Posts Tagged ‘EHIC’

5 Popular misconceptions about travel insurance

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011

Insurance of any kind can be quite a complicated thing – there are often lots of jargon terms used and understanding the levels of cover, and excesses etc, can be quite tricky. The AllClear Jargon Buster could help you here, but to help you even more, we wanted to put to rest some of the popular misconceptions about travel insurance.

Misconception 1: “If I don’t tell my insurers about my medical conditions they won’t find out”

Reality: If you do not tell your travel insurance provider about a pre-existing medical condition, then you will not be covered for any claim arising from or related to the condition. If you then need medical treatment abroad, this could work out very expensive. Make sure you get comprehensive travel insurance that includes your existing medical conditions.

Misconception 2:  “You don’t need travel insurance in Europe if you have an EHIC card”

Reality: Even if you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you’re not fully covered and should still take out travel insurance. This is based on official guidance from the FCO.

Why is that? An EHIC does not mean you are insured. Basically there are restrictions on the treatment available with an EHIC:

  • Few EU countries pay the full cost of medical treatment, even under the European Union’s healthcare arrangements. You still need sufficient travel insurance to cover healthcare costs.
  • In some countries, like Greece, the health service only covers medical treatment, and will not extend to feeding and personal care. But if you have travel insurance, this part of your healthcare will be covered by your travel insurance.
  • If you need an air ambulance home or you can’t travel home on your booked ticket, you could still face a bill of thousands. Just a simple broken ankle, for example, will often mean a medical escort home (usually required by the airline in case of complications in flight) and a first class seat for extra leg room.
  • You will not be covered if you  need extra accommodation to stay with a sick relative

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Misconception 3: “I’ve got annual insurance so I’m covered for everything”

Reality: This is just not true. For example, even if you have annual travel insurance, you will only have winter sports cover if you have added it separately. This blog explains more.

You also need to check two things. First, does your policy have a limit on the number of days you can ski a year? Second, does your policy cover you for where you want to ski?

Misconception 4: “My travel insurance will cover all my costs”

Reality: Make sure you check your policy limits before you buy, as there will be maximum limits on payouts. Also, you will often need to pay an excess (The portion of a claim which must be paid by you, the policy holder). Remember to check the excesses in the policy booklet before you actually buy the policy.

Medical treatment abroad can be very expensive (particularly in certain countries like the USA) so make sure you have sufficient medical expenses cover – many will cover you for millions.

In the same way, check the maximum payout value for cancellation cover. If you are going on a luxury holiday, you may find that the cost of your holiday is more expensive than the standard payout offered in your policy, so make sure you check if you are covered. Some travel insurance providers may offer additional cancellation cover for these circumstances, like AllClear Cruise.

 Misconception 5: “I need to allow an extra few days for my travel insurance, just in case the return flight is delayed”

 Reality:  This is incorrect, you are normally covered by your travel insurance if your flight is delayed. You just need to use the actual dates of your holiday.

Remember, if you are in any doubt about what you are covered for, find out before you go from your travel insurance provider. Also, you can ask any questions below, and we will do our very best to help…

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Posted in Holiday Stress Buster | 4 Comments »

A tale of travel traumas and travel insurance

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010
Comprehensive travel insurance

What happens if something goes wrong on your relaxing holiday and you dont have adequate travel insurance?

Unfortunately, I am talking today about a familiar story. We have all heard of people travelling without adequate travel insurance and then the horror stories if they then fall ill abroad. It really makes you stop and think… This time a British woman from Liverpool had a heart attack while on an American cruise and is now stuck in Mexico with escalating hospital costs. The couple were not covered by their HSBC travel insurance as Valerie already had angina.

The 67-year-old grandmother may be able to travel by air ambulance to a UK hospital soon,  if her health improves, but the cost has been estimated at £62,000.  The hospital bill currently stands in excess of $126,000 and is rising daily by a minimum of $3,500. HSBC say they have advised Mrs King that she would not be covered under her travel insurance policy for her pre-existing illness, and confirmed this with her.

That story makes this next article all the more worrying – The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has presented new research, polling over 2000 people, which shows that around one in five holidaymakers is taking a risk by going abroad without any travel insurance. Other worrying statistics were also revealed by the travel organisation, including the fact that 16 per cent of respondents believe the UK government would cover the cost of medical expenses incurred abroad.

