Why the EHIC Card is Not a Replacement for Travel Insurance

If you are a citizen of an EU country and you are travelling to another country in the EU, one of the things that you should arrange before your holiday is the EHIC card. This card is completely free and will provide you with access to healthcare of the same standard as that received by residents of that country. However, a common mistake is to assume that the card is a replacement for a travel insurance policy - which is definitely not the case.

Overview of the EHIC Card

The EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) is provided to residents of EU countries completely free of charge. You can take it with you when you travel to another country in the EU, and simply present it in a hospital when you require treatment (provided by the state). Sometimes you may have to pay a small amount for the treatment, and sometimes it will be free. This depends upon which country you are in at the time – and it's important to be aware that they all have different systems. The level of care may be lower than what you can expect from your state healthcare back home, so you should take this into account.

It's Not the Same as a Travel Insurance Policy

Although the card is useful, you should not confuse it with dedicated travel insurance - because there are some important things it will not cover. One of these is the cost of repatriation back to your home country. Should you be involved in a serious accident or fall ill and wish to return home for treatment rather than remain in the country for weeks or months, only travel insurance will cover the costs of this.

If you go skiing and you need to be rescued from the mountain, the card will not cover this either. You may be able to pay extra at the resort for this service, but private travel insurance usually covers it.

If you go on a cruise and you need to be airlifted from the ship to the nearest hospital, the card does not cover this. However, if you are on land in an EU country you will be covered for your healthcare.

Remember the card does not provide cover for private healthcare, and the standard of the state healthcare may be below what you are used to. Also, it's important to remember it does not cover your personal items should they be lost or stolen, trip cancellations, delayed departure and a host of other things that dedicated travel insurance will cover.

Benefits

Even if you take out a private travel insurance policy (and all advice is that you should), you should still have an EHIC card with you to provide even more peace of mind - after all, it is completely free. In addition, some insurers may even insist on you having an one in order to purchase private insurance, and in some cases, you may find that your insurer will waive the excess if you have one.

The EHIC card is quick and easy to arrange by visiting the official website and following the prompts. Remember you should never have to pay for it, and if the website you're on asks for a fee, you are in the wrong place!

P.K. Chong is the Managing Director of All About EHIC. As a major insurance authority, we provide information and top up insurance for those travellers with an EHIC card, (European Health Insurance Card). This top up insurance will cover issues not covered by the EHIC card.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.