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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Saturday, 20.04.2024, 14:49

European integrated health system in action: Health Insurance Card

Eugene Eteris, BC, Copenhagen, 25.06.2014.

Almost 200 million Europeans already have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), according to the EU data (2013). This represents more than half of the insured population in the EU. The number of EHIC holders is steadily increasing, with 8 million more citizens carrying it in 2013 compared to the previous year.

The EHIC confirms that a person is entitled to receive medical treatment that becomes necessary on a temporary stay abroad from the host country's public healthcare system on the same terms and at the same cost as nationals of that country. Therefore, hospitals that provide public health services in the EU-28 are obliged to recognise the EHIC.

In fact, according to the Commission, in the vast majority of cases, patients presenting the EHIC receive the necessary healthcare and are reimbursed without any problems. However, there have been cases of refusals, in general due to a lack of awareness on the part of healthcare providers. Therefore both the European Commission and the member states must continue to raise awareness on how the card works, both among health practitioners and citizens.

However, the EHIC cannot be used to cover planned medical treatment in another country.

Commission’s opinion

Commenting on the EHIC’s effect, László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion underlined that more and more people have a European Health Insurance Card. The card allows citizens to get necessary treatment when travelling within the European Union, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland. The increasing number of citizens obtaining the Card demonstrates the confidence in the EHIC system and the recognition of the protection it provides.

Reference: European Commission - IP/14/703; 24 June 2014.

In: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-703_en.htm

If problem arises…

In case the EHIC is not accepted, patients should contact the relevant health authority in the country they are visiting. The emergency contact numbers are easily accessible via the EHIC application for smartphones and tablets (see below). In case of further refusal, patients should request support from their home country's health authorities.

Finally, if they still encounter problems, they should contact the European Commission, which can investigate the claims and raise the issue with the authorities of the country concerned. The Commission investigates such cases and when necessary, infringement procedures will be opened against any member state not applying EU law on the use of the EHIC.

Commission urges that citizens should be aware that the card is issued for free by their national health insurance provider in the home country, without any need of paying charges to intermediaries who offer help for the application process, as it has been reported to happen in some countries.

Citizens should report such cases to the national health insurance authorities.

Download the app!

The EHIC application gives information about the card, emergency phone numbers, treatments that are covered and costs, how to claim reimbursement and who to contact in case you have lost your card. The app covers 28 EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. It is available in 25 languages, with the option to switch from one language to another. However, the app does not replace the EHIC.