General Chat

I think people shouldn't be allowed to travel without proper insurance, I would never risk it.

Lizx

I don't think anyone was advocating travelling without travel insurance Sandie. I certainly wasn't

You should never travel abroad without Medical Insurance.

ECH1C does NOT cover all eventualities.

I checked mine and it needs renewing in September, 2014. I can't find a start date on it and can't remember when I got it, may have been 2007 or before.

Passport needs renewing now tho so better get on with that in case I can persuade o.h. to go abroad, he has two more weeks holiday to take and there is a gap in September that none of his colleagues have booked so we need to start deciding what to do and where to go. Wouldn't mind somewhere in UK if only we could check out the weather and get a guarantee of sunshine! Shorter days tho sadly.

Lizx

Ann

Yes - the free cards permit treatment - but do not permit repatriation if necessary - !! Only paid for travel insurance facilitates this


Wisechild - my younger husband is my dependent and has both cards - should think they were missing the appropriate paper work at some stage - as you appreciate - we all need our paperwork here


Renes

They do advise you to have both the EHIC and travel insurance.

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

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.

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!! Ithought it was only socks thatw ent walkabout but seemingly not!

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

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.

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

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? :-( :-( :-( :-(

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

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

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.

AnninGlos,

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

about

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.

I wonder how many have been conned :-(