EHIC Cards Vs Medical Insurance ??? (1 Viewer)

[Yorick]

I really need to know what the EHIC cards cover ?

I'm doing quite a lot of Mountain Biking over rough ground, and also just starting riding off road motorcycles. Have fallen off a few times, but nothing serious. YET. And that's what's worrying me.

If I need hospital treatment, will the EHIC cover it ?

Or best to take out separate, private medical cover ?

Thanks

 

[Minxy]

The EHIC will only cover emergency/urgent treatment I believe, however if you have a serious injury/are incapacitated and need to be repatriated it won't cover that, same as if you are killed/die then you are really up the creek as again it would fall onto your relatives to get you back home which would cost a packet!!! I think even if you were covered as an emergency you still have other costs to pay ... I think some places charge you a 'room and board' type rate as a hotel would.

In your case Yorick as you are undertaking some activities where injuries do occur with and some can be very severe, IMV you really should get some cover - would you be happy if your family felt they had to stump up to get you back home at great cost to them?

Those who don't take out private medical insurance for eventualities when the EHIC won't cover them need to ask themselves one question ... who do they expect to pay for their being brought back home?

 

[scotjimland]

All info here http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

and yes to your question, it will cover accidents .. but not repatriation

we have never taken out private medical insurance.. the EHIC does what it says on the card

also , most private insurers demand you also have the EHIC card.. ,, now I wonder why

Frankly, if ill or in an accident.. I'd rather be in a French or Spanish hospital..

In my experience far better health care than provided by the NHS

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[Riverbankannie]

The EHIC will cover you for emergency ambulance and hospital treatment. My husband came off his bike in Italy and had a head injury, got fantastic treatment. Was not admitted as an in patient though. I think you would be covered for in patient treatment if necessary however, if you were to sustain a more serious injury you would not be covered for repatriation. My husband was off road at the time at Monza racing circuit.
Info on website below.



websitehttp://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

 

[Riverbankannie]

Sorry my reply overlapped with those above

 

[scotjimland]

Should have mentioned.. after BREXIT .. who knows..

but I doubt anything will change.. we will still have reciprocal agreements with most European counties

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[Yorick]

Maybe I should have added, I now live in Lanzarote and don't need repatriation.

 

[Robert Clark]

Maybe I should have added, I now live in Lanzarote and don't need repatriation.

You might need repatriation to Lanzarote
Health insurance is a no brainier even in the EU

 

[Puddleduck]

Since you live in Lanzarote have you registered as a resident? And if so don't you need the Spanish equivalent of the EHIC?

Not trying to be funny, just a bit confused.

I would have private insurance anyway. We do as we are kayakers - wouldn't dream of not having it to be honest. Why should anyone else pay for sports injuries when we chose to partake in the sport?

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[Tykatem]

Should have mentioned.. after BREXIT .. who knows..

but I doubt anything will change.. we will still have reciprocal agreements with most European counties

As we had before we joined the EUssr

Pete

 

[Minxy]

Maybe I should have added, I now live in Lanzarote and don't need repatriation.

So does that mean you are classed as a 'native' for health insurance purposes? Even if that is the case, what happens if you are injured/killed in another country where you won't be covered ... ?

 

[Yorick]

You might need repatriation to Lanzarote
Health insurance is a no brainier even in the EU

Sorry. I live here and I ride here.

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[Yorick]

Since you live in Lanzarote have you registered as a resident? And if so don't you need the Spanish equivalent of the EHIC?

Not trying to be funny, just a bit confused.

I would have private insurance anyway. We do as we are kayakers - wouldn't dream of not having it to be honest. Why should anyone else pay for sports injuries when we chose to partake in the sport?

We are not residents yet, so we still need EHIC cover.

Will be going Residencia next year, so need cover till then.

 

[Yorick]

So does that mean you are classed as a 'native' for health insurance purposes? Even if that is the case, what happens if you are injured/killed in another country where you won't be covered ... ?

As above, not native yet. Only doing dangerous stuff here

 

[Robert Clark]

Sorry. I live here and I ride here.

That's fine I understand totally
But if you had a major accident you may be stand a better chance of survival in a UK (or maybe Spanish mainland) hospital

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[Riverbankannie]

You might need repatriation to Lanzarote
Health insurance is a no brainier even in the EU

Like @scotjimland we do not take further insurance when travelling in EU. It is not so much the cost although that is considerable £550 last time, but the hour and a half on the phone going through the considerable doctor visits/tests/ waiting for tests/ hospital visits in the last 5 years. We are unable to get annual cover and last time I was on the phone after we had just got back from 18 Holes of golf, the voice on the other end just kept saying "well can you walk 100 yards without getting out of breath". They make us feel like we should be in our graves not going out walking, cycling swimming going to the gym. I just cannot face doing it. We do have enough resources to cover worst case scenario though.
Sorry rant over.

