-ordinating the social security and healthcare systems of all the member states of the European Union. This is covered by Regulation (EEC) 1408/71 which is a multilateral instrument.

It provides that pensioners living in another EU member state who are receiving a United Kingdom state retirement, long-term incapacity or bereavement pension, are entitled to healthcare on the same basis as that country's own insured persons.