Minister proposes amendments to health insurance law in Denmark

During this parliamentary session, the intention is to propose amendments to the health insurance law regarding the reimbursement of collected health insurance fees.

Margit Stórá, the Minister of Health, stated that special regulations need to be established concerning the reimbursement, as it is not possible to ascertain who is entitled to exemption from paying health insurance fees without proper documentation.

The health insurance authority is currently unable to determine who is eligible for a reimbursement. This determination requires the individual to provide information about the period they have worked abroad and whether social security contributions were paid there.

In addition, Jacob Vestergaard, a member of the parliament, inquired why health insurance fees continue to be collected from expatriates.

In her response, Stórá explained that the Tax Agency (TAKS) has indicated it cannot halt the collection of fees until it has been informed about who is entitled to an exemption. Furthermore, TAKS cannot process reimbursement of previously paid health insurance fees until it has been informed of the individual eligible for the refund and the relevant time frame.

As of July 1, the health insurance authority received the mandate to grant exemptions from fee obligations upon request, in accordance with the Nordic agreement on social security. These exemptions can be granted from 2024 onwards.