Algarve MP Cristóvão Norte is co-authoring Bill No. 786/XVII/2, relating to payment for healthcare provided to non-resident foreign nationals. The bill was submitted to Portugal’s Assembly of the Republic just before the weekend on Friday, 25 September, according to a statement issued to journalists by PSD Algarve.
The bill proposes that people who are in Portugal irregularly, or who are not resident in the country, should pay for healthcare received through the National Health Service (SNS), or provide proof of cover from a legally or contractually liable entity.
This comes as an audit by the Health Activities Inspectorate-General (IGAS), part of the Algarve’s local health board (the ULS) has found €1,234,358 in bills issued but left unpaid for emergency care provided to non-resident foreigners in 2023 and 2024.
Norte’s proposal establishes mechanisms to identify the party responsible for payment and recover the costs. Where necessary, it also allows for a guarantee, advance payment, or other form of insurance to ensure that the costs are recovered.
The bill expressly safeguards the provision of emergency, urgent and life-saving care. In such cases, proof of cover and any other required documentation may be submitted after such treatment has been provided.
“Anyone who needs emergency, urgent or life-saving care must be treated. That is not in question. But providing the necessary healthcare is one thing; determining who should bear the financial cost of that care, and ensuring that the bill is actually paid, is another,” the MP said.
According to the audit cited, the number of treatments received by non-resident foreigners at emergency departments operated by ULS Algarve rose from 17,736 in 2023 to 19,111 in 2024, an increase of 7.8%.
“In the Algarve, more than €1.2 million in unpaid bills shows that this is not an abstract debate. We are a tourist region, open to the world and welcoming millions of visitors. Precisely for that reason, we need clear rules and effective mechanisms: to treat those who need care and ensure that the bill is paid by whoever is responsible for it,” he said.
Norte stressed that the bill does not necessarily mean patients themselves would have to pay directly. Responsibility for covering the cost of care could instead lie with an insurer, another state, or another legally or contractually liable entity.
According to the politician, the proposal is also intended to establish who is responsible for the costs, and efficiently ensure that payment is recovered.
Bill No. 786/XVII/2 revives legislation introduced during the previous parliamentary term on the same issue. That proposal was approved at first reading, but the legislative process was halted when snap elections were called.
Source: PSD Algarve
Photo credit: Sul Informação
