Using EHIC in Tenerife

mcfisco

daveyjp wrote: »

A friend has just returned from Spain, no EHIC. £2,000 of hospital costs already refunded through insurance.

In isolation that anecdote means very little, you'd need to know the circumstances of how and why they ended up at a particular hospital etc.
Feel free to not bother with a EHIC card but be aware that it could come back to bite you.

My insurance policy under what's not covered says ..........

18 Any costs incurred in Europe which would have been covered by
the use of an EHIC card had you obtained one, and you failed to
obtain one prior to travel.

http://i.imgur.com/Lvlk0.jpg

I really can't see the point in not having one given they're free

lilykim

Excel1966: Thanks for this info. Hadn't actually thought about public hospitals versus private clinics. I do have an EC1H card and also very good travel insurance.

Lefty1938

Recent communication from Foreign & Commonwealth Office ' The EHIC is valid for state provided healthcare in Spain. If you are being treated in a state hospital in Spain and your treatment comes within the scope of the EHIC then you would be entitled to insist that they accept your card'

ceejayblue

On another forum I belong to someone who has dialysis has just been told that the EHIC card is not acceptable in the Canary Islands and they will no longer be able to have their treatment when they are on holiday.

Someone suggested its because the Canary Islands are not full members of the EU as they have special status and this is probably why they are no longer accepting the card as they have not been receiving refunds from countries like the UK.

It seems that you can use it in Mainland Spain but not on the Canary Islands. Has anyone had any experience of this?

stoneman

ceejayblue wrote: »

On another forum I belong to someone who has dialysis has just been told that the EHIC card is not acceptable in the Canary Islands and they will no longer be able to have their treatment when they are on holiday.

Someone suggested its because the Canary Islands are not full members of the EU as they have special status and this is probably why they are no longer accepting the card as they have not been receiving refunds from countries like the UK.

It seems that you can use it in Mainland Spain but not on the Canary Islands. Has anyone had any experience of this?

Sounds quite plausible. Same as not have EU allowances for duty free when returning from Tenerife

System

ceejayblue wrote: »

On another forum I belong to someone who has dialysis has just been told that the EHIC card is not acceptable in the Canary Islands and they will no longer be able to have their treatment when they are on holiday.

Surely that is not classed as emergency treatment as it is a regular, planned, treatment hence EHIC not applying.

EHIC can still be used for emergency treatment.