Health surcharge for migrants set to double

Government ministers have announced that the upfront charges paid by temporary migrants to the UK to use the NHS are to double, raising nearly £220 million a year for the NHS.

The increase to the immigration health surcharge, from £200 to £400 a year, will ensure that migrants make a fairer contribution towards the costs of the NHS and will clamp down on the controversial idea of ‘health tourism’, whereby people travel to Britain for NHS treatments they are not entitled to. The discounted rate for students and those on the youth mobility scheme will go up from £150 to £300.

Health Minister James O’Shaughnessy said: “Our NHS is always there when you need it, paid for by British taxpayers. We welcome long-term migrants using the NHS, but it is only right that they make a fair contribution to its long-term sustainability. By increasing the surcharge so that it better reflects the actual costs of using health services, this government is providing an extra £220 million a year to support the NHS.”

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This story was first published in digitalhealth.net

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