NHS vulnerable to health card fraud, government admits

Reports in UK news sources in August 2015 that a loophole was allowing people who had never paid tax in the United Kingdom to bill the NHS for healthcare in their own countries.

Foreign nationals who claimed they were living in the UK were obtaining free European health insurance cards (Ehic) to charge the UK for treatment in their home countries.

• Primary Source

NHS England: Healthcare abroad: EHIC - European Health Insurance Card http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

NHS: Business Services Authority: European Health Insurance Card https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/startApplication.do

The Guardian, 10.08.15: Loophole letting non-UK residents charge NHS 'unacceptable' – minister http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/aug/10/ehic-loophole-letting-non-uk-residents-to-charge-nhs-unacceptable-minister

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