MSE News: Pain for Spain over unlawful EHIC refusals 30 May 2013 at 2:04PM in Overseas holidays & travel planning 18 replies 3.1K views

Former_MSE_Helen

"The European Commission has launched legal proceedings over concerns hospitals in Spain are unlawfully refusing EHICs ..."

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Pain for Spain over unlawful EHIC refusals



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typistretired

Thanks for that information I might print this article with me to take to Spain on holiday (just in case) I have just renewed my card. I have also taken out holiday insurance but this is terrible especially as we follow all the rules in the UK too much so!!

Pincher

What we need is a form in the local language, stating their obligations, so I can shove it in the orderly's face, and demand that they state the reason for refusal, with the hospital's contact details. I will print this form and keep it with the EHIC, naturally.

The old E111 used to come in a booklet that had multiple languages, I seem to remember.

jamesg123

Having first hand knowledge working for a major uk tour operator in Spain, I can shed some light on this. Working in Menorca,Mallorca,Lanzarote and Costa del Sol we had an agreement as did the hotels, that if a holidaymaker fell ill they would present themselves to reception or their rep, we would in turn call for an English speaking doctor to their room. Within about 30mins a doctor would arrive and take approx €50 euro and treat the patient if the condition was serious they would arrange a taxi/ambulance to the clinic. The relatives were instructed to bring travel insurance cert to clinic for additional billing. This worked very well as all our holiday makers were in one clinic which made it easy to visit. The service was first class and often holiday makers commented it was better than the uk with English speaking staff on hand. This story conflicts with the report out today saying that uk visitors are not been treated with EHIC in public hospitals. The point I am making is ALWAYS get travel insurance, the alternative to the above expierience is as follows. You must make your own way to a public hospital and receive basic healthcare with limited translations for free and in some cases chargeable (be careful what you sign in public hospital) I am not saying go private just pointing out facts that if you want a doctor to your room in Spain it will be a private clinic! Either pay your excess if you have insurance or if you wish to use your EHIC make your own way to public A&E and take your chances with wait times and dont expect English speaking staff. This is the system in Spain. My advice get travel insurance. By the way most of the doctors which visited you came from their surgery which was in the resort, so it was the same for them to visit you or you to walk along the resort and stumble into their surgery charge is the same normally €50 more or less, their isn't walk in EHIC centres in resort. Finally another reason to get insurance is prescriptions their is no fixed prescription charge in Spain i.e £7.85 for whatever is prescribed. Ie you pay the full cost of the drug from the pharmacy, and some drugs can be expensive. My advice as said earlier get travel insurance and keep your receipts from the pharmacy. Hope my post helps

mcc100

The E111 was replaced by the EHIC card over 7 years ago.

jamesg123

mcc100 wrote: »

The E111 was replaced by the EHIC card over 7 years ago.

Good point, same card wrong description, (now amended)

benjus

The EHIC card entitles you to the same level of healthcare as a local. Judging by various media reports (e.g. http://digitaljournal.com/article/316359 ), Spaniards are suffering just as much from the situation caused by the economic crisis, so giving priority to tourists would hardly be fair.

As mentioned previously, the safest way is to make sure you have travel insurance.

propertyman

These cards expire - check the date well before travelling

propertyman

Despite this having been an issue since last Summer the EU takes till now to act, and then it will be well after the holiday peak season before they even decide to do anything.

Why not
1 a simple edict to every public hospital - you must accept the EHIC
2 a multi language pdf download on patients rights to EHIC for every travel operators website
3 a help line for any one being told 1

Can MSE do that for 2? Say in Spanish and GreeK?

deppo

I tracked down these links on EU Europa website - couple of webpages in Spanish and English about the EHIC (Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea in Spanish). May help someone unfortunate enough to need healthcare out there who needs something in the local language. I remember in the 1980's having to track down the local social security office out there to present my E111 as it was then. Upon presentation one was then given a certificate of some sort which had to be handed over at the doctor's or hospital. So making this as difficult as possible for los extranjeros is nothing new.

SPANISH
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/unforeseen-treatments/short-visit/index_es.htm#need-help

http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1021&langId=es&intPageId=1754

ENGLISH

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/unforeseen-treatments/short-visit/index_en.htm

<H1 style="MARGIN: auto 0cm">http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1021&langId=en&intPageId=1754

</H1>

Pincher

I would LOVE to go private like jamesg123 says, and just claim everything back from the travel insurance, but not if the insurance company tries to weasel out by saying I should have used my EHIC.

We need to make it law that travel insurance must provide REAL ASSISTANCE, and can't just fob you off weeks later by using the EHIC as an excuse. If they want us to use a cheap public hospital, they have to find us one, arrange for the ambulance if necessary, pay for the taxi if it's miles away. And if they can't get one that accepts the EHIC, they must pay out if we go private.