Health Insurance Travel Europe – What Is It And Why Is It Needed?
Have you ever heard about health insurance travel Europe – also known as the EHIC or European Health Insurance Card, this is an insurance policy that is mandatory for all UK residents whenever they are travelling to any place in Europe. The main idea behind having this kind of insurance policy is that the policy holder would be able to gain access to state provided health care services should things take a turn for the worst during their vacation. There are many advantages offered by such health insurance and that is why people do not mind getting it.
Some of the countries that are included in the scheme for health insurance travel Europe are Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Germany, France, Malta, Finland, Poland, Portugal, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and many more. Since the health care systems of each country are different, you might not get the same kind of coverage that you can normally expect when in the UK. In many cases, the insurance holder can opt for either state provided care or a private care. It is best to go for state provided care because private hospitals and treatment centers are very costly.
Rules and Benefits for Health Insurance Travel Europe
Keep in mind that there are certain rules which apply to the usage of the European Health Insurance card. You should be aware of all these rules because this will be very advantageous should you require medical treatment during your vacation abroad. Generally, most accidents are covered under this kind of health insurance plan. One thing that is strictly prohibited is to go abroad just for the purpose of using the insurance card to obtain specific medical care. However, some of the conditions that are covered by the card are maternity care, renal dialysis and symptoms pertaining to a chronic or pre-existing medical condition.
You don’t have to worry about getting below-standard treatment with your health insurance card because you will be receiving the same treatment that any other citizen would receive in the european country that you are vacationing in. There is a catch here and that is you are expected to make certain payments even if you have health insurance to travel Europe because it is the standard procedure for patients in a lot of overseas countries. However, you can recoup the payment that you’ve made abroad when you return to the UK. At times such expenses can even be recouped abroad.
One of the things that you should be mindful about when it comes to health insurance travel Europe is that you should meticulously keep all the paperwork and receipts related to your medical care because these will be needed when you apply for reimbursement. Applying for this kind of health insurance card is completely free of cost and it is valid for a period of five years. However you should bear in mind that this kind of insurance policy is not a substitute for regular travel insurance since it does not provide coverage for stolen items.
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