Lynda St Cooke, part of the UK Foreign Office’s Know Before You Go campaign, which is aimed at educating travellers, also said she see many cases where holidaymakers are faced with bills of tens of thousands of pounds for medical treatment and repatriation.

So what if you do have adequate travel insurance? Well hopefully you would not need to use it, but at least you know you have peace of mind if you do need to make a claim. ABTA’s survey also found that in the past five years, 12 per cent of respondents had made a claim on their travel insurance policy, with three per cent claiming over £500.

We would agree with the Foreign Office – it is so important that you get comprehensive travel insurance that includes your medical conditions, because otherwise medical treatment could work out so expensive, and can turn a holiday, that you have planned and looked forward to for ages, into a nightmare. We know it is said many a time, but it is really important that you make sure that you read the small print to check that your medical conditions are included in your insurance, and if you are not sure don’t be afraid to grill your insurance provider – that is what they are there for! And make sure that you don’t just rely on an European Health Insurance Card, it is not enough and won’t cover certain things, like travelling home in an air ambulance etc…

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Posted in Holiday Stress Buster | 4 Comments »

More thoughts on the EHIC

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Ok well I know I wrote a blog quite recently about EHIC, but owing to a recent news article in the Guardian, I thought it was high time I write another one.

According to research by Sainsbury’s Finance, if you fall seriously ill abroad and need hospital treatment, the average cost is now £2,040, up 6.25% year on year. From an analysis of travel insurance claims, the most expensive country for inpatient treatment is the US, with the average hospital visit costing £6,000 last year, 10% more than in 2008. The next priciest is Thailand at £2,750, followed by the Canary Islands at £2,500.

travel insurance and EHIC

Going on holiday? Think about the EHIC and travel insurance

Greece was the country where more holidaymakers required treatment than any other last year, followed by Turkey and Spain’s Balearic islands, including Mallorca, Minorca and Ibiza. Gastroenteritis was among the most common reasons for a hospital stay over the summer, with the average bill for inpatient treatment costing £1,200. I must say I have heard plenty of stories from friends and families about stomach problems during their holidays this year. The most expensive hospital bills – averaging £12,500 – were for those suffering a heart attack. Average costs for outpatient treatment can range from £200 to treat an insect bite and £275 for an ear infection, up to £450 for treating a head wound or bronchitis.

So after listing all these scary prices, the argue does question whether, if you are travelling to Europe, an EHIC – without travel insurance – might be sufficient. The EHIC gives you access to state-provided healthcare when temporarily visiting an EU country. Applying for the card is free and it is valid for up to five years. All you need  to do is supply the NHS or national insurance number, names and date of birth of applicants. Presenting the EHIC entitles you to treatment that may become necessary during your trip. Routine maternity care, renal dialysis and managing the symptoms of existing or chronic conditions that arise while abroad are covered.

So, that makes it all sound very easy. But is that correct, can you really just use the EHIC, without travel insurance? Well I would say that there are a few other things that you need to think about before you take that risk, and these are also pointed out by the NHS.

Firstly, the EHIC doesn’t allow you to go abroad specifically to receive medical care. For this, you will need specialist travel insurance that covers you for your treatment abroad.

Secondly, the card allows you the same state-provided healthcare as a resident of the country you are visiting.  But in some countries patients must contribute to the cost of their treatment so even with an EHIC, you might be expected to do the same (all though you may be reimbursed for this when you are back in the UK).

 The important word here is ‘state provided healthcare’ as this can lead to some confusion. The EHIC does not cover the costs of private healthcare or services that are not part of the state healthcare system. For example, some state-run hospitals in Europe have privately-operated ambulance services, so you would pay for this. It may be difficult, when you are ill, to know whether you are using private or state run healthcare. In Spain, for example, some hospitals and health centres offer private and state-provided healthcare and it is up to you to say which you require, and make sure that any doctor or hospital you use will accept your EHIC. Note that if you are asked to pay up front, you are not being treated under the Spanish health service and your EHIC will not be accepted. The problem is that in large areas of Spain, particularly the outlying islands, you may have to travel some distance to find a state healthcare provider. What is more, in some parts of Spain, Dental treatment is generally not available under the state system

You also need to be particularly careful if the arrangements for your treatment have been made by a hotel or travel representative because sometimes they will recommend a private healthcare provider which is not covered by the EHIC.

