EHIC Reminder

[AnnieC]

I know we're in the transition period and this may be irrelevant at the end of the year, plus most of us are unlikely to be travelling in the next few months, but just in case we can still use the EHIC next year and/or a magic vaccine/cure emerges tomorrow, mine is about to expire and I think I took it out the first one very shortly after they first appeared, and renewed promptly thereafter, so there may well be others on here with a similar expiry date. 

 

Here's the link to the official website and, as it's free, may be worth doing now: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-ehic-european-health-insurance-card/

 

 

[wowzz]

Thanks Annie. I've been meaning to renew ours for ages, in case our Lanza holiday in November goes ahead. You spurred me on, and I have applied. 

Now,  back to the digging. 

[DamianG]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

Thanks Annie. I've been meaning to renew ours for ages, in case our Lanza holiday in November goes ahead. You spurred me on, and I have applied. 

Now,  back to the digging. 

 

Shush! 🤫 The Warden's doing their rounds...

[Harry Peterson]

Useful reminder,  Annie.

 

Thanks!  👍

[pete14]

11 hours ago, AnnieC said:

I know we're in the transition period and this may be irrelevant at the end of the year, plus most of us are unlikely to be travelling in the next few months, but just in case we can still use the EHIC next year and/or a magic vaccine/cure emerges tomorrow, mine is about to expire and I think I took it out the first one very shortly after they first appeared, and renewed promptly thereafter, so there may well be others on here with a similar expiry date. 

 

Here's the link to the official website and, as it's free, may be worth doing now: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-ehic-european-health-insurance-card/

 

 

It looks very likely that the EHIC card will not be accepted as cover for British citizens travelling to European countries once we leave the EU on December 31st this year. Unless you are planning on travelling to Europe some time in what remains of this year, no need to bother renewing. 

[terrierjohn]

29 minutes ago, pete14 said:

It looks very likely that the EHIC card will not be accepted as cover for British citizens travelling to European countries once we leave the EU on December 31st this year. Unless you are planning on travelling to Europe some time in what remains of this year, no need to bother renewing. 

It costs nothing to renew, and you may be wrong about us no longer being able to use the EHIC cards, so there is very little bother really if your current card expires before year end.

[wowzz]

43 minutes ago, pete14 said:

It looks very likely that the EHIC card will not be accepted as cover for British citizens travelling to European countries once we leave the EU on December 31st this year. Unless you are planning on travelling to Europe some time in what remains of this year, no need to bother renewing. 

But I am planning to travel, hence renewing it. And, as yet, no one knows what us happening next year (!) so no harm in renewing  it. 

You appear to be stating the blindingly obvious.

Edited August 19, 2020 by wowzz

[pete14]

9 hours ago, wowzz said:

But I am planning to travel, hence renewing it. And, as yet, no one knows what us happening next year (!) so no harm in renewing  it. 

You appear to be stating the blindingly obvious.

I did write that it looks very likely that the EHIC would not be accepted post Brexit, not that it definitely wouldn’t. Of course there is no harm in renewing if you are planning to travel, something else I acknowledged in my post. All I was trying to do was to help those who may not have been aware that EHIC is likely to disappear in just over 4 months. Blindingly obvious to you but maybe not to others. I was of course responding to AnnieC’s original post, not to yours, which is why I included her post above mine rather than just including my reply.

I hope your planned travel in Europe goes ahead successfully and that you do not have any cause to use the EHIC system.

[AnnieC]

1 hour ago, pete14 said:

I did write that it looks very likely that the EHIC would not be accepted post Brexit, not that it definitely wouldn’t. Of course there is no harm in renewing if you are planning to travel, something else I acknowledged in my post. All I was trying to do was to help those who may not have been aware that EHIC is likely to disappear in just over 4 months. Blindingly obvious to you but maybe not to others. I was of course responding to AnnieC’s original post, not to yours, which is why I included her post above mine rather than just including my reply.

I hope your planned travel in Europe goes ahead successfully and that you do not have any cause to use the EHIC system.

You did. So did I in the original post (I know we're in the transition period and this may be irrelevant at the end of the year), confident in the knowledge that the extraordinarily intelligent people on here would know what I meant. 😉

[BrianI]

It has not yet been decided whether the UK will retain the right to use the EHIC card within the EU. There is a precedent that some countries outside the EU can use it. The following extract is from the EHIC website.....
 

Although it is essentially an EU health card, it can also be used in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway. In total it can be used in 28 different countries across Europe. There are some countries within Europe which do not accept the EU card, including:

1) The Isle of Man
2) The Channel Islands
3) Guernsey, Alderney and Sark
4) Monaco
5) San Marino
6) The Vatican
 

Brian

[Castle25]

.....or you could just get travel insurance......

[wowzz]

12 minutes ago, Castle25 said:

.....or you could just get travel insurance......

Yes, but if you have to go to the equivalent of A&E, life is a lot easier if you have the card.

[terrierjohn]

33 minutes ago, Castle25 said:

.....or you could just get travel insurance......

I believe that most travel insurance for European travel currently requires  that you carry an EHIC card, that may well be one of the reasons travel insurance is cheaper for Europe than ROW.

[pete14]

33 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Yes, but if you have to go to the equivalent of A&E, life is a lot easier if you have the card.

