The EHIC card and travel insurance

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles citizens of EU nations to receive free or discount medical care whilst travelling within the EU. But what a lot of people don't realise is that it is no substitute for travel insurance. The EHIC isn't something that is going to fully protect your wallet from the costs of treatment abroad, and definitely does not cover things like replacement flights.

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 similar to France in that they would charge a patient who only had an EHIC large amounts for treatment received. It is unfortunately just the way the healthcare system works in places like this. By taking travel insurance with you, all these difficulties can be avoided.