Thirdly, if you are going on a more active holiday, such as skiing, the EHIC does not cover the cost of mountain rescue in ski resorts.

Finally, and very importantly, as the poor Honeymooning couple in Greece discovered, the EHIC does not cover the cost of being transported back to the UK.

You can find out more about what your EHIC will and won’t cover by looking at the country-by-country guide in the healthcare abroad pages on the NHS Choices website at nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad

So a lot of things to think about here. And it is clear that it can pose a big risk to travel without both travel insurance AND the EHIC. I hope this blog has been useful. I have a holiday coming up, and I know I will be taking my EHIC card with me, but also purchasing travel insurance. What has your experience been with the EHIC? Do let us know.

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Posted in Travel Health News | 3 Comments »

Do we understand the EHIC?

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

We have all probably heard the very sad story in the news over the last week or so, about the honeymooning couple. 

Carrie-Anne Dudbridge broke her spine in three places after falling 20ft from a balcony while on her honeymoon in Corfu. The honeymoon was a surprise gift from wedding guests.

Unfortunately, the couple were then left stranded because they travelled without any travel insurance. They wrongly believed they were covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), formally known as the E111.Thankfully, an appeal to raise the £16,000 required for a specially equipped air ambulance has reached its target. An appeal was also placed on the Millwall FC website, as the couple are fans.

Do you know what your EHIC card really means when you require treatment while on holiday abroad?

We are very pleased that the couple are now getting to go home, but this tragedy really does raise the important point of EHIC. Unfortunately, it is quite confusing what is, and is not covered, so I just wanted to open the forum for a bit of a discussion around this. 

Basically the card guarantees the holder will “receive the same level of medical health care as a local resident”, but the important distinction is that it does not cover any travel costs to come back to the UK. Therefore, given the costs of medical transport back to the UK, it is clear that the EHIC is not a substitute for private travel insurance. – you need both.

So I just wondered what other people’s experiences were of the EHIC card? Have you ever used it when you were away? Has it helped? Or have you had problems trying to use it?

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Posted in Travel Health News | 4 Comments »

Steve Redgrave and travel mishaps

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

When we think of Steve Redgrave, Britain’s 5 times Olympic Gold Medalist, we automatically think of rowing. But lately he has been involved in a different physical activity – bike riding.

According to this article, he was part of The Redgrave Crew, an eight-man relay cycle team of ex-rowers, competing in the infamously strenuous RAAM Race, a 3,040-mile dash from California to Maryland. Known as ‘The World’s Toughest Cycle Race’ , it is  a one-stage, start-to-finish, clock-never-stops pelt across America, taking in mountain climbs, sheer descents and rush-hour traffic. Unfortunately, near the end of the race, Steve fell of his bike and crashed. He suffered from with a badly broken cheekbone, three cracked ribs, a double-break in his wrist and a dislocated finger.

His wife, Lady Redgrave, is an osteopathic doctor and she studied the X-rays and CAT scans sent from the USA saying he would need an immediate operation on his cheekbone when he returned home. This involved an incision from the bottom of the right ear and round the hairline, peeling back the face and inserting a titanium plate held in place by screws.

Very glad to hear that Steve is now recovering well, but these kind of incidents do get you thinking about the things that can happen when you are travelling away from home. Ok so not many of us will be competing in a 3000 mile bike race but we do often see our holidays as a chance to try something new and different – whether it is sailing, scuba diving, horse riding, quad biking or just sampling a new and very exotic restaurant. And there is always a risk of the unexpected happening. It might be something like food poisoning from the new restaurant you tried that meant you missed a few days of your break, or your passport being stolen  or something worse. For example, in this article a man had to pay 4500 euros in costs for mountain rescue and transport after a skiing accident. In another article, a 19 year old man from Surrey who had a moped accident in Asia was forced to pay £20,000 for repatriation to the UK. Although he had insurance, he did not read the small print which said he needed a license to ride a motorbike. 

Winter cover travel insurance

If you are go skiing, make sure that you are fully covered!

