5 Benefits of having a European Health Insurance Card
Do you have any knowledge about the European Health Insurance Card? In short, it is called EHIC. It is a mandatory medical card that you must carry while traveling. You get entitled to free or reduced medical expense.
If you are thinking about a short trip to the continent, it is important to have a European Health Insurance Card or EHIC. You never expect to meet with an accident or fall sick, while you are holidaying in another nation. But you never know what is there in your fate. Hence, it is always better to be prepared with an EHIC so that you can handle the huge hospital bills during the emergency situation.
The article highlights the benefits of issuing a European Health Insurance Card and the necessity of traveling with it.
photo Dr. Michael Rauzzino,. Screenshot/video NBC
1# Receive medical treatment for free of cost or at a reduced expense
If you are a resident of an EU and has been insured or covered under the EHIC medical card, you are entitled to get treatments at the hospitals in any of the visiting EU nations, similar to the hospital expense of the resident country. For instance, if you are a resident of Switzerland and you are covered for a free medical treatment, there is every possibility that while visiting Iceland, you will receive medical care at a free of cost.
2# You don’t have to come back to your nation for the medical treatment
Perhaps the best part about having the European Health Insurance Card is that you don’t have to make arrangements for returning to your home country for receiving medical attention. In the case of a sudden accident or any ailment at the visiting nation, you can avail the medical treatment and care at the state hospitals in case EHIC is applicable in the country. Hence, it is suggested that you should always carry the medical card.
3# The medical card is simple to use without much complexity
The EHIC is exceptionally straightforward and easy to use. All that you need to do is carry it while taking and present before the hospital authorities when asked for. You will not going to have any problems at all if your card is valid and is not expired. In case, you are not carrying the card, and in an emergency situation, you are rushed to the hospital, you might be provided with a provisional or a temporary EHIC certificate.
4# Getting comfortable reimbursement is applicable
EHIC is provided at the state hospitals, but there might be situations where you might be asked to make payments upfront for certain medical treatment services. It doesn’t mean that your European Health Insurance Card is of no use. You can apply for the reimbursement of the treatment once you return to your homeland. In fact, some hospitals will send the sent the bills to your residential addresses.
Five # Obtain your EHIC card at a free of cost
You can acquire your EHIC at no expense at all and can be purchased online without hassles. Once you get hold of one, it is valid for five years and can be renewed the same way via online. The renewed card can be received within a short period of 10 days or so. People don’t have to face much trouble issuing or renewing the EHIC card.
Author: Samantha Pierrie
