EHIC cards - claiming back?

[missspeedy23]

We recently went to Benalmadena and my baby son was taken ill, we had to take him to hospital and pay 350EUR for his treatment. I showed the doctor our EHIC card but he said he didn't need it.

On returning back to the UK I've discovered we've got a �200 excess on our insurance policy. However, after reading the NHS/EHIC websites I get the impression that we can claim this back through them rather than our insurance - does anyone have any experience of this and how it works?

Any help greatly appreciated

Jo
x

[bednobs]

some info here
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/ Pages/UsinganEHIC.aspx
However, it should be noted that even with a ehic card, you may still have to pay towards medical care depending on the country and if seeking a refund, it should have been started in the country you were in. If the country has a private and state provided system, you may have been treated privately hence you will not be able to claim back via ehic. Not all countries that operate the ehic provide the same services

[bednobs]

also just found this about spain:
Please be aware that doctors, health centres and hospitals may have separate surgery times for private patients and those treated under the state system. Also, if you are asked to pay up front, you are not being treated under the Spanish health service and your EHIC will not be accepted

[bednobs]

sorry, also just saw this:
"How to claim refunds

There are no reimbursements as state-provided healthcare is free of charge.

You can claim back your prescription charges if you are a state pensioner. Contact the Overseas Healthcare Team (Newcastle)on 0191 218 1999 (Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm) on your return to the UK. Remember to keep copies of anything you send for your records"
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/healthcarespain/P ages/healthcarespain.aspx

[missspeedy23]

Thanks for the info. I'm a bit miffed now as we tried to show the doctor the card and he said no.

I think the hospital is a state one but I could be wrong, but like you've said, if we were asked for payment up-front then we've been charged privately! Robbing so-n-so's!

I wouldn't mind if the doctor hadn't lied to us in the first place - he told us that it would be 90EUR whether he prescribed the medicine or the hospital did, and he'd send a car. We ended up in an ambulance (70EUR) and paid 160EUR to see the specialist - I'll do my research next time as I can imagine a few people have done the same!!

Thanks again.

[bednobs]

why dont you ring the number and just check for sure?

[pink-kittens]

I suspect many 1000's of people travel to Europe with their EHIC card tucked firmly in their travel purses expecting to get free medical treatment if the become ill. If they all read the forms they fill out properly everyone of those 1000's will read that the EHIC card does NOT get you free treatment but only MAY do

[canasta]

I was taken ill in Spain and attended the 'URGENCIAS' department of the small state hospitals or clinics using my EHIC card. These are excellent and all I paid was the prescription charges.

Travelling through France on my journey home my health deteriorated. As it was a public holiday I went to a state hospital A & E and after having to show my EHIC and passport which the hospital photocopied I was eventually given advice and a prescription. There was no mention of a charge by the hospital and we were staggered when a bill arrived back at home 2 months later. I'm having problems paying this without incurring a £25 charge in a SWIFT payment through the bank.

The advice in the literature we had with us was to make a claim for the prescription charges whilst in France but the system has changed and on receiving this returned I sought advice by ringing the Newcastle number on the reverse of the card. I was informed that the office in Newcastle deals with this now .

Just thought that I would pass this info on in case others believe that the claim should be made in France.