The European Health Insurance Card and travel insurance
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is something that everyone in the EU is entitled to and which provides discounted or free healthcare when travelling overseas in the EU. It is a common misunderstanding that if you travel with an EHIC abroad then you do not need travel insurance. But unfortunately the EHIC is not a comprehensive health insurance ticket, and it certainly doesn't cover associated costs such as emergency flights home like travel insurance does.
We in the Britain are lucky to have a great and free healthcare service, but elsewhere in the EU this is not always the case. Some courses of treatment, operations, or other services will need to be partially subsidised by the patient. The EHIC is bound by the conditions of the hospitals country, not by the home country of the patient, and so might surprise you when it comes to payment.
For example, if you take a holiday in France with an EHIC Card but without travel insurance, you would be culpable for the following costs in the event you needed to receive medical attention:
Prescription subsidy - It is a fact that drugs are getting more expensive and whilst some prescriptions will only be partially subsidised, others will not be subsidised at all. If you had travel insurance in this situation then the full cost of any prescription needed would be returned to you, either instantly or at a later date.
Doctors consultation - Quite a common occurrence, which might include everyday maladies such as stomach upsets. We in the UK are used to being able to see a GP free whenever we want, but in France if you don't have travel insurance then you will be liable for 30% of the consultation fee. This can become a real burden should you need to call on the doctor out-of-hours, when the price would be quite high.
Hospital charges - French hospitals charge a fixed-amount daily fee to patients staying there. This is another thing not covered by the EHIC. It is unlikely that a long stay will be necessary but under certain conditions, say you have broken a leg and should not be moved, this daily charge could mount up.
With all of these examples, having travel insurance would save you from any financial commitment. And this is only medical bills being discussed here, there are many other benefits of travel insurance that are invaluable, such as cancellation cover and theft cover. They can be just as important as the medical side of things.
Spain, Switzerland and Portugal are further examples of places that will leave you with a large liability for medical costs if you travel with an EHIC but without travel insurance. For this reason as well as numerous other reasons, having travel insurance is an essential part of travelling that should not be ignored.
We in the Britain are lucky to have a great and free healthcare service, but elsewhere in the EU this is not always the case. Some courses of treatment, operations, or other services will need to be partially subsidised by the patient. The EHIC is bound by the conditions of the hospitals country, not by the home country of the patient, and so might surprise you when it comes to payment.
For example, if you take a holiday in France with an EHIC Card but without travel insurance, you would be culpable for the following costs in the event you needed to receive medical attention:
Prescription subsidy - It is a fact that drugs are getting more expensive and whilst some prescriptions will only be partially subsidised, others will not be subsidised at all. If you had travel insurance in this situation then the full cost of any prescription needed would be returned to you, either instantly or at a later date.
Doctors consultation - Quite a common occurrence, which might include everyday maladies such as stomach upsets. We in the UK are used to being able to see a GP free whenever we want, but in France if you don't have travel insurance then you will be liable for 30% of the consultation fee. This can become a real burden should you need to call on the doctor out-of-hours, when the price would be quite high.
Hospital charges - French hospitals charge a fixed-amount daily fee to patients staying there. This is another thing not covered by the EHIC. It is unlikely that a long stay will be necessary but under certain conditions, say you have broken a leg and should not be moved, this daily charge could mount up.
With all of these examples, having travel insurance would save you from any financial commitment. And this is only medical bills being discussed here, there are many other benefits of travel insurance that are invaluable, such as cancellation cover and theft cover. They can be just as important as the medical side of things.
Spain, Switzerland and Portugal are further examples of places that will leave you with a large liability for medical costs if you travel with an EHIC but without travel insurance. For this reason as well as numerous other reasons, having travel insurance is an essential part of travelling that should not be ignored.
