One of the consequences of the UKs withdrawal from the European Union that is particularly important for travellers and holidaymakers is the change in health cover. It has never been more important to know what your rights are to health cover in EU countries and how to apply for it. Travel insurance has also gained new emphasis.
UK Global Health Insurance Card
For many years we had the benefit of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
The EHIC covers all medically necessary treatment by public healthcare providers. This includes:
- Doctor’s visits. You should consult with a doctor that has a contract with the national health insurance fund in the country you are visiting. If you are not familiar with the health scheme, ask your hotel, travel guide, or locals for help in finding a doctor.
- You will usually need a referral from a doctor to be hospitalized unless it is an emergency. Some hospitals may charge a small fee for your stay in the first few days, others will not charge anything at all.
- Prescription medication. Most national health insurance funds will cover prescription medication, either fully or to a degree. Flu and cold medicine or over-the-counter painkillers are usually not covered.
- Dental care. In most cases, you are covered for basic and emergency dental treatment. More complex or expensive procedures, such as dentures or crowns are not always covered by national healthcare, and therefore not by an EHIC either.
- In most cases, ambulances are covered by the national healthcare fund, so if you need an ambulance while abroad, your EHIC should cover you.
If you have a valid EHIC it can still be used post Brexit until it expires. You may also be eligible for a new EHIC to visit certain countries under the Withdrawal Agreement
GHIC
The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) is the replacement for the EHIC.
What your card covers
You can use your card to get state healthcare that cannot reasonably wait until you come back to the UK (sometimes called “medically necessary healthcare”). This includes things like:
- emergency treatment and visits to A&E
- treatment or routine medical care for long-term or pre-existing medical conditions
- routine maternity care, as long as you’re not going abroad to give birth
You’ll need to pre-arrange some treatments with the relevant healthcare provider in the country you’re visiting – for example, kidney dialysis or chemotherapy – as it’s not guaranteed that local healthcare providers will always have the capacity to provide this care.
Whether treatment is medically necessary is decided by the healthcare provider in the country you’re visiting.
Not all state healthcare is free outside of the UK. You may have to pay for treatment that you would get for free on the NHS, if a local resident would be expected to pay in the country you’re visiting.
Before travelling, you should check the state-provided healthcare services in the country you’re visiting and any potential charges you may face.
What your card does not cover
A UK GHIC (or UK EHIC) does not replace travel and medical insurance or cover services like:
- being flown back to the UK (medical repatriation)
- treatment in a private medical facility
- ski or mountain rescue
The NHS recommends that you arrange private travel and medical insurance for the duration of your trip.
Every member of your family needs their own card. You can add your spouse, civil partner and children to your application when you apply.
Click the link to go to the NHS site for further details and where you can apply for your card https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/
Personal Travel Insurance
Personal travel and health insurance remains vital for all travellers and holidaymakers. When considering a policy you should carefully check the conditions of the policy and what is covered. For example it would be wise to choose cover that includes Covid. Click the link below to check out travel insurance.