Although fortunately I have never been in the situation where I have to use my EHIC card, I am sure you are right in what you say. It is just a pity that it is likely (I agree that it is not certain) that after the period of transition ends on December 31st, the UK will not be part of the scheme although of course those travelling before the end of the year (as I should have been) should use it if they need to. Whether travel insurance (compulsory on P&O cruises) will rise to reflect potentially increased medical costs caused by removal of the EHIC scheme, remains to be seen, but in my opinion, it is likely. 
 

I hope negotiations to finalise our exit from the EU produce an agreement that UK should remain a part of the EHIC scheme but I don’t suppose it will play anything more than a tiny part in the overall settlement, even though it will have a direct effect on many millions of people throughout Europe.
 

 

[Dermotsgirl]

My EHIC expires on 4/1/21.  I live in hope that I can renew it enjoy its benefits if I ever needed them.

 

I’m sure the government will tell us in ample time what’s happening (obviously tongue in cheek comment) 

[wowzz]

1 hour ago, pete14 said:

Although fortunately I have never been in the situation where I have to use my EHIC card, I am sure you are right in what you say.

When we lived in Spain, our "neighbours " half a mile away were an English couple who had a holiday home. One day the lady fell and broke her arm. I went to the local A&E with them, as their Spanish was non-existent.  The first thing that she was asked for, was her EHIC, which she didn't have.  Much tutting, shaking of heads, and a few muttered Spanish swear words. She did get medical attention, and the hospital got her passport details,  but life would have been a lot easier with the card. 

[pete14]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

When we lived in Spain, our "neighbours " half a mile away were an English couple who had a holiday home. One day the lady fell and broke her arm. I went to the local A&E with them, as their Spanish was non-existent.  The first thing that she was asked for, was her EHIC, which she didn't have.  Much tutting, shaking of heads, and a few muttered Spanish swear words. She did get medical attention, and the hospital got her passport details,  but life would have been a lot easier with the card. 

So I was right in being sure that you were right 😇

[wowzz]

48 minutes ago, pete14 said:

So I was right in being sure that you were right 😇

You certainly were.

[wowzz]

Totally agree about keeping the card on your person. Leaving it in your cabin/villa/hotel room  negates the whole raison d'etre of having one.

[Snow Hill]

22 hours ago, BrianI said:

It has not yet been decided whether the UK will retain the right to use the EHIC card within the EU. There is a precedent that some countries outside the EU can use it. The following extract is from the EHIC website.....
 

Although it is essentially an EU health card, it can also be used in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway. In total it can be used in 28 different countries across Europe. There are some countries within Europe which do not accept the EU card, including:

1) The Isle of Man
2) The Channel Islands
3) Guernsey, Alderney and Sark
4) Monaco
5) San Marino
6) The Vatican
 

Brian

Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway on in the EEA, the EEA agreement gives those countries access to the EHIC card as those countries operate virtually the same freedom of movement rules as the EU, they are also in the single market. Switzerland has a separate agreement with the EU which allows Freedom of Movement and access to EHIC

 

The U.K. is not planning to join the EEA/EFTA and not looking to replicate the Swiss deal, the U.K. will become a “third” country after 31 December 2020, currently no “third” country has access to EHIC card. So the U.K. may have to negotiate individual reciprocal health agreement with each country, so we may end up with 39 cards instead of one.

 

The disputes system for the EHIC card comes under the jurisprudence of the the ECJ, which the current government is currently resisting any connection with, so as it stands I can’t see the EHIC being available from 2021. 

 

If EHIC goes then it is inevitable that travel insurance costs will rise, especially for those with underlying medical conditions.

 

For those who need dialysis which can be obtained freely using the EHIC card, it’s loss would mean travel in Europe would be out of their reach as most travel insurance doesn’t cover dialysis.

 

https://www.kidneycareuk.org/news-and-campaigns/news/kidney-care-uk-calls-uk-government-ensure-thousands-people-dialysis-can-continue-travel-europe-after-uk-has-left-european-union/

 

 

[Harry Peterson]

18 minutes ago, Snow Hill said:

Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway on in the EEA, the EEA agreement gives those countries access to the EHIC card as those countries operate virtually the same freedom of movement rules as the EU, they are also in the single market. Switzerland has a separate agreement with the EU which allows Freedom of Movement and access to EHIC

 

The U.K. is not planning to join the EEA/EFTA and not looking to replicate the Swiss deal, the U.K. will become a “third” country after 31 December 2020, currently no “third” country has access to EHIC card. So the U.K. may have to negotiate individual reciprocal health agreement with each country, so we may end up with 39 cards instead of one.

 

The disputes system for the EHIC card comes under the jurisprudence of the the ECJ, which the current government is currently resisting any connection with, so as it stands I can’t see the EHIC being available from 2021. 

 

If EHIC goes then it is inevitable that travel insurance costs will rise, especially for those with underlying medical conditions.

 

For those who need dialysis which can be obtained freely using the EHIC card, it’s loss would mean travel in Europe would be out of their reach as most travel insurance doesn’t cover dialysis.

 

https://www.kidneycareuk.org/news-and-campaigns/news/kidney-care-uk-calls-uk-government-ensure-thousands-people-dialysis-can-continue-travel-europe-after-uk-has-left-european-union/

 

 

So many consequences still to be discovered come January 1st.

[jeanlyon]

EHIC will not be valid after 31st December, except for UK Pensioners living in the EU .  Pretty clear.

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-residents-visiting-the-eueea-and-switzerland-healthcare#:~:text=You can use an EHIC,have both before you travel.