Last day to apply for EU medical card

[FeetheBookworm]

nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/health...

This gives you cover for treatment in state hospitals in EU for 5 years should you become ill. You will still need your own travel insurance but is a back up.

Hope this is useful.

Fiona

[Hidden]

Dear FeetheBookworm

Thank you for the heads up and I will look into it

Take care

[heartmatters1]

Thanks for the info Fiona. Just done my husband’s & mine x

[jeanjeannie50]

Thank you for letting us know Fiona. Have just done mine, it took ages and kept saying Bad Gateway, but eventually submitted it on the 8th try. The site is down this evening between 6-8pm.

[FeetheBookworm in reply to jeanjeannie50]

Probably because so many people are applying as it’s the last day. I only found out about it from one of my school friends on our WA app chat!

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to FeetheBookworm]

Yes, I bet that's right. I found out through Fiona's post here.

[P0rtnahapp1e]

There is no deadline, but be prepared for a very long wait to receive your card, if you ever do. I was refused 22 times before they finally accepted that I was eligible even though I have lived in, and own, the same house for 44 years, in the UK. My phone bill, credit card statement, old card, car insurance, bank statement etc., etc., were all refused as proof of residency so I eventually sent a solicitors letter confirming my details, which was refused!They finally accepted my application after more communication than would paper the walls, and I had an email to confirm this but it hasn’t turned up. I’ve spoken to people who have waited many months. In my case it’s only three, but it became a challenge to me and I wouldn’t let it go. 😀

[Circular in reply to P0rtnahapp1e]

the joys of Brexit!!!!!

[P0rtnahapp1e in reply to Circular]

Ha! Ha! Actually, living in Northern Ireland I’m eligible for both the NHS version and the much more extensively accepted EU version as I am regarded as being both British and Irish, but the constant refusals got my dander up!

[P0rtnahapp1e]

This is the current advice from them

Advice

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to P0rtnahapp1e]

My card had expired, last used it just over two years ago and it ran out last year.

[Joliv61]

Hi, I applied for my new card, the old one expired a few years ago, and got the replacement 2 weeks later; all I needed to supply was my NI number, DOB etc. and this was at the beginning of the month.

[P0rtnahapp1e in reply to Joliv61]

They asked me for proof of address and I didn’t have most of the documentation they required . I’ve no mortgage, no benefit book, no rent book, and all my medical appointments, (and most other forms of proof they allowed), weren’t dated within the past three months, ( or weren’t by the time they replied to say they weren’t). 😀There was a Facebook page dedicated to their tardiness, but a few people did get their cards within a few weeks.

They didn’t ask for my NI number since that doesn’t prove your residency, but I offered to send letters from the 52,000 people for whom I was a public representative. They declined this, but eventually relented to approve my application when I went onto Twitter and found kindred spirits. 😀

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to Joliv61]

Joliv60

That's all the information I had to give too.

[FeetheBookworm]

Well sorry if I wasted people’s time with this post. I should add that a GP is one of my school friends in our chat area and she didn’t say we didn’t need it. I have never heard of it before but it seemed worth it to me. We always have annual personal travel insurance. I am more than happy to remove the post if that’s what you want.

[P0rtnahapp1e in reply to FeetheBookworm]

Who said that it wasn’t needed? Did someone post that and then delete it?

[Joliv61 in reply to FeetheBookworm]

No it was a good point and raised some interesting discussions regarding the different experiences some people have had.👍👍

[Butcharts]

Not sure what the issue is. The EHIC card is being replaced by the GHIC card, and this will provide the same cover as previously. Having spent a winter in Austria in 2016 recovering from quad CABG. 3 grafts failed and I was admitted to an Austrian hospital where I immediately received an angioplasty procedure and 3 stents inserted. Superb treatment and charged 9€ per day for 9 days for my food.

I don’t personally need travel insurance for loss of baggage etc., and the only other cover I require is mountain rescue and home repatriation. I obtain that cover by joining the local mountain rescue association for 28€ per annum.

I’m not advocating that folk all ditch their travel insurance as we all have different requirements. I do have to buy health insurance cover when travelling to the USA at an extortionate rate, but think carefully before paying for emergency health insurance in Europe when you are already covered.

[P0rtnahapp1e in reply to Butcharts]

The GHIC covers fewer countries, but other than that they have similar functions

[Butcharts in reply to P0rtnahapp1e]

Thanks for your reply. It would be helpful for me, as well as lots of the people who get information on here, if you could expand on which countries are not covered. Thanks 😊