Cooperation between Ireland and the UK under EU Cross Border Healthcare Directive ceased on 31st December 2020.  Citizens residing on one side of the border can no longer use the EU scheme to avail of healthcare across the border.

Replacement Schemes

NORTH – Republic of Ireland Reimbursement Scheme – Launched 1 July 2021, initially for 12 months and then extended for a short time with limited funds. The scheme closed for new applicant on 21st September 2022.

The Republic of Ireland Reimbursement Scheme allowed patients from NI to seek and pay for routinely commissioned treatment in the private sector in Ireland and have the costs, up to the cost of the treatment to the HSC in Northern Ireland, reimbursed. This did not apply to treatment in the private sector in Northern Ireland.

The Republic of Ireland Reimbursement Scheme was open to ordinary residents of Northern Ireland and be managed by the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and all treatments were subject to prior authorisation.

UPDATE from HSC:  On 16 June the Department of Health allocated a further £5m to continue to operate the cross-border healthcare scheme beyond the planned June 30 2022 deadline, with new applications accepted from 1 July 2022. The scheme’s additional limit of £5m has now been reached. The scheme closed to new applicants at 5pm on Wednesday 21 September 2022. Applications received on or before that time will be processed in chronological order. Those received after this will not be considered. Further information about the scheme is available here.

SOUTH – Northern Ireland Planned Healthcare Scheme – Launched 1 January 2021, ongoing

On 1st January Ireland launched a replacement scheme which temporarily provided for the reimbursement of healthcare provided in Northern Ireland.  The scheme was originally in place for 12 months but has since been extended into 2022. Legislation expected in early 2022 should place it on a more permanent basis.

Further information about the scheme is available here

Cross-border complexities with the new schemes

Clarification received in January 2022 from the HSE and the Dept for Health NI states that the two new schemes are available to people ordinarily resident in their jurisdiction.  Being linked to the social security system on the other side of the border (the side you’re seeking treatment) will not affect eligibility.  However we strongly recommend that individuals seek clarification on their exact situation from the health authorities, prior to paying for treatment across the border.

EU option

It’s worth noting that the EU Directive option is still available to people living in Ireland who wish to travel into mainland EU for treatment.  Please be aware that HSE website states that to avail of the EU Directive a person must not be in receipt of any state benefit from another EU or EEA member state.  This rule meant that (prior to Brexit) some people with cross-border lives were not eligible under the EU Directive and not reimbursed e.g. retired cross-border workers or people who moved across the border but continued to receive benefits. These examples are pre-Brexit, but the claims are still being processed by the HSE:

1. Live South, retired from working North and claiming a UK State pension – ineligible
   
2. Live South, retired from working in UK, and in receipt of State pensions from both England and Ireland – ineligible

In examples 1 and 2 above, the rationale for declining the applicant appears to be that the UK remains responsible for the person’s healthcare, however we know when frontier workers retire they can no longer avail of healthcare in NI. So we await further clarification on these scenarios.

Page last checked: September 2022

This webpage is for general information purposes only and while we endeavour to keep it up-to-date, errors may occur. It is very important that you check with the relevant body to ensure the information is current and is applicable to your situation.

If you would like to suggest amendments or highlight new information that could be useful to others please don’t hesitate to get in touch.