European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) - Free medical treatment

Wednesday, 27 September 2006 00:00

A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles you to receive reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment that becomes necessary while you're in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland.

The EEA consists of the European Union (EU) countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Switzerland applies the EHIC arrangements through an agreement with the EU.

The EHIC is normally valid for three to five years and covers any medical treatment that becomes necessary during your trip, because of either illness or an accident. The card gives access to state-provided medical treatment only, and you'll be treated on the same basis as an 'insured' person living in the country you're visiting. Remember, this might not cover all the things you'd expect to get free of charge from the NHS in the UK. You may have to make a contribution to the cost of your care.

The EHIC also covers any treatment you need for a chronic disease or pre-existing illness. You need to make arrangements in advance for kidney dialysis and oxygen therapy. To arrange for kidney dialysis while you're away, contact your NHS renal unit in the UK before you travel. For limited information on oxygen supply services in the EEA countries and Switzerland, call the Department of Health's Customer Service Centre on 020 7210 4850.

You may be entitled to reimbursement of any contribution you have made where the actual cost of your hospital treatment abroad, minus the amount of the contribution you have made towards the cost of your treatment abroad, is less than what it would have cost the NHS to have provided the hospital treatment in the UK. Reimbursement will be limited to the difference between the amount it would have cost the NHS to treat you here and the actual cost of the medical treatment you have received abroad, minus the contribution you have made towards the cost of your treatment abroad. You are not entitled to be reimbursed an amount greater than the contribution you made and you might not recoup all of it.

You are advised to take out comprehensive private travel insurance for visits to all countries, regardless of whether you are covered by your EHIC. Private travel insurance will cover any contribution which is not reimbursable, as well as other eventualities not covered by the EHIC.

Remember that the EHIC won't cover you if getting medical treatment is the main purpose of your trip.

For more information visit European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

Country-by-country guide to medical entitlements outside the EEA

Each country has different rules about state medical provision. In some, treatment is free. In some you will have to pay some or all of the cost, then claim a full or partial refund.

For more information visit country-by-country entitlements