European Health Insurance Card(replaced E111)

davethetaller

Both my parents in law (aged 75 and 79) have had heart/cancer/severe asthma problems over the last 7 years or so,and although they love their holidays abroad,it is costly to buy the insurance. They are looking at a trip to Spain this November,and I would be interested in knowing what would be EXCLUDED if they were unfortunate enough to fall ill there.I know that the Spanish health care is at least as good as our own,but what benefits will the E111 replacement card NOT give them. Thanks in anticipation.

LondonDiva

E111 will entitle them to purely emmergency / immediately neccessary treatment and care.

If they need ongoing treatment or care not deemed emmergency by he hospital, they will have to pay.

dmg24

Hi Dave,

Welcome to MSE.

The EHIC will cover them for emergency treatment whilst in Spain, however it will not cover them for transport back to the UK (which would be the main purpose of insurance when travelling to an EU country).

More information is available here:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthadvicefortravellers/Gettingtreatmentaroundtheworld/EEAandSwitzerland/EEAandSwitzerlandbycountry/DH_4114717

Jake'sGran

This has been a worry to me as I have a heart condition and last year I found it very hard to get someone prepared to give me suitable cover. No one will cover my pacemaker. I assume this is because the type I have is very expensive. If your parents take a holiday with Saga (they are not cheap) they will have insurance cover according to what my 80 yr old pals tell me. Also, their luggage is handled for them going and returning. I like to book my own holidays and always use Monarch as I am in their records as someone needing assistance at airports. My husband has strict instructions to take me to a public hospital in the event of anything alarming happening; no private clinics. I did look up the cost of returning a body to the UK and it is very expensive. Some people think it is a god idea to have a cremation if a person dies in Spain and then carry the ashes back and have a service at home but it is not something that appeals.

If the cancer was removed surgically completely the person would be covered for that (as I am). I don't think asthma would be covered as it is life threatening. When they asked about my heart condition the fact that I take diretics (water tablets) resulted in them saying no for any cover.

Have a look at Age Concern, Help the Aged, Saga. Last year I got single trip cover with Bradford & Bingley for £75.96 but no cover for pacemaker or water retention but full cover for mechanical heart valve. You will find that once you have given their details to an insurance company (i.e for medical screening) all the others can get the information.

dzug

And if they get taken to a private hospital (over which they may have no control) they will have to pay, EHIC or not.

They really need insurance, or a deep wallet.

diamond_dave

Will the EHIC cover ongoing treatment in Spain? The guy we rang said that it would.The web site says that you are entitled to the same medical treatment as a national; what about the cost of drugs?

LondonDiva

YOU would be entitled to the same immediately neccessary / urgent treatment as a Spanish medical.

It's when that's over that the costs start to rack up. Contact your local PCT PALS www.nhs.uk or the DoH information line and ask for some clarification

RibAd

I've posted this elsewhere connected to EHIC....

You could check out the British Insurance Brokers Association website as they have a list of possible companies that could cover for medical condition whilst abroad. From I've looked up it doesnt seem to be the typical constantly advertised big leagues.....

http://www.biba.org.uk/consumer/findbroker.asp

budgetflyer

age concern do reasonable insurance for elderly + with conditions

zappahey

LondonDiva wrote: »

E111 will entitle them to purely emmergency / immediately neccessary treatment and care.

If they need ongoing treatment or care not deemed emmergency by he hospital, they will have to pay.

Are you sure about that? It says that "A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles you to reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment that becomes necessary while you're in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland."

I can't find anything that says emergency only and that the reciprocal agreement stops when the emergency has been dealt with.

We have had routine dental treatment in Belgium (following an initial emergency appointment) covered by EHIC with no problem getting a refund.

RibAd

zappahey wrote: »

Are you sure about that? It says that "A European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles you to reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment that becomes necessary while you're in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland."

I can't find anything that says emergency only and that the reciprocal agreement stops when the emergency has been dealt with.

We have had routine dental treatment in Belgium (following an initial emergency appointment) covered by EHIC with no problem getting a refund.

The below is taken from the FCO website about EHIC and this should clarify: (any highlighting/bold and colour formatting has been done by me)



Europe and the EHIC

The EHIC replaced the E111 form in January 2006. E111 forms are no longer valid. You should ensure that you have a EHIC before you travel. Even if you are just travelling to Europe you must also ensure that you have sufficient travel insurance cover as

few EU countries pay the full cost of medical treatment, even under the European Union’s healthcare arrangements.

The EHIC is available free of charge through the Department of Health website at: www.dh.gov.uk/travellers or www.ehic.org.uk or by telephoning 0845 606 2030. You can also obtain the EHIC by completing the Department of Health leaflet “Health Advice for Travellers” (HAFT). This is available through most UK Post Offices or by telephoning 08701 555 455.

The EHIC is valid in the European Economic Area (see Note 1) and Switzerland.

If you or any of your dependants are suddenly taken ill or have an accident during a visit to any of these countries,

necessary medical treatment will be provided free or at reduced-cost - in most cases on production of a valid EHIC.

Only state-provided treatment is covered, and you will be treated on the same terms as insured nationals of the country you are visiting.

Private treatment is generally not covered, and state-provided treatment may not cover all of the things that you would expect to receive free of charge from the NHS.

Some eligibility restrictions may apply due to your nationality. For detailed guidance, please check the section “Who is eligible for an EHIC?” in either the HAFT leaflet or on the DH website. Remember an EHIC does not cover you for all the medical costs that you can incur or for repatriation - it is not an alternative to travel insurance. You will still need appropriate insurance to ensure you are fully covered for all eventualities. Note 1: The European Economic Area is made up of all 25 members of the European Union plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.