MSE News: Warning as EHICs illegally declined in Spain and Greece

Caddyman

wolfman210 wrote: »

The first entry on Google for re newing your EH1C wants to charge you £17 for the priviledge, Beware. it is free https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/startApplication.do

This particular subject has been covered many many times and if you do a search on this forum, you'll find that plenty of people have been taken in by this, despite there being a warning on the sites 'offering' this service.

Sadly, there are still too many people who don't read the small print or the entire web page when sticking ehic into a search engine. People really do need to slow down and look at what they are doing instead of steaming head long like a bull in a china shop. That might read a bit harsh, but it is a fact.

expat_mike

The issue of the Spanish health system denying UK citizens treatment is complicated by the fact that for many years too many Brits played the system just like immigrants to the UK are doing so now. Many Brits came down to Spain before retirement and finagled a health card (SIP) from the health authorities when times were good. Now they need to make savings they are checking the eligibility of foreigners living in Spain to free health care and rightly so. As for the EHIC card, that's only for emergency treatment but again some Brits have been trying it on for non emergency treatment and are now being rejected. I accept there maybe cases where the ambulances might drop you off at a private hospital rather than one run by a province such as Valencia but that's the exception rather than the rule.

expat_mike

As an extra to Wolfman210 post, beware of all sorts of scams on the internet for obtaining free government issued documents from many countries. A few years back when you needed to fill out an ESTA for visiting the USA there were a few web sites that hijacked you away the official US government site, charged you $40 or so just to apply for a free one on your behalf. These crafty sites plastered official looking US government symbols all over them to give the impression that it was the real government site but it wasn't. Recently the official site has started charging so I guess these scam sites are charging even more to get you a Visa waiver (ESTA).

Pollycat

expat_mike wrote: »

As an extra to Wolfman210 post, beware of all sorts of scams on the internet for obtaining free government issued documents from many countries. A few years back when you needed to fill out an ESTA for visiting the USA there were a few web sites that hijacked you away the official US government site, charged you $40 or so just to apply for a free one on your behalf. These crafty sites plastered official looking US government symbols all over them to give the impression that it was the real government site but it wasn't. Recently the official site has started charging so I guess these scam sites are charging even more to get you a Visa waiver (ESTA).

Good advice.

There are several threads running about companies charging over and above the going rate for:
passports
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4380089
driving tests
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4437351

Dunroamin

bryanb wrote: »

Not really, they are entitled to EMERGENCY treatment only, on the same basis as a Spanish national

That isn't true. The EHIC is far wider ranging than the old E111 and covers all normal treatment abroad. What it doesn't cover is people travelling to other countries specifically for treatment.