Yes I was/am. I was planning a trip for April 2020 to France so wanted one for that. Obviously, the trip was cancelled and the EHIC never left the UK. It’s now a useless card in my purse.
Izzy x
It was good to hear that the S1 scheme will continue for pensioners moving to the EU after 1/1/21 but they will no longer also qualify for free NHS care should they need it. So anyone from the EU visiting the UK with an EU issued EHIC can access the NHS, anyone from the UK visiting the EU can access healthcare there using the UK issued GHIC, UK nationals living in the EU with a UK issued EHIC can access healthcare anywhere else in the EU. So it seems the only group excluded here are UK pensioners living in the EU with an S1 who cannot access healthcare in the UK as I assume their UK issued EHIC doesn’t cover the UK??? Totally discrimatory and undo’s all the good work done to protect access to the NHS for S1 holders.
Isn’t the EHIC all about cover whilst travelling not if you live in that country?
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Your EHIC has never covered UK treatment even if it’s supplied because you have an S1 even pre Brexit. It’s the S1 that covers the treatment in the UK - not the EHIC.
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Exactly. All S1 holders are entitled to NHS care on same basis as a UK resident.
Yes, but up until 31/12/20 UK pensioners with S1’s were also covered to use the NHS with their S1. Those covered by the WA still are but those moving after 1/1/21 can have an S1 but not NHS cover and it doesn’t seem there is any way they can get it apart from private insurance although other visitors to the UK from the EU can access the NHS with their EU issued EHIC’s.
Where is that? I had understood that the cover continued as now…
I know, but that cover has now been removed for those moving to the EU after 1/1/21, they can have an S1 but it doesn’t cover the NHS that was long fought for by people like Jane Williamson.
On the gov.uk website. I’ll try and find the link. apparantly they agreed to continue with the S1’s for new arrivals but excluded the part that covers the NHS. I have only found this out today via a Spanish forum.
The cover does continue for anyone covered by the WA but not new arrivals from 1.1.21
But can any EU issued EHIC equivalent be used in UK now? If the UK has pulled out of this system then would they accept them at all?
As fr as I know the EHIC scheme or GHIC continues. My point is it only seems to be new arrival UK pensioners with S1’s who wont be covered for the NHS.
Looking on gov.uk the only EHIC type things that will be issued by the UK are for S1 holder/frontaliers etc. Normal ordinary UK residents can’t get one for travel within Europe anymore So it does sort of make sense if european residents can no longer get one for the UK.
But I really don’t understand the S1 bit, as if the UK is your competent state for healthcare how can they say now that is only for when you are NOT in the UK?
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Good point, Jane, what happens when I go to the UK with otherhalf and kids, we’re all on French EHIC as French citizens, I still have an old NI number but don’t know if that would still work and kids and OH don’t have anything. Will we need travel insurance…? 
Can’t find the link right now and now time to search but this is from the group I saw it on and I did check it at the time
" The British Consulate did say that the S1 is still available for pensioners moving to Spain after Brexit - i.e. those arriving on a Visa. The main change with those getting S1 cover from this year onwards (i.e. those without Withdrawal Agreement protections) is that the S1 ONLY covers pensioners whilst in Spain, it won’t cover those pensioners in Spain AND UK.
Pensioners issued S1’s prior to 1st January 2021 and S1’s to be issued to people living in Spain prior to 1st January but who are not yet pensioners have, or will have, health coverage in both Spain and UK - i.e. no change to existing rules because of the Withdrawal Agreement protections.
They don’t appear to have communicated any of it to the NHS though.
The wording on the Gov UK site is poor but it does say that S1 is still available to those moving to EU who are in receipt of pension - except how it says it is by saying who loses coverage which is those categories of people who could get S1 whilst not pensioners via various benefits - these people no longer do get S1 post 31st December. No change for pensioners mentioned."
It’s just possible that the info only relates to Spain… as it specifically mentions Spain…
It says nothing about France… or any other EU countries…
just wondering… 
At the moment, yes. Apparently the UK is negotiating country by country reciprocal agreements 
(you know Brexit the administration free solution)
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this is from this link “Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes UK war pensioners, UK government employees, and UK nationals living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020.”
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