If a withdrawal agreement were to be adopted, a transition period up to 31 December 2020 would ensure the same rights and obligations as currently effective legislation. If there is no withdrawal agreement, there will be no transition period and France and the United Kingdom will each apply their own national rules.

With a withdrawal agreement

In a withdrawal agreement were to be adopted, a transition period will be implemented until 31 December 2020. During this period, the rights of British nationals, who are legally resident in France at the time of withdrawal and who are covered by British health insurance, will remain unchanged and they will have access to health care under the same conditions as before.

Without a withdrawal agreement

In the event of a Brexit without an agreement, the Order of 6 February 2019 issued by the French Government grants a period of two years to British nationals, who are legally resident in France at the time of withdrawal and who are covered by British health insurance, during which they will continue to receive coverage of their health care for themselves and their dependants under the same conditions as an insured under the French compulsory scheme.

With a withdrawal agreement

Your health insurance coverage and the conditions under which you are insured do not change. The current European rules on social security coordination will continue to apply during the transition period (until 31 December, 2020). In your situation, they provide that if you are employed or self-employed in the territory of one State and reside in the territory of another State, it is the State under whose legislation you are governed that bears your health costs. Your health costs in France are therefore covered by the United Kingdom.

To do this, you must request the portable document S1 "Registration for health insurance coverage" from your British health insurance fund. This document will allow you to register with the health insurance fund of your place of residence in France. You continue to receive benefits under the same conditions as at present until December 31, 2020.

Without a withdrawal agreement

Although still considered as a British social security insured, your health care will continue to be covered, for you and your dependants, under the same conditions as those insured under a French scheme, for a period of two years from the entry into force of the Order on various measures relating to leaving the European Union without agreement under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union on the Rights of Citizens (Article 7). This period must be used to enable the two States to conclude an agreement making it possible to continue to ensure the effective financial coverage of their respective insured persons.

With a withdrawal agreement

Your health insurance coverage and the conditions under which you are insured will not change. The current EU rules on coordination of social security systems will continue to apply during the transition period (until 31 December 2020). For someone in your situation, these rules provide that – if you are receiving a pension from one Member State and reside in the territory of another Member State – your healthcare costs will be covered by the Member State that pays your pension. Therefore, your French healthcare costs will be paid by the United Kingdom. For this to happen, you must request an S1 form "Registering for healthcare cover" (the equivalent of the former E121 form) from your British pension fund. This document will allow you to register with the health insurance fund in your place of residence in France. Until 31 December 2020, you will continue to receive benefits under the same conditions as you do now.

Without a withdrawal agreement

Although you will still be considered as a British social security beneficiary, the healthcare costs for both you and your dependants will be covered under the same conditions as French beneficiaries for a period of two years from the entry into force of the Order on various measures relating to the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a withdrawal agreement concluded on the basis of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union as regards citizens' rights (Article 7). During this period, the two Member States must reach an agreement enabling them to continue to ensure effective financial coverage of their respective beneficiaries.