These stories do shock you and may make you think twice about your holiday activities, but that doesn’t  seem right either– a big part of your holiday is sampling new cultures and trying new things. So what else can you do? Well really it is just making sure that you are as prepared as possible before you go. In both the incidents above, there was not adequate travel insurance to cover the activity. So, although it is something we always hear, you should make sure you read the small print of your insurance policy and check that it covers you. Also, make sure that you have a valid European Health Insurance card (EHIC) if you are travelling in Europe, in case you need medical care. What is more, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommend reading up the local laws of the place you are visiting before you go, so that you know what to expect and can help prevent possible incidents. This sounds like a good idea to me too!

Hope that this info helps you as you go about your travels this summer. Please add any other tips that you think may help out fellow travellers.

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Preparing for the worst

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Ok, so let’s face it, when you buy travel insurance, you often don’t really expect that you will actually get ill while you are on holiday, and you certainly don’t anticipate falling ill before you go, having saved your money, prepared for months, and used up all of your remaining annual leave. But unfortunately this sometimes happens – no matter how prepared you are, you may end up falling ill abroad, or possibly beforehand, and need to cancel your trip. So we have put together some little hints and tips that should help if the worst happens, including how to go about making a claim from your travel insurance company.

Holidays aren't always all sun and fun...

Holidays aren't always all sun and fun...

> If you are feeling ill while on holiday, try to write down the symptoms. If you are familiar with the symptoms, use any suitable medication that you have with you –see the AllClear 4 you site for more information on travelling with medication. If the symptoms persist, seek medical help as soon as possible and notify your travel insurance company’s claims line immediately. If you fail to notify them on time, there might be delays in receiving the appropriate support from your insurers.

> While seeking medical treatment, inform your close relatives back home about the situation if you are travelling alone.

> It may be that you would rather travel home for further medical treatment. You should still be in touch with the claims line, as they can ensure all your travel arrangements back home are taken care of

> If you are hospitalised abroad, ensure you collect all the medical documents, bills etc from the hospital before you are discharged. Ensure you submit these documents as soon as possible to your Insurance company for claim reimbursement. Without adequate travel insurance, the costs for emergency medical treatment and repatriation could result in a hefty medical bill running into many thousands of pounds

> Always check with the Foreign Commonwealth Office for information regarding your holiday destination that may affect your health – for example a heat wave or cold snap

> Make sure your travel insurance covers you for cancellation and curtailment in case an unexpected medical condition, or another situation, arises causing you to cancel or cut short your holiday

> If you plan to participate in adventurous activities on your trip, make sure you have read your travel insurance policy wording beforehand to check you are actually covered to do these

> The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) may entitle you to free or discounted medical treatment in a European Union country but remember it’s no substitute for travel insurance as it does not cover repatriation or cancellation

> Given this information, it is a good idea to take some time exploring the many holiday insurance options, and that doesn’t always mean the cheapest. For example, if you have pre-existing medical conditions, it is important to check that your travel insurance policy covers them in case you fall ill abroad – take a look at AllClear for more information. Also, you should consider whether it is better to purchase single or annual multi trip insurance – annual insurance is often better value if you’re a regular traveller and travel more than once a year.

We hope this blog provides some useful information for you about your travel needs. If anyone has any additional information they would like to add, or have a question that is not answered, please do so in the comments box below.

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Holiday Preparation Hints and Tips #1

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

 Hello and welcome to the stress buster part of our blog. We decided to put up this section because we know that actually preparing for a holiday can be pretty stressful – we have all been there! And if you have pre-existing medical conditions it means that you have even more to think about. So we have been trawling the blog, and speaking in the office, to come up with some tips that might help you in preparing for your holiday. Future blogs will focus in more detail on some of these points, but we thought this was a good ‘starter for 10’:

Beach_woman_jumping

1. Check the formalities: Ensure your passport is up to date – it is best to make sure that it is valid for 6 months from the date of your entry into the country. To answer all your questions check out www.passport.gov.uk. If in any doubt, you should check with the relevant embassy if you need a visa.

 2. Travel insurance: You should purchase your insurance as soon as possible after booking your holiday to ensure that you are covered in case the trip is cancelled; and certainly no later than 3 months before if you have pre-existing medical conditions. Make sure you are fully covered by declaring all your pre-existing medical conditions (link to AllClear FAQ), and that the policy is suitable for your needs. Also make sure your policy covers any specific activities such as winter sports. If you purchase an AllClear travel insurance policy, you automatically gain membership to AllClear Extras which entitles you to discounts when purchasing  your holiday essentials –  Less stress and less expense!  If you would like to get an AllClear Travel Insurance quote click here. Remember to take the emergency contact details of your travel insurance provider with you.

