British workers across Europe will fall under the new European Union Healthcare Directive that comes into force from October 1, 2013.
Under the directive, workers posted overseas but who are still resident in Britain will have a right to healthcare across the European Economic Area (EEA) as long as the treatment is judged as necessary by a doctor and also offered by the National Health Service.
The rules also cover holidaymakers and workers on short business trips.
Expats who have left the UK to live permanently in another EEA country are not entitled to treatment under the directive.
How the directive works
Healthcare extends to private and state-run hospitals.
Generally, the patient will pay treatment costs in advance and on return to Britain, the cost is reimbursed at the rate the treatment would have cost on the NHS.
This could mean a gap between the cost and the amount paid back in Britain.
In some cases, patients should ask the NHS for authorisation before requesting treatment. This allows the NHS to cost the treatment for price comparison, and to make patients aware of alternative treatments available in Britain.
Some procedures always need prior authorisation.
Find out healthcare procedures that need authorisation
In an emergency, prior authorisation must be granted.
Excluded healthcare
The directive does not cover treatment in countries outside the EEA. In these cases, patients have to fund their own treatment or rely on medical insurance.
Neither does the directive let British patients get treatment or drugs in another country that are no available through the NHS.
Overseas rules
Even if the NHS authorises payment under the directive, the overseas doctor or hospital does not have to offer treatment, but they should explain why the request was turned down.
Patients are also still subject to waiting lists in the EEA state, so cannot jump queues overseas.
Paying for treatment
Payment for treatment in an EEA country and Switzerland stays the same under the directive.
The rules are that healthcare will be offered under the same terms to a British patient as to any other citizen where the treatment is taking place.
If someone in that country has to pay a percentage of their treatment costs, then so will the British patient.
So, the hospital offering an operation costing £8,000 in the EEA could ask for a 25% charge from the patient, while the state funds the rest.
On return to Britain, the NHS will pay the £6,000 balance and may pay some or all of the upfront charge, depending on what the same treatment would cost under the NHS.
