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Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Volume 496: debated on Wednesday 15 July 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was (a) claimed and (b) recovered from each partner nation for medical claims under the provisions of (i) form E111 and (ii) the European Health Insurance Card in each of the last five years. (285456)

The following table shows the amounts actually claimed to date by the United Kingdom against other European economic area (EEA) member states and the actual amounts paid to date against those claims for each of the last five calendar claim years.

The amounts are combined claims for temporary visitors (via European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC), or form E111 prior to its replacement in 2005 by the EHIC), posted workers (via form E106) and referrals for treatment in other EEA countries (via form E112). Due to the nature of the claims system between member states, it is not possible to disaggregate these data consistently for all member states by either type of claim or type of treatment. The figures in the tables reflect the fact that EEA medical costs are typically submitted by member states (including the UK) one to three, and sometimes more, years in arrears.

EEA health care cost claims: Claims under Article 93 of Regulation (EC) 1408/71: UK claims against member states

20041

2005

2006

2007

2008

Austria

Initial claims total

101,281

14,617

14,673

50,750

Total paid to date

101,281

14,617

14,673

14,929

Belgium

Initial claims total

1,295,401

1,394,748

1,369,548

6,277

36,075

Total paid to date

1,295,401

1,394,748

1,369,548

6,277

32,976

Bulgaria3

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Cyprus2

Initial claims total

382

4,515

Total paid to date

0

0

Czech Republic2

Initial claims total

2,260

Total paid to date

2,260

Denmark4

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Estonia2,6

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Finland7

Initial claims total

148

1,873

Total paid to date

148

0

France

Initial claims total

2,164,442

2,164,442

2,223,048

2,223,048

Total paid to date

2,164,442

2,164,442

2,223,048

2,223,048

Germany

Initial claims total

18,431

15,265

74

12,633

53,611

Total paid to date

0

15,265

74

12,633

45,774

Greece

Initial claims total

398,318

581,601

36,410

108,948

594,653

Total paid to date

274,413

489,230

0

0

0

Hungary2,7

Initial claims total

10,658

8,219

Total paid to date

10,658

8,219

Iceland

Initial claims total

24,942

Total paid to date

24,942

Ireland8

Initial claims total

10,504,622

11,365,387

10,023,000

12,174,837

12,488,558

Total paid to date

8,633,491

9,339,096

8,092,946

9,407,794

10,370,960

Italy

Initial claims total

1,804,107

912,920

131,826

147,251

708,649

Total paid to date

1,443,286

730,336

105,461

117,801

566,919

Latvia2

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Liechtenstein

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Lithuania2

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Luxembourg5

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Malta2,7

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Netherlands

Initial claims total

5,414

6,691

41,428

Total paid to date

0

0

0

Norway7

Initial claims total

968

Total paid to date

0

Poland2

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Portugal

Initial claims total

22,773

44,614

12,887

172,331

Total paid to date

9,097

20,251

3,481

0

Romania3

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Slovakia2

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Slovenia2

Initial claims total

434

5,991

Total paid to date

434

5,991

Spain

Initial claims total

1,762,209

2,234,214

2,489,817

65,005

85,501

Total paid to date

1,588,438

2,017,951

2,237,251

0

74,829

Sweden

Initial claims total

1,334

17,710

18,160

Total paid to date

1,334

17,710

18,160

Switzerland

Initial claims total

Total paid to date

Initial claims (all countries)

18,078,766

18,746,486

16,273,723

14,783,438

14,297,517

Total paid to date (all countries)

15,511,616

16,203,647

14,028,328

11,796,512

11,165,960

1 Under European Union regulations claims are made on a calendar year basis. Totals for each calendar year are based on actual claims submitted to date.

2 Acceded to the European Union in 2004

3 Acceded to the European Union in 2007

4 Total waiver.

5 Previous total waiver, expired on 30 June 2008.

6 Waiver, excepting Article 22.1c (patient referral) and Article 55.1c (industrial injury) claims.

7 Waiver, excepting Article 22.1c (patient referral) claims

8 Totals for Ireland for 2008 and previous years are estimated and subject to negotiations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the net effect on the public purse of the termination of the reciprocal health agreement with the Isle of Man in the 12 months following termination; and if he will make a statement. (285960)

The Department has not yet given formal notice on the bilateral agreement between the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man but it has informed the Isle of Man of the intention to do so. Because of a perceived imbalance in the numbers of tourists being treated by both parties, under the bilateral agreement the UK has provided the Isle of Man with an annual allocation, to fund clinical referrals to the UK, of around £2.5 million in recent years. The UK will no longer provide this, once the agreement is terminated. Following the end of the agreement, UK residents will require travel insurance when visiting the Isle of Man, likewise Isle of Man residents visiting here.