Travel Insurance
#1
BE Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 413
Travel Insurance
Interesting.
Went to OTP Bank to renew travel insurance (had for 4 years) for the missus who is now 70.
She is going by car to uk and OTP said that she is too old to continue the old policy plus brexit. She advised us to go to Groupma Office Keszthely where they told her she does not need insurance as the UK EHIC card will cover costs in EU and UK. Any advice please.
Went to OTP Bank to renew travel insurance (had for 4 years) for the missus who is now 70.
She is going by car to uk and OTP said that she is too old to continue the old policy plus brexit. She advised us to go to Groupma Office Keszthely where they told her she does not need insurance as the UK EHIC card will cover costs in EU and UK. Any advice please.
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,094
Re: Travel Insurance
The EHIC will give basic emergency health cover for any events including existing conditions that become acute, that is an existing condition won't be treated for normal events, e.g. high blood pressure medicine that is routinely taken won't be prescribed but if you have a BP crisis this will be treated. If you have an accident e.g. broken leg or hip after a fall then this will be treated but any follow on treatment e.g. physiotherapy normally won't be available under the scheme, also there will be no help with any additional needs required to get home.
So any unforeseen medical event that requires treatment will be treated but once you are well enough to leave hospital you are on your own.
You said
My understanding is that the EHIC card covers all countries of the EU and the UK except in the country of issue. So if you have a UK issued card then this won't be valid in the UK. The EHIC card is issued by the country where you pay into or are covered by that countries National Health Service. If you have a UK card that would imply you are covered by the UK NHS. In this event you don't need an EHIC card for the UK as you are fully covered by your NHS contributions so you need your NI number.
If you have a UK card this (to me) would imply that you came to Hungary late in life and the UK is funding your health care to the Hungarian NHS so you would have full cover in the UK NHS anyway without additional insurance. (My view and I am a bit rusty on this point because it doesn't apply to me or any of my family).
As a general point the EHIC card gives the same cover for emergency treatment as the citizens of the country that you are in. Not the same cover as you get in your home country. So you could find that some events that at home are treated free will require payment in you host country because that is what happens to the locals.(This includes medicines).
So any unforeseen medical event that requires treatment will be treated but once you are well enough to leave hospital you are on your own.
You said
If you have a UK card this (to me) would imply that you came to Hungary late in life and the UK is funding your health care to the Hungarian NHS so you would have full cover in the UK NHS anyway without additional insurance. (My view and I am a bit rusty on this point because it doesn't apply to me or any of my family).
As a general point the EHIC card gives the same cover for emergency treatment as the citizens of the country that you are in. Not the same cover as you get in your home country. So you could find that some events that at home are treated free will require payment in you host country because that is what happens to the locals.(This includes medicines).