According to current information, the United Kingdom is to leave the EU on 31 October 2019. Given the variability of the situation, it is still uncertain how exactly Brexit will happen. There are three scenarios for the area of health insurance, each affecting health insurance and the provision of health services to Czech policyholders in the UK and UK policyholders in the Czech Republic in a different way.
Scenario 1 – Another postponement of Brexit for later
Due to previous delays, further postponement cannot be excluded. Should Brexit be postponed until a later date, the existing EU rules would continue to apply until the new Brexit date.
Scenario 2 – Brexit with a deal
If the Withdrawal Agreement is approved, all existing rules will continue to apply until the end of 2020. The principle of a single insurance would continue to apply (i.e. individuals cannot be insured in the UK and the Czech Republic at the same time). European Health Insurance Card would continue to apply.
Scenario 3 – Hard Brexit
This scenario would have the greatest and immediate impact on health insurance. The current EU health insurance rules would cease to apply on the Brexit date and the United Kingdom will find itself in a third country position with certain benefits for persons who were in a cross-border situation prior to the Brexit date thanks to the 2019 EU Regulation that provides for alternative measures in the field of social security coordination following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU. This new regulation contains a rule on equal treatment, the principle of assimilation of facts and addition of periods of insurance. This new Regulation is to take effect from the date of Brexit. Otherwise, the Czech Public Health Insurance Act will apply.
It will no longer be possible to use the European Health Insurance Card. Some areas of this scenario also still remain unclear.