The introduction of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) was a good thing for people who travel - it meant that there was now a simple and (hopefully) easy way to get healthcare when abroad in another European Economic Are country when it was needed most. Two things about the EHIC though that need pointed out are that:
- it's residency based. So if I am resident in, say, France then I'd need to apply for the card through the French system - even if I'm a UK national. (There may be exceptions to this rule though, so check out the NHS page on the EHIC for more details.
- it's not a replacement for health insurance, despite having the word 'insurance' in its name. You can in some instances be charged towards the cost of your treatment
A recent post on Expat Forum highlights some of the changes that have been made to free healthcare for expats in France and Spain. A must read if you are in France as an expat or are planning on going to live there long term - basically if youre under French retirement age and not registered to work in the country, then you're not likely to be eligible for free treatment on the French public health system which in any case doesn't cover costs in full, necessitating health cover for most expats anyway. The article quotes an AXA PPP International manager, who states that 'many people don’t realise that comprehensive medical insurance is a necessity, not a luxury'.
In fact, it appears that not having medical insurance could even mean not getting past the airport arrivals gate in some countries these days, as this story highlights.