3. European Health Insurance Card (EHIC):  If you are travelling with the EU, then get a FREE European Health Insurance Card for free or reduced emergency care – you still need full travel insurance though!

4. Vaccinations: Check with your doctor as soon as possible to find out if you need any vaccinations before you travel. Information on the vaccinations for different countries can also be found here www.allclear4you.com.

5. Medication: Visit your doctor and make sure that you have adequate supplies (and additional supplies in case any is lost/damaged) of any medication that you might need for a pre-existing medical condition. Check out www.allclear4you.com for more info on travelling with specific medical conditions, and how you can prepare before you go.

6. Secure your house: It might be worth making arrangements to have your garden looked after – especially if you are away during the summer. Not only do overgrown lawns, beds and borders indicate that a house has been left unoccupied, but you don’t want your lovely patio plants to die! If you can, set automatic timers to turn household lights on and off at credible times, to create the illusion of an occupied house. Don’t just have these set up in the hallway! The best thing is if you can ask a neighbour or friend to keep an eye on your home while you are away. Try to arrange for someone to collect your post, draw the curtains etc to generally making the place look lived in.

7.     Travel Games: If you are travelling with children, make sure that you take some paper, colouring pencils and colouring books with you to keep them occupied and avoid that cry of ‘Are we nearly there yet’.

8. Contact from home: Tell a friend or relative where you are going and for how long for – give them some idea of your itinerary if possible and an emergency contact number. Check before you leave whether your mobile phone will work abroad – you may need to contact your provider – and also check the roaming charges to avoid an unpleasant surprise when you get back

9. Money: Take enough money for your trip and some back-up funds in the form of travellers cheques. Travellers cheques are good because they can usually be replaced if lost or stolen (if the owner still has the note issued with the purchase of the cheque), but you do need to have somewhere to cash them. If possible, check that out before you go. Credit and debit cards can also be a convenient way to travel when abroad, but watch out for the hidden charges.

10. Travel Guide: Look for a good travel guide to help you plan your trip and ensure you visit all the places you want to. Find some FREE downloadable guides at www.allclear4you.com

11. Digital cameras: Make sure your camera pictures/video have been downloaded so that you don’t run out of space for your new holiday snaps. It might also be worth investing in an spare memory card so that you don’t need to worry about downloading pics while you are away, and don’t have to limit the number of pics that you take

12. Packing: Make sure that you do not need to pack last minute if at all possible, and try and make a list, at least of those essential items (go here for a checklist http://www.allclear4you.com/checklist.aspx). That way you can ensure you have everything you need e.g. medication, money, toiletries (remember things like insect repellent), plug adaptor etc.

 And we haven’t finished yet! Here are some links to some other useful sites that you might want to take a look at them in more detail.

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/staying-safe/checklist. A useful checklist

You also might want to check out the FCO travel advice for the country you are visiting http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/

http://www.car-travel-games.co.uk/ – contains lots of fun travel games for kids

 Please let us know if you have any more hints and tips or websites that you think would be useful to share.

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Posted in Holiday Stress Buster | 9 Comments »

How safe is dentistry abroad?

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Guest Blog by Daniel Shaw, Patient Manager  Dental Holiday Clinic, Piestanyhttp://www.dentalholiday.co.uk

Funny enough, the question I hear the most from potential patients after “How much will the dental treatment cost” is “Can I trust your clinic” or something along those lines.

Which country and clinic you choose, is a much more important factor on the “safety” of the whole treatment abroad than how much you end up paying. However there are a number of things that you can actually do beforehand to make sure that you are getting the best quality dental treatment while enjoying the affordable prices offered by dental clinics abroad. After dealing with 1000′s of patients seeking treatment abroad, here are my thoughts on the matter:

