Free EHIC Discussion

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  • postmaster0
    postmaster0 Posts: 1 Newbie
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    I contacted EHIC Direct on line to renew my card. At the end of the process I had to put in my credit card details, I thought it was odd, but I did it. Almost immediately after I had left the web site I thought 'you fool'......I found a phone number for them on the web site and rang them to cancel the transaction, they said OK they would do it straight away............two days later I can see on my credit card statement £34.50 out and £34.50 in. I've been amazingly lucky!
  • pogofish
    pogofish Posts: 10,852 Forumite
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    postmaster0 wrote: »
    I contacted EHIC Direct on line to renew my card. At the end of the process I had to put in my credit card details, I thought it was odd, but I did it. Almost immediately after I had left the web site I thought 'you fool'......I found a phone number for them on the web site and rang them to cancel the transaction, they said OK they would do it straight away............two days later I can see on my credit card statement £34.50 out and £34.50 in. I've been amazingly lucky!

    Why do you think it was free then?

    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=33245177&postcount=1

    There are any number of appropriate threads to discuss the paid for EHIC sites and why to do about them!
  • pollywoggle123
    pollywoggle123 Posts: 2 Newbie
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    anyone else having trouble accessing the EHIC official website? Keeps saying "error on the site try again later" still getting the same message. Thank you
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,685 Forumite
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    pollywoggle123 wrote: »
    anyone else having trouble accessing the EHIC official website? Keeps saying "error on the site try again later" still getting the same message. Thank you
    How far can you get?

    It's working for me.
  • pollywoggle123
    pollywoggle123 Posts: 2 Newbie
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    tried to register, then message appears "We were unable to process your application due to unforeseen circumstances" Please try again later. Been like this for a few days. Just wondered if anyone else was having this problem?
  • greygroover56
    greygroover56 Posts: 1 Newbie
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    Although it says that this article has recently been revised, some aspects seem out of date. A major fact that you do not mention is that many travel health insurers insist that all their customers have EHIC cards when travelling in Europe and will, in reality, only cover claims for the excess costs not covered by the EHIC.
    We have some friends who have first hand experience of this when one of them fell ill in Spain. Not knowing of this restriction they were initially taken to a private hospital Their insurer flatly refused to authorise any treatment so the patient had to be taken by ambulance to the nearest public hospital.

    Check the wording about EHIC in the policy documents carefully. Some of the wording is vague, probably purposefully, so you should check with your insurer what their policy is in these sorts of situations.
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,685 Forumite
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    greygroover56 wrote: »
    Although it says that this article has recently been revised, some aspects seem out of date. A major fact that you do not mention is that many travel health insurers insist that all their customers have EHIC cards when travelling in Europe and will, in reality, only cover claims for the excess costs not covered by the EHIC.
    We have some friends who have first hand experience of this when one of them fell ill in Spain. Not knowing of this restriction they were initially taken to a private hospital Their insurer flatly refused to authorise any treatment so the patient had to be taken by ambulance to the nearest public hospital.

    Check the wording about EHIC in the policy documents carefully. Some of the wording is vague, probably purposefully, so you should check with your insurer what their policy is in these sorts of situations.
    EHIC gives you the same rights to medical treatment as the locals.
    If a Spaniard wouldn't be treated in a private hospital, neither would your friends.
    A valid European Health Insurance Card gives you the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland.
    The EHIC covers treatment that is medically necessary until your planned return home. Treatment should be provided on the same basis as it would to a resident of that country, either at a reduced cost or, in many cases, for free. For example, in some countries, patients are expected to directly contribute a percentage towards the cost of their state-provided treatment. This is known as a patient co-payment. If you receive treatment under this type of healthcare system, you are expected to pay the same co-payment charge as a patient from that country.
    http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx
  • SpanishLady
    SpanishLady Posts: 1 Newbie
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    On a recent visit to Spain had to pay £240 for emergency treatment because my EHIC card had expired a month previously. So DO CHECK yours! Spanish hospitals and emergency treatment rooms will insist on seeing it, so carry it with you,
  • djpalmer32
    djpalmer32 Posts: 7 Forumite
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    A colleague of mine is claiming that because she has private medical insurance she does not need an EHIC. Is this correct?
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,685 Forumite
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    djpalmer32 wrote: »
    A colleague of mine is claiming that because she has private medical insurance she does not need an EHIC. Is this correct?
    I'm not familiar with private medical insurance but does her private medical insurance cover her in all EU countries?

    e.g. if she breaks her leg in Spain, will her private medical insurance cover her for treatment and repatriation if necessary?

    If it doesn't, she'll need a EHIC to get her this level of treatment:
    A valid European Health Insurance Card gives you the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland.
    The EHIC covers treatment that is medically necessary until your planned return home. Treatment should be provided on the same basis as it would to a resident of that country, either at a reduced cost or, in many cases, for free. For example, in some countries, patients are expected to directly contribute a percentage towards the cost of their state-provided treatment. This is known as a patient co-payment. If you receive treatment under this type of healthcare system, you are expected to pay the same co-payment charge as a patient from that country.
    The EHIC also covers the treatment of pre-existing medical conditions and routine maternity care, provided the reason for your visit is not specifically to give birth or seek treatment. For more information about what is covered in each country, see our country-by-country guide.

    EHIC isn't a substitute for travel insurance so if she needed repatriation, that's where travel insurance comes in.
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