GBA77

Thairetired.

Most interesting. Any particular city/town/hospital/area to look at? PM me please if you don't want to post the details publicly.

I wonder how the Austrian health service will feel about things? Maybe ok if contact is made and things arranged properly.

BritInParis

Sounds like he should be covered by his EHIC then. As for repatriation, does he have travel insurance? Perhaps through a credit card or bank account? If he is a UK resident he could claim the cost of his repatriation to the UK if it proves necessary.

GBA77

BIT.

Now theres a thought. Regarding the normal sort of travel insurance, the family are trying to look through his papers and things. It would appear as though most are at his home in England. I dont know the capability and availability of Diggers daughters husband who is looking into the paperwork.

Digger would have loads of pre-existing conditions to declare, so the run of the mill travel insurers would have told him to go away. That said, I have a few myself but found a specialist company which I used when I was traveling to Asia frequently.

Let me pass this info on.

Peter_in_Hungary

Try these links
Az Európai Egészségbiztosítási Kártya - Foglalkoztatás, szociális ügyek és társadalmi befogadás - Európai Bizottság
and
European Health Insurance Card - Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion - European Commission

both are EU documents which are the same just one is in Hungarian and the other is in English. the relavent paragraph is the first paragraph
Quote
What is the European Health Insurance Card?
A free card that gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 28 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country.
End quote

The Hungarian first paragraph says the same.

The hospital, full name = Fejér Megyei Szent György Egyetemi Oktató Kórház
translates as
Saint George University Teaching Hospital, Fejér County

So it is a teaching hoapitial and NHS but that does not mean that the hospitial may not be trying to fund raise at the expense of the family by putting Digger on to a private basis.

I presume Digger went in as a blue light experience so he would have gone in as a NHS paitent and sort the paperwork out later. I guess the hospitial administrators will need to be told (carefully) of the EHIC rules.

Thairetired2016

I'm not familiar with the Austrian-Hungarian border region towns as we spend our time in Salzburger Land. My friends where treated in Salzburg (Christian-Doppler- Klinik) and Schwarzach-St.Veit Hospital which would be quite far from Hungary. Healthcare in Austria is very good regardless of where you go. A larger district hospital, teaching hospital should be a good choice to look up.
Both our friends where treated on Ehic card from Germany. There was some small co-payment for treatment/drugs Germans didn't pay for.

Peter_in_Hungary

I don't think that Digger can go to Austria to get treatment under the EHIC system because this would count as "health tourism" which the EU directive on cross border health care excludes (private treatment is a different matter).

Also the directive says that Digger should be able to get information about what exactly treatment is available to him.


DIRECTIVE 2011/24/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 9 March 2011

para 18......This Directive should not give any person an entitlement to enter, stay or reside in a Member State in order to receive healthcare in that State.

pare 20.............Member States of treatment should ensure that patients from other Member States receive on request the relevant information on safety and quality standards enforced on its territory as well as on which healthcare providers are subject to these standards. Furthermore, healthcare providers should provide patients on request with information on specific aspects of the healthcare services they offer and on the treatment options. To the extent that healthcare providers already provide patients resident in the Member State of treatment with relevant information on those specific aspects, this Directive should not oblige healthcare providers to provide more extensive information to patients from other Member States.

Thairetired2016

I also suspect there may be a problem going to Austria. However, our one friend who lives in the border area Germany/Austria but in Germany in a town with a hospital, was taken to Salzburg for treatment, later was sent back to Austria for rehab. All on German govt. healthcare, not private patient.
Can the family not get in touch with NHS to check what the options are? If Hungary cannot provide adequate treatment and the hospital wants him to leave, surely he should have an alternative to paying 20.000£ for Medevac to get repatriated. Valuable treatment time is going by...

GBA77

Thanks for that Peter and Thairetired.

I have passed that info onto Diggers daughter. The family need to make the decisions etc.

Being an "outsider" one can only advise or assist so far. With limited finances and no travel insurance (the family say they have checked thoroughly) I fear that repatriation is probably outside the realms of possibility right now.

Brit in Paris. Good call on the credit card/bank account side of things. They say nothing doing on that front.

It may very well be that once Digger can sit in a wheel chair the flight options may become feasible (like Peter said). Convincing the airlines to accept him will of course be another story.

scrubbedexpat142

The airlines may want somebody suitably qualified to accompany him - and a fitness to fly statement.

GBA77

Indeed but that would be a minor problem to sort.

I suppose then there is also the possibility of a road trip if he is well enough. Digger had some or other mobility company car for his use. I think it was a C max or something. Would have been ideal but it has been taken back. Diggers daughter cant/doesn't drive.

Valiums and a half bottle of whiskey and one stoned old chap in the back. Digger - The Movie.

GBA77

Ahhhh. Just off the phone.

Digger has been able to sit up for a while today. Had a bit of a shave etc and even had his eye glasses on for a while.

He is going to stay in the hospital where he is for the next 2 weeks. Thereafter he will be moved somewhere else. I was told the city name but could not understand her pronunciation. I will follow that up.

scrubbedexpat142

PMd you.

Jerseygirl

Usually CC companies will not cover you for health/travel insurance after the age of 65...even if they do it is usually for a limited amount of days.

Peter_in_Hungary

A fitness to fly and a family member to accompany should do it. I have a relative permanently in an electric wheelchair and they flew to Germany for the Christmas market with a cheapo airline without issues or drama from the airline.

Driving would IMO not be an option to consider!

scrubbedexpat142

So long as there is no requirement for oxygen, etc.