Free Health Card - if you travel to Europe

[MikeMusic]

This is mostly for us Brits

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx

Gives you health care the same the natives get, could save a fortune

Not much use to me as I don't go anywhere but I applied anyway as I might and it takes 10 days to arrive

Special appeal for our Scottish,Yorkshire readers and me....

It's free

:)

[Andrew B]

Good post, Mike. Most people still don't seem to know about the EHIC. Pretty damn essential for anyone travelling anywhere in Europe IMO

[MikeMusic]

Good post, Mike. Most people still don't seem to know about the EHIC. Pretty damn essential for anyone travelling anywhere in Europe IMO

Martin (of Money tips) keeps going on about it so I thought I would get one and spread the news

[seoirse2002]

Yes good idea ++++....got mine a while ago

[Andrew B]

My wife's sister came out to Cyprus last year to visit us and didn't have one. We even offered to do the application for her but she refused. It's asking for trouble, but lots of people just think it won't happen to them.

Our next door neighbour out there let his brother use his place last year. He was a big guy and had a few beers first night at poolside. He then went into the house soaking wet and slipped on the marble stairs. Six weeks later and reportedly twenty odd grand worse off, he eventually made it back home. I bet he wishes he had taken the five minutes needed to fill in the EHIC application.

[MikeMusic]

Our next door neighbour out there let his brother use his place last year. He was a big guy and had a few beers first night at poolside. He then went into the house soaking wet and slipped on the marble stairs. Six weeks later and reportedly twenty odd grand worse off, he eventually made it back home. I bet he wishes he had taken the five minutes needed to fill in the EHIC application.

He's a silly billy.

'Course you do need to know your name, DOB, address and NI number ....
could be difficult for some.

Mentioned it to SWMBO and was told
"I'll get it if I need it"
I'll try the via Daughter route

[Oldpinkman]

Actually they offer the most jaw-dropping customer service for a fee of about £20 if I remember. I paid for their emergency service last year because I discovered mine had expired at the last minute. They dealt with it inside 24 hours and texted me 3 times with updates during that 24 hour period(I had supplied wrong information in my panic)

Unbelievably good customer service

Also - be aware - your insurance will expect you to have this, and won't cover you for costs which would have been covered by this card

[prestonchipfryer]

Yes, makes a lot of sense. Ours (the missus and me) are due for replacement next year.

Back in February, whilst in Tenerife, a woman in our hotel was taken to hospital as she had strained her ankle; cost: a mere £500 for treatment and had to paid upfront.

[Oldpinkman]

Yes, makes a lot of sense. Ours (the missus and me) are due for replacement next year.

Back in February, whilst in Tenerife, a woman in our hotel was taken to hospital as she had strained her ankle; cost: a mere £500 for treatment and had to paid upfront.

You still usually need to pay yourself first with this card, and can then usually claim back up to 90% of the cost. But any spell in a hospital will run up a big bill