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| Useful Travel
Information |
The
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
Make
the most of your holiday this summer, even if you
do happen to have unlucky breaks. Having a vacation
in the European Union should mean rest and relaxation.
But for the unfortunate few, it means accident and
emergency. Breaking your ankle while dancing in
a beach club or while mountain climbing can spoil
your holidays. Thanks to the European Health Insurance
Card (EHIC), a card that in recent years has become
a very important one to carry, you may be laying
on the beach or be back in the mountains the very
next day without a care in the world. It is bad
enough having to deal with an accident or illness
in a foreign language and even more stressful when
you have to worry about the treatment procedures.
The EHIC is a free card that ensures cardholders
receive the same access to public sector health
care as residents of the country they are visiting.
It can be used by anyone, regardless of nationality,
who is covered by the public healthcare system in
any of the 27 EU countries, as well as
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Iceland, Liechtenstein,
Norway and Switzerland .
Rising in popularity but a way to go
The European Commission recently announced new statistics
showing that the number of cards in circulation has topped
180 million. In fact, the number of Europeans holding the
card has increased every year since its introduction in 2004.
However, despite this increase, still only 30% of European
citizens have one.
Uniform layout
Thanks to its uniform layout, local healthcare providers in
all participating countries know that the holder has statutory
health coverage in their home country and that he or she is
entitled to the same treatment as local patients. The EHIC
also benefits both cardholders who become injured or sick
while travelling abroad and healthcare providers by minimising
paperwork.
“As more travellers carry the card, healthcare providers
are becoming increasingly familiar with the procedures they
should follow when dealing with foreign patients,” a
European Commission representative said. “The same data
is always in the same position on the card. The only difference
is the length of validity – it is up to each Member
State to decide how long the card is valid for.”
The hassle-free card
Replacing the E111 form, EHIC has simplified administrative
procedures for patients and medical staff alike. The holder
will have access to necessary healthcare services under the
same conditions as a resident of that country. If those residents
get public health care for free, then so will the European
Health Insurance Card cardholder. If reimbursement is foreseen
after payment, the patient can also be reimbursed under the
same conditions.
For more information in all EU official languages, please
visit: http://ehic.europa.eu
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