 

[Puddleduck]

This might be even more confusing if you read the last paragraph.


The EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), commonly known as a European Medical Card, can be used to cover any medical treatment provided by the state that you may require due to accident or illness during your time in Spain.

But this only applies when the holder is a resident of the UK.

Once you have become a resident of Spain you must either register for state healthcare or take out private medical insurance.

However if, like many expats living in Spain, you make occasional trips back to the UK – or take holidays to other EU countries – you can only benefit from a similar scheme if you register with the country where you are resident.

In other words if you are legally resident in Spain, planning a trip to the UK and wish to have your healthcare covered in the event of emergencies, then this will be provided by means of the Spanish version of the EHIC and not by an existing or old UK one which you may still have.

The Spanish version of the EHIC is called a Tarjeta Sanitaria Europea (TSE) and allows Spanish residents to benefit from emergency medical treatment and care when travelling within the EU.

Anyone covered by the Spanish social security system is entitled to apply for the card.

Applications should be made at your local Social Security Office (Note: Different offices perform different functions – you should look for ‘centro de atencion y informacion de la seguridad social’ - otherwise known as CAISS.)

Or, you can make you application online (In Spanish), by using the link HERE.

However, one exception is those who are resident in Spain, but not paying social security subscriptions, and claiming a pension from another EU Country. Under these circumstances applications must be submitted to the UK by post.

 

[Yorick]

That's fine I understand totally
But if you had a major accident you may be stand a better chance of survival in a UK (or maybe Spanish mainland) hospital

Thanks, but have total confidence in hospitals here. My dad's been here 30 years

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[Robert Clark]

Thanks, but have total confidence in hospitals here. My dad's been here 30 years

Then you answered your own question
You don't think you need it

 

[Minxy]

We are not residents yet, so we still need EHIC cover.

Will be going Residencia next year, so need cover till then.

In which case you've just answered you own question really ... as your EHIC will not cover every eventuality and, to be perfectly honest, if you are living there permanently I'm not sure you would definitely be covered by the EHIC anyway, the below extracts are taken from the links posted above:

Important: If your circumstances change, you may lose your entitlement to a UK-issued EHIC. If you then use your EHIC abroad, you may be liable for the full cost of treatment received. You may lose your entitlement to a UK-issued EHIC when you move abroad, take up work abroad, or change your residency status.​

Living in Europe​

If you live in another EEA country or Switzerland, you will be entitled to a UK-issued EHIC if one of the following applies to you: ​

• you receive a UK State Pension or exportable UK benefit and have a UK-issued S1 form (certificate of entitlement) registered in your country of residence
• you are a worker posted to work in another EEA country or Switzerland by your UK employer, or a frontier worker living in the EEA and working in the UK
• you are a family member of a posted worker or of someone working in the UK and you are not covered in your own right by the EEA country you reside in
• you are a student going to another EEA country or Switzerland to study

Even if you do qualify it won't cover things like rescue it seems, and gives the below examples:

The EHIC is not an alternative to travel insurance. It will not cover any private medical healthcare or costs, such as mountain rescue in ski resorts, being flown back to the UK, or lost or stolen property. ​

 

[DBK]

The EHIC gives you the same level of care as a local. The question mark is your entitlement to it if it seems you have moved to Lanzerote permanently, but that's probably a risk you will just have to take.

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[hilldweller]

As above, not native yet. Only doing dangerous stuff here

Which any insurance cover will probably exclude.

 

[wiljoy]

I had a heart attack in France on June 21st so was hospitalised for 10 days to undergo two operations. They didn't even want to look at the EHIC card as they don't bother them. There eyes lit up when I said I had travel insurance so everything went smoothly. The surgeon advised me to have EVERYTHING done whilst I was there and receiving excellent treatment. In his words the UK NHS was now so bad I would probably need an undertaker before I received treatment back home. He was so correct with his advice as I waited 10 weeks to see a heart nurse / consultant when I arrived home. They were totally useless as my 15 minute slot expired before I finished my questions. My French consultant has been on the phone several times to check on my progress and each time he repeats the advice he gave me about the UK NHS. He used to admire our health service but now he says it is riddled with cancer. Between my wife and myself we received all the information needed to recover from the internet and my French saviour.
It now appears easier to diagnose yourself and self medicate.
DON'T GO AWAY WITHOUT TRAVEL INSURANCE

 

[DBK]

