does european health card cover pre exciting medical condition

FROSTYFRECKLE

Hi Oldernotwiser,

The reason my husband MUST HAVE insurance is to ensure I can get him back home again if the worst was to happen abroad. Yes, he will get treatment in Europe but my hubby would need repatriated (which is scarily expensive). Repatriation would not be by plane, you cannot fly soon after a Shunt operation. When someone gets a new Shunt before the form giving permission is signed you are told of the complications which can arise (I don't think this is the place to discuss the complications). The complications can leave the person heavily disabled, most people (that I know) could not afford the costs involved to repatriate someone very ill. The OP stated she couldn't really afford the insurance, I think it is fair to say she definately could not afford repatriation costs.

Would I ever risk going abroad without insurance - NO. I would go and visit Cornwall and not need insurance. I love the Eden Project so does my hubby.

vaio

Skint_Catt wrote: »

Just don't take the risk get insured. Medical treatment could run into 10's of thousands and repatriation could bankrupt you if she needed it.

Given that we have people going over to Europe to get treatment because the NHS takes too long (or doesn’t do it at all, thanks NICE) and one of the government targets from 1997 was to get health spending UP to the European average by 2007 (and we failed even taking into account all the new joiners) I’d have no qualms at all about going to traditional Europe without insurance (other than that provided free by the EU).

The repatriation thing is different and if the illness is one that might require repatriation then I’d think about getting insurance but be careful as “for profit” insurance companies will not be falling over themselves to cover something that is likely to happen.

Oldernotwiser

FROSTYFRECKLE wrote: »

Hi Oldernotwiser,

The reason my husband MUST HAVE insurance is to ensure I can get him back home again if the worst was to happen abroad. Yes, he will get treatment in Europe but my hubby would need repatriated (which is scarily expensive). Repatriation would not be by plane, you cannot fly soon after a Shunt operation. When someone gets a new Shunt before the form giving permission is signed you are told of the complications which can arise (I don't think this is the place to discuss the complications). The complications can leave the person heavily disabled, most people (that I know) could not afford the costs involved to repatriate someone very ill. The OP stated she couldn't really afford the insurance, I think it is fair to say she definately could not afford repatriation costs.

Would I ever risk going abroad without insurance - NO. I would go and visit Cornwall and not need insurance. I love the Eden Project so does my hubby.

Thank you for taking the time to answer this. If repatriation to the UK is important to you then I completely agree that insurance is necessary.

Personally, if I or my husband (who has a very severe chronic health condition) were taken ill in Spain, France or many other Western European countries I wouldn't want to be repatriated into the care of the NHS but perhaps that's because we have experience of how excellent the other countries' care is.

Oldernotwiser

siamese0109 wrote: »

I applied to EHIC+ for insurance and they turned me down on my pre-existing medical condition (Pulmonary Embolism). I eventually got mine from http://www.world-first.co.uk/
for less than £100 for myself and OH for an annual policy

What is EHIC+? Is it in any way connected to the EHIC scheme?

Edit: I've just found out the answer to the above. EHIC plus is a comercial "top up" policy to the EHIC. You make it sound as if someone can't get healthcare using an EHIC if they have a pre-existing condition, which is not the case!

Oldernotwiser

sloughflint wrote: »

That is your interpretation.

The poster was quite clearly talking about insurance as opposed to EHIC.He/she gave an example of an insurance company that excluded his/her particular condition and offered a name of another company that accepted him/her.

You're right, it was my interpretation and I might not have been alone. As the OP was asking whether medical treatment for an existing medical condition would be covered by the EHIC, I thought it worthwhile to clarify the point that EHIC + is just an insurance company and nothing to do with the actual EHIC. If I didn't recognise it as a commercial insurance company then others might not either. If everybody else knows that anyway there's no harm done!

Paparika

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Thank you for taking the time to answer this. If repatriation to the UK is important to you then I completely agree that insurance is necessary.

Personally, if I or my husband (who has a very severe chronic health condition) were taken ill in Spain, France or many other Western European countries I wouldn't want to be repatriated into the care of the NHS but perhaps that's because we have experience of how excellent the other countries' care is.

My parents live in France now and my dad was taken very ill a few months back, good news the hospital he was taken to took the very best of care of him, better than any NHS could ever do. So he would heartily agree with you on that

anonymousie

You have got to have health ins to cover repariation costs -it will bancrupt you otherwise they are so steep (and if you can't get home you may be held in hospital longer and the charges for that can be your liability too!).

My elderly parents travel a bit and always hae insurance- through specialists now at high cost, as Dad says, if you die out there thenyou can be buired somewhere nice, but if you don't manage to die, you'll have to get home!

silvercar

Remember that if you rely on the EHIC and decide that you don't want to pay for insurance that offers repatriation, if the worst happened you would be stuck overseas and have to pay for accommodation and living expenses while you stayed near your love one.

richardw

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Personally, if I or my husband (who has a very severe chronic health condition) were taken ill in Spain, France or many other Western European countries I wouldn't want to be repatriated into the care of the NHS but perhaps that's because we have experience of how excellent the other countries' care is.

Don't under stand this logic.

dzug1

A couple of other points:

I am fairly sure the EHIC doesn't cover you if you are travelling specifically to get treatment, only if the need arises whilst you are overseas.

In some countries you may in an emergency be taken to a private hospital and may not know it until too late

More points in favour of insurance.

and a comment on I’d have no qualms at all about going to traditional Europe without insurance (other than that provided free by the EU).

The EU (ie EHIC) does NOT provide free treatment. It provides it on the same basis as residents of the country concerned. If they get it free, you do. If they pay, you do. If they have to pay and claim a complete or partial refund, you do.