General Chat

Or whatever the new name is now. The Health card for treatment in european countries.

Be very careful if renewing on line that you get the correct gov site. The card is FREE, there are unscupulous countries making a charge for it. This is legal as long as somewhere on their site they state that you can get it free elsewhere (in the small print usually)

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1073.aspx?categoryid=68&subcategoryid=159
How do I get an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card)?

I must remember to renew mine, I keep it in the back of my passport which is also due for renewal.

Lots of people still don't know about these cards, I had to tell a friend who was off to Corfu a couple of weeks ago. It would be a good idea if travel agents mentioned it when people book their hols.

Lizx

I don't think the post office deal with them any more.

We renewed ours online it was easy to do....so other half told me.
The card that replaced the E111,only last 3?5yrs?

Marion :-)

3 I think, yes we renewed on line but OH nearly got caught, right at the end it said 'payment ????'

The piece I read says these people are very clever and if you do a google search their sites will come up above the government one, they also look the same when you get into the site so, even knowing they exist, people have to be very careful.

I wonder how many have been conned :-(

Judging by people who get conned into paying for certificates quite a few I suspect. They say they run a checking service but the paper sent in a request under a ficticious name and it was cleared and sent.

AnninGlos,

Sorry I dint understand your post above - what certificates are you talking

about

Sorry I was answering Marilyn originally talking about the E111 but comparing people who may get conned with the number of people who pay over the top for BMD certificates instead of going to GRO.

Well despite only 11 answering the thread it has been viewed by 90 so hopefully people have been warned.

Rita Hi~~

E111 are no longer valid ,so I hope you mean EHIC card :)

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/staying-safe/travel-insurance/ehic

A neighbour & I, both pensioners, both living abroad, were sent forms about 12 months ago, with the instruction to fill them in & Dept of Work & Pensions would send us the new cards, which they did,
About 6 months ago my neighbour, who has lived here for 14 years was refused a doctors appointment because he didn´t have a Spanish health card as he had been included on his wife´s card & she died 2 years ago.
He produced his European Health card & was told it´s no longer valid.
He´s sorted now & has his own card, but what we don´t understand is why we were instructed to apply for these cards if we can´t use them? :-( :-( :-( :-(

Thank you Rita. Wonder why it said in the paper that the post office no longer did it.

Not sure why you were advised to apply Wisechild. This is what the site says.

What’s the EHIC?

You need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before you travel – it gives the holder rights to healthcare that becomes necessary during a temporary visit to EEA (European Economic Area) countries or Switzerland.

The EHIC replaced the E111 form in Jan 2006. The E111 form is no longer valid.
Who is entitled to an EHIC?

people who are normally resident in the UK can apply for an EHIC
aged 16 or over

There may be some restrictions depending on your nationality – visit the Department of Health website for more info about who is eligible.

Residents of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are NOT eligible.

Remember: each person in your group requires a card.

No Ann, we couldn´t understand it either as neither of us travel & we´ve both been Spanish residents for several years, but the accompanying letter was quite adamant that we needed them, so we did as we were told.
Have you found your casserole dish yet? :-D :-D :-D

No!! Ithought it was only socks thatw ent walkabout but seemingly not!

Wisechild

I too am a Spanish resident and have the red Seguridad Social card for all health treatment free here in Spain

Early last year the EU ruled that UK should issue all its European Resident citizens who qualified for free medical care -- the new Blue European Health Insurance Card -----------

--for priot to April 2010 if - for example -- I visited UK and say broke my leg the UK would not provide free medical care to it own British but Spanish Residents holding the Red Spanish Seguridad Social medical cards

This was deemed unlawful --- and UK had to issue these card to us all

The exact same card has been issued to other European members .--

My Danish pensioner friend here on holiday -- had an detached retina and the Blue European Health Insurance Card - issued to her by the Danish Govt ( and identical to mine ) was readily accepted by my village doctor -- the local hospital -- and the University Hospital were they were quite prepared to operate - using the card

Here in Granada region every UK pensioner has their own card -- as indeed all the Spaniards do --- have never seen or heard of Joint SS cards as the unique NIE /NIF number is embossed and checked

Renes

No, I´d never heard of joint ones either. I think it was issued like that because his wife became a pensioner before he did, so he became her dependant for health matters & because they didn´t realise that, he never applied for a card in his own right when he qualified. it wasn´t until after she died that it all came to light.
It´s a bit like having to show your passport to get into your own country when my O.H can travel to England on his Spanish ID card with no problem whatsoever.
Thanks for the info though. Very useful to know.

Off to check exactly what we have - think its E1-11 cards. As we haven't been to Europe for several years, and have Travel ins when we do, we haven't looked at them for some time.

A timely warning - thanks