I had a heart attack in France on June 21st so was hospitalised for 10 days to undergo two operations. They didn't even want to look at the EHIC card as they don't bother them. There eyes lit up when I said I had travel insurance so everything went smoothly. The surgeon advised me to have EVERYTHING done whilst I was there and receiving excellent treatment. In his words the UK NHS was now so bad I would probably need an undertaker before I received treatment back home. He was so correct with his advice as I waited 10 weeks to see a heart nurse / consultant when I arrived home. They were totally useless as my 15 minute slot expired before I finished my questions. My French consultant has been on the phone several times to check on my progress and each time he repeats the advice he gave me about the UK NHS. He used to admire our health service but now he says it is riddled with cancer. Between my wife and myself we received all the information needed to recover from the internet and my French saviour.
It now appears easier to diagnose yourself and self medicate.
DON'T GO AWAY WITHOUT TRAVEL INSURANCE

An interesting tale and hope you are on the mend. Of course the difference was you went private in France but back in the UK the state was paying. I guess if you had medical insurance for the UK you would have seen someone a lot quicker.

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[scotjimland]

DON'T GO AWAY WITHOUT TRAVEL INSURANCE

are you saying that you would you have been denied medical treatment without it ?

what would they have done if you only had the EHIC card .. throw you out .. ?

I'm sure his 'eyes lit up' .. they just love stinging the insurance company for every penny they can get..

e.g... on the invoice..
aspirin.. €5
x ray.. €250
surgeon €5,000
bed pan €15 .. stools are extra €10 x 10 = €100

etc etc ..

pay through the nose if you like.. but we won't ever be lining the pockets of a travel insurance company for health care..

 

[pyro]

An interesting tale and hope you are on the mend. Of course the difference was you went private in France but back in the UK the state was paying. I guess if you had medical insurance for the UK you would have seen someone a lot quicker.

Having had my (now late) father seriously injured himself in Paris (compound break of leg, heart valve replacement and gall bladder removal), the state system is frankly far worse than any NHS service (wife is a nurse). Basically all they would do was put him in a geriatric bed (he was 90). He had no insurance ("too old"), but to the hospital's delight, went private, prompting good treatment in return for a mind boggling 35,000 euros!

The NHS is and always will be in a hiatus simply because it is free to all and it's management (like most government services) is costly, incompetent and profligate. My father's follow up treatment in the UK putting even the French private service to shame, giving him a further 8 years of life.

I have no great love of the NHS, and go private myself, but I would hesitate to give credence to the xenophobia or a French surgeon touting for private work as much as I would if he were English

Glad to hear that Wiljoy is on the mend, though

As per the original topic, I agree that PMI is sensible, although most policies are limited in duration and don't seem to cover living overseas

 

[Terry and Jan]

All i can say is if im ill abroad, get me back to the U K ASAP and preferably to the Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. NHS anytime.

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[jumartoo]

The EHIC card will cover you for an accident or emergency treatment for an illness. If you then need to stay in a hospital for further treatment you may find you're not covered. You should really supplement this with a specific cover for sports. These policies can be quite cheap in relation to the cover you get. If you have an accident on your bike in the mountains your EHIC card won't GET you to the hospital!!! It won't pay for a helicopter rescue if in a remote place, it will only treat you once you get through the door.

Take it from me, insurance is vital!!!

 

[GWAYGWAY]

Answer: Both, you should have everything you can get you hands on.

 

[maxi77]

I had a heart attack in France on June 21st so was hospitalised for 10 days to undergo two operations. They didn't even want to look at the EHIC card as they don't bother them. There eyes lit up when I said I had travel insurance so everything went smoothly. The surgeon advised me to have EVERYTHING done whilst I was there and receiving excellent treatment. In his words the UK NHS was now so bad I would probably need an undertaker before I received treatment back home. He was so correct with his advice as I waited 10 weeks to see a heart nurse / consultant when I arrived home. They were totally useless as my 15 minute slot expired before I finished my questions. My French consultant has been on the phone several times to check on my progress and each time he repeats the advice he gave me about the UK NHS. He used to admire our health service but now he says it is riddled with cancer. Between my wife and myself we received all the information needed to recover from the internet and my French saviour.
It now appears easier to diagnose yourself and self medicate.
DON'T GO AWAY WITHOUT TRAVEL INSURANCE

I would suggest you look at the wording of your travel insurance very carefully in future as most I have looked at specify that you should use the EHIC facilities if they are available and 'private ' costs will not be covered unless pre-approved. In most cases all that is really covered by travel insurance in Europe is repatriation not the local medical costs. Makes most of them pretty poor value in my opinion

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