The aim of this proposal is to introduce a EU wide European Health Insurance Card to replace form E111 by 31 December 2005 at the latest
The new health insurance card will replace the current ‘E-forms’, in particular the E111, which are used by European citizens to prove their entitlement to free or reduced cost emergency medical treatment during temporary stays in other European countries.
The EHIC will replace the E111 in the UK from 1 September 2005. E111s issued after 19 August 2004 will be valid until 31 December 2005.
It has been possible since 19 August 2004 to pre-order an EHIC via a tick box on the E111. These cards are now being delivered to UK residents and will be with all those who have pre-applied by 31 December 2005.
Applications for the EHIC can be made from 1 September 2005 via any of the following methods:
- on line at here (delivery within 7 days)
- telephone on 0845 606 2030 (delivery within 10 days)
- post - application form available from the Post Office (delivery within 21 days)
How to get treatment
You must show your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to access reduced-cost, sometimes free, medical treatment that becomes necessary during your visit. Each country has different rules about state medical provision and in some, treatment is free. In many countries you will have to pay part or all of the cost, and then claim a full or partial refund.
Claiming a refund
In most countries, you need to claim while you’re still abroad. If you can’t claim while you’re away, contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) when you get back to the UK (telephone 0191 218 1999) and ask for claim form IPC 1679. DWP will contact the authorities in the other country on your behalf, but it can take a long time for your refund to come through. Some charges are non-refundable (e.g. your EHIC never covers repatriation back to the UK), so you are advised to take out private insurance as well as your EHIC. Remember to keep copies of any documents that you submit for your own records.
Spain(including the Canary and Balearic Islands)
The Kingdom of Spain joined the European Community, the forerunner of the European Union (EU), in 1986. The official language is Spanish.
What treatment is covered and what will I be charged for?
- Doctors and dentists: make sure the practitioner you see works within the Spanish state health service. In some parts of the country, particularly the outlying islands, you may have to travel some distance to attend a state surgery ('consultorio'), health centre ('centro sanitario') or hospital clinic ('ambulatorio'). If you need to call out a doctor in an emergency, make it clear that you have an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and that you want to be treated under the EU arrangements. Whenever you need treatment, show your EHIC. Dental treatment is not generally provided under the state system, and the costs will not be reimbursed. In Spain, doctors, health centres and hospitals have separate surgery times for private patients and those treated under the state health service. If you are asked to pay, you are not being treated under the Spanish health service and your EHIC will not be accepted.
- Prescriptions: medicines prescribed by health service practitioners can be obtained from any pharmacy ('farmacia'). You will have to pay up to 40 per cent of the cost unless you are a UK or other European Economic Area (EEA) pensioner, in which case the medicines will be free of charge. You must show proof that you are a state pensioner, otherwise you will be charged 40 per cent of the cost, which you can claim back on your return to the UK. If a hospital says you need medicines after you are discharged, you must take the medical report to a GP, who will give you a prescription.
- Hospital treatment: a doctor will usually arrange any hospital treatment you may need. In an emergency, you can only get free treatment in a public ward at a public hospital. You must show your EHIC; if not, you will be charged as a private patient and will not get your money back. Under the strict terms of the Spanish health service, there are no refunds for private healthcare charges. Make sure you have private medical insurance in case you are treated in an emergency in a private hospital. Doctors in the emergency departments of state health service hospitals will prescribe medicines on the appropriate medical report, but do not issue official prescriptions. You must take the report to a primary care doctor who will issue the official prescription.
Who handles reimbursements?
There are none. However, if you are a state pensioner and are charged for your prescriptions, you can apply for a refund when you get back to the UK. Contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for more information.
What documentation do I need to claim money back?
Make sure you have always kept your original receipts.
Where to get information
Servicio Regional de Salud (Regional Health Service Offices).
Living in another EEA country or Switzerland
If you are under UK state pension age and you move to another EEA country or Switzerland to live permanently (but not to work), contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). They will tell you whether or not the UK will pay for your medical treatment in the country you’re moving to and for how long. You may no longer be entitled to an EHIC, in which case you will need to send it back to the EHIC Enquiries service. However, you may be able to get health cover from the UK for a limited period on form E106 – contact DWP for further information.
Special rules apply if you have an industrial injury or occupational disease. Contact DWP or, in Northern Ireland, the Social Security Agency.
If your circumstances are not covered in the information above please call the Department of Health Customer Service Centre on 020 7210 4850.
SIP Cards in Valencia is yours Valid?
Read this article to find out
If you are a pensioner a SIP card and are registered with the Spanish authorities then prescriptions from the doctor are free when you go to the farmacia to have them made up. If you go to a clinic or hospital the process may be rather different. If you are prescribed medicine then you may have to pay at the farmacia but can claim this back by taking the hospital ‘prescription’ to your local doctor. He will then give you a non payment prescription covering he medication. Take this back to the chemist with either the complete box that the medicine came in if possible or just the little tear off tabs you will find that have reference numbers and the price on together with the receipt for the payment you made. This is most important as it is these little tear off tabs that the pharmacist sends off to the health authorities in order to get his payment. He will give you your money back after you have presented all the items above. Otherwise if you are not retired or have some special arrangement or insurance you will have to pay for your prescriptions. Many medicines are cheaper here than in the UK though.