Claiming on EHIC?

Dunroamin

sangio wrote: »

Thanks for that info. I was always under the impression that you could only receive emergency treatment under that scheme. I knew nothing about this new EHIC scheme.

So if you have ongoing medical issues that quite regularly require a hospital stay plus a regular quantity of expensive drugs these can now be accessed in say France or Spain.

You learn something new every day. I will be having a look at this new scheme this evening.

PS I have just applied for one for each of us. All we need now is a passport!!

You can, but you won't necessarily be fully reimbursed as a native of those countries wouldn't be either.

Dunroamin

FBaby wrote: »

All the above would be considered urgent treatment, as in if you didn't receive it, your health would be put at risk. You can't however go to Spain and decide to have your cataracts done whilst your there under the EHIC as this would be considered planned. In any case, it is not straight forward. We had to argue with hospitals in Germany and Spain which refused to treat patients under the EHIC because they considered their treatment non urgent, meaning that the patient could come back to England to receive it (in both cases cancer treatments).

I totally agree with that point as that would indeed be planned treatment.

I'm sure that there are people working in healthcare in other countries who don't understand the rules either, which is why a someone going abroad needs to fully conversant with the rules.

Don't forget that someone using an EHIC isn't necessarily abroad just for a couple of weeks' holiday, they could be abroad for several months at a time , living in their second home.

FBaby

Dunroamin wrote: »

I totally agree with that point as that would indeed be planned treatment.

I'm sure that there are people working in healthcare in other countries who don't understand the rules either, which is why a someone going abroad needs to fully conversant with the rules.

Don't forget that someone using an EHIC isn't necessarily abroad just for a couple of weeks' holiday, they could be abroad for several months at a time , living in their second home.

If that is the case they certainly shouldn't rely solely on the ehic to pay for all their care nor that the nhs would automatically pick up the costs for more essential treatment.

FBaby

sangio you can only use the ehic for state hospital care maybe that was the problem. Also one needs to remember that ehic would never pay for repatriation and a two week stay in hospital in France would still be very expensive even with the state part paid.

krisskross

FBaby wrote: »

sangio you can only use the ehic for state hospital care maybe that was the problem. Also one needs to remember that ehic would never pay for repatriation and a two week stay in hospital in France would still be very expensive even with the state part paid.

My husband was ill and we were disembarked from a cruise ship to one of the smaller Canary Islands. I produced his EHIC at the hospital and all his care and treatment for the 18 days he was in hospital was free.

However our insurers paid bills totalling around £10K for other costs incurred including flying us back to the UK and a car from the airport to home etc.

Never rely on just the EHIC.

Dunroamin

FBaby wrote: »

If that is the case they certainly shouldn't rely solely on the ehic to pay for all their care nor that the nhs would automatically pick up the costs for more essential treatment.

Nobody should rely on the EHIC to fund all their care because you'll only be covered to the extent that a native of that country will be. In France, for example, normal health costs are covered 70% so the French take out private top up cover for the other 30% and visitors should take out travel insurance or similar for themselves.

Apart from that, the NHS will pick up the costs for both essential, non essential, emergency and routine medical treatment for any UK resident staying there and presenting an EHIC, just as it would for anyone staying in any EU country or a country which offers reciprocal treatment with the UK.

FBaby

Apart from that, the NHS will pick up the costs for both essential, non essential, emergency and routine medical treatment for any UK resident staying there and presenting an EHIC, just as it would for anyone staying in any EU country or a country which offers reciprocal treatment with the UK.

no it will not that's where the misconception is leading to patients calling the pct not understanding why their their ehic want accepted and why the Pct won't pay. It will not pick up non essential treatment and routine treatment only in some circumstances. Too many travelers make the mistake thinking they are protected for healthcare and then get a nasty shock when they realise at their most vulnerable state that they are not.

BobMar

Dunroamin wrote: »

How long are you staying in France for?

Six to eight weeks at a time. In total over the year just less than six months.

Bob