  • Firstly, when checking out the various treatment providers on the internet, make sure that you are dealing directly with the dental clinic and not an agent or go-between. Then check if the person that you are actually communicating with has good knowledge of the treatment you requested and is ideally an actual member of the clinics’ staff. There are so many former patients or savvy entrepreneurs hoping to make a quick buck by setting up websites, advertisements and promotion for the clinic, but they are no substitute for a dental professional or on-site staff who understand exactly just what the clinic can and cannot do. You’ll also want to speak directly to these people once you are in the clinic in case any misunderstandings occur.
  • There are countries and clinics that have been doing excellent dentistry for at least a decade, and not just jumping on the “medical tourism” trend to make some extra cash. These obviously include central European countries such as Slovakia, the Czech republic, Poland and Hungary. There are obviously talented, capable dentists worldwide, but personally I would choose a clinic well used to dealing with patients from abroad, in a country that’s close to the UK, in case I needed to make a quick return visit to make adjustments to the dental treatment, of course, under a solid guarantee that I would demand from any clinic that I had treatment in. It’s certainly not cheap and easy to jump on a quick flight to Timbuktu for a 30 minute bite adjustment to newly fitted crowns!
  • Another benefit of choosing a clinic within the EU, is that you are covered free of charge by your European Health Insurance Card if you should need emergency treatment and also the laws covering general dentistry are roughly the same in all member states.
  • Check the dentists’ and the clinics credentials. For my clinic in Piestany, Slovakia, for example, we have copies of all the legal documents concerning the clinic and dentist on our web page here: http://www.dentalholiday.co.uk/dental_clinic_abroad.html.  They should also be displayed within the clinics premises.
  • The clinic should have some affiliation with an international or at least a British dental organisation. That’s one reason why I joined up with the BACD (the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry) and had our clinic accredited by a British independent medical authority. This ensures that the clinic and doctor is trusted outside of his country as a quality provider of dentistry.
  • Not only should you think about the safety of having treatment abroad but also having a safe journey. A trustworthy clinic will certainly pick you up from the airport and take you directly to the clinic or your accommodation, to save you from getting lost and the stress of organising yourself in a foreign country where many people do not speak much English.
  • Carrying large amounts of money around may not be the safest thing to do. If you are going to visit a clinic for dentistry abroad, make sure that you verify your mode of payment beforehand. Most clinics prefer cash, so check if you can pay it in stages across each visit. Check if a bank transfer is possible as well as credit card payments.
  • Don’t make the mistake of rushing the treatment time. It’s not worth hindering the success of the dental treatment. Always allow an extra days’ holiday somewhere nearby the clinic, should adjustments need to be made and for peace of mind. If any pain occurs after treatment, it’s most likely to be in the 48hrs after treatment, and you’ll be happy to know that your dentist is still nearby on call during your recovery period.
  • During your dental treatment abroad you don’t want to have communication barriers concerning the treatment and outcome you desire. Make sure that the dentists or the personnel are able to speak fluent English, or even better, employ British staff as we do in our clinic. A good way to check this out is to see how well the emails are written (without too many grammar mistakes) or even call the clinic to check on their language skills.
  • Make sure that a solid guarantee is offered. It’ll give you peace of mind to know that in the unlikely case that the dental work may fail, you can still return to have the dental work adjusted or repaired free of charge.

Piestancy Dental Clinic 

Having dental treatment done in a foreign country might seem to be the “unsafe” option at first, but the results are well worth it due to the low costs, time saving treatments and high quality dentistry available abroad. However, putting your personal health and safety ahead of choosing an idyllic holiday resort with a questionable clinic is not worth the risk. Follow the ideas above, and you’ll be in safe hands during your dental holiday.

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Posted in Dental treatment abroad, Medical Tourism | 7 Comments »

European Health Insurance Card – What does it mean for treatment abroad?

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

Now the European HePassport_ticket_handalth Insurance Card (EHIC) – some people love it, a lot of people hate it. To a lot of people they are another of those niggly things that need to be sorted out before your trip, in addition to your travel insurance. If you are somebody who always meticulously ensures you have your EHIC and your travel insurance sorted out well in advance of any trip, there are some special considerations if you are travelling abroad for treatment.

Different rules apply – your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) does not cover going abroad for planned treatment. What is more you will need specialist travel insurance because travelling for the purpose of receiving medical treatment or surgery abroad is normally a general exclusion in all standard travel insurance policies.

So if you are wondering about the EHIC card and what treatment may be covered, this article will be useful for you. It contains recommendations of the medical arrangements before a trip for treatment abroad – and suggests talking to the doctor and local health commissioner (the article also explains who this is depending on whether you live in England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales).

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Posted in Insurance, Medical Tourism | 1 Comment »