Got a bill from French A&E for my niece

hollydays

Nick_C wrote: »

If I needed a prolonged stay in a foreign hospital then why is that a problem?

Why would I need an air ambulance back to the UK?

EU countries have good healthcare facilities.

Would you take out travel insurance to a trip to another part of the UK?

Some insurances are necessary. Others are not.

Last time I had a claim abroad, I had to go to hospital, but didn’t need to stay in, but neither was I well enough to continue to on my onward journey, and needed extended hotel accommodation at a very expensive time of year at short notice.

zagfles

hollydays wrote: »

Last time I had a claim abroad, I had to go to hospital, but didn’t need to stay in, but neither was I well enough to continue to on my onward journey, and needed extended hotel accommodation at a very expensive time of year at short notice.

Which could happen if you were 300 miles away from home in the UK.

martindow

zagfles wrote: »

Which could happen if you were 300 miles away from home in the UK.

Isn't this an argument for taking out insurance - UK or abroad?

I knew someone who had an apparently minor back injury while in France. It went from bad to worse, she ended up in hospital and then came back to the UK on a stretcher. It took an ambulance in France and England and a row of three seats on the plane to get her to a local hospital.

These things are rare but if they do happen can be extremely expensive. Fortunately all covered by insurance in this case.

sheramber

Another example of the problems of no travel insurance

http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2015/08/24/money-pours-in-after-couples-holiday-plight

GwylimT

Roselondon wrote: »

We were in France for holiday. My niece had a small accident followed with suspected signs of concussion.

We took her to the local A&E. They did not ask for the EHIC and only used her passport to register for care. She did some scans and cleaned for brain injury, but treated for a fracture on her finger.

Today, her mum received a bill from the A&E, claiming for nearly 90Euros. Since I alone accompanied my niece the entire process (I speak a bit French), my name is also shown on the letter.

It turns out my niece did have her own EHIC, but simply because it was not requested at that moment, she did not think about it.

My question is, what can we do? Shall we contact the A&E to explain she had an EHIC? Not entirely sure what to do.

You pay, if you wanted cover beyond what the EHIC provides, then you should have purchased insurance.

zagfles

sheramber wrote: »

Another example of the problems of no travel insurance

http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2015/08/24/money-pours-in-after-couples-holiday-plight

So what happened in the end then? I presume you know something about this story and haven't just googled it.

It seems very vague about whether the health costs were covered, it appears to be a residency issue as the couple were Hungarian but working in the UK. The story is over 2 years old but can't find a follow-up.

zagfles

martindow wrote: »

Isn't this an argument for taking out insurance - UK or abroad?

Yes, never step out of your front door without insurance.

I knew someone who had an apparently minor back injury while in France. It went from bad to worse, she ended up in hospital and then came back to the UK on a stretcher. It took an ambulance in France and England and a row of three seats on the plane to get her to a local hospital.

These things are rare but if they do happen can be extremely expensive. Fortunately all covered by insurance in this case.

Or she probably could have recovered in the French hospital until able to travel back by normal means.

littlereddevil

OP very quiet

hollydays

zagfles wrote: »

So what happened in the end then? I presume you know something about this story and haven't just googled it.

It seems very vague about whether the health costs were covered, it appears to be a residency issue as the couple were Hungarian but working in the UK. The story is over 2 years old but can't find a follow-up.

Yes there is a follow up.
What point are you so desperate to make?

hollydays

zagfles wrote: »

Yes, never step out of your front door without insurance. Or she probably could have recovered in the French hospital until able to travel back by normal means.

Never go abroad without insurance .
“ probably”?
I couldn’t and would have had to pay a large hotel bill .
You are clutching at straws for some unknown reason