Is an (insured) American in Paris who also holds an EU passport eligible for a European Health Insurance Card for travelling elsewhere in Europe?
July 9, 2011 3:35 PM Subscribe
Is an (insured) American in Paris who also holds an EU passport eligible for a European Health Insurance Card for travelling elsewhere in Europe?
The details:
An American friend of mine will be spending a year in Paris soon, on a French government research grant. As such, she will have full health insurance while in France, arranged by the French government and the institution where she'll be based.
She will also be travelling elsewhere in the EU during this time. Now, this person also holds an EU passport (not for France). Will she be eligible for a European Health Insurance Card?
NB--Her US insurance will cover this travel if necessary. We were just wondering about an EHIC because it may be cheaper and more convenient.
Thanks!
The details:
An American friend of mine will be spending a year in Paris soon, on a French government research grant. As such, she will have full health insurance while in France, arranged by the French government and the institution where she'll be based.
She will also be travelling elsewhere in the EU during this time. Now, this person also holds an EU passport (not for France). Will she be eligible for a European Health Insurance Card?
NB--Her US insurance will cover this travel if necessary. We were just wondering about an EHIC because it may be cheaper and more convenient.
Thanks!
From: Euro Commission
"To be eligible for a card, you must be insured by or covered by a state social security system in any Member State of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland."
So it would be wise to contact l'Assurance Maladie to see what their residency requirements are for applying for coverage and receiving the EHID.
Check here for rights and procedures for students.
posted by Harpocrates at 5:27 PM on July 9, 2011
"To be eligible for a card, you must be insured by or covered by a state social security system in any Member State of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland."
So it would be wise to contact l'Assurance Maladie to see what their residency requirements are for applying for coverage and receiving the EHID.
Check here for rights and procedures for students.
posted by Harpocrates at 5:27 PM on July 9, 2011
She probably needs to establish residency inthe country to which she holds citizenship, get insured under the national policy there before she can apply for the EHIC.
posted by Lisitasan at 8:40 PM on July 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Lisitasan at 8:40 PM on July 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also remember that the EHIC card only gives you the same local rights as another citizen of the country you're in when you have to go to hospital. In France for example, that means you have to pay a portion of the cost yourself — most French people take out supplementary insurance to cover this cost privately or through a variety of mutual organisations.
It also won't pay for repatriation to your country of origin, or any of the other possible costs that come with being ill in a foreign country. It is not a substitute for having appropriate travel insurance, although it may make the insurance you need a bit cheaper to obtain.
posted by pharm at 1:04 AM on July 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
It also won't pay for repatriation to your country of origin, or any of the other possible costs that come with being ill in a foreign country. It is not a substitute for having appropriate travel insurance, although it may make the insurance you need a bit cheaper to obtain.
posted by pharm at 1:04 AM on July 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
She probably needs to establish residency inthe country to which she holds citizenship, get insured under the national policy there before she can apply for the EHIC.
It's nothing to do with citizenship - I am German, when I lived in the UK I was paying national insurance contributions which entitled me to NHS healthcare...so I was also entitled to en EHIC card. I now live in Switzerland, I have taken out the mandatory health insurance here and the insurance card issued by my insurer has my policy details on one side and the EHIC card is on the other side.
As long as your friend gets covered by the health insurance system in the country she's going to be living in she will be entitled to EHIC cover. However, as others have noted, this does not mean she won't need travel insurance. Note that the cost and scope of travel insurance varies greatly in different countries. In the UK I used to take out a policy that covered me for everything - medical care, repatriation, cancellations, theft etc - premium for annual cover was £40. It transpires that in Switzerland I will have to take out extra cover from my health insurance provider for the medical care side of things and I have to take out an extra travel policy for everything else - cost between them will be a few hundred CHF.
So your friend needs to work out what cover exactly she will be provided with, it sounds likely that this would provide her with EHIC. But she will then need to look into travel insurance provisions in the country she's going to, too. Based on that she can work out how much local cover would cost her and can compare that to the cost of the cover she can get through her US insurer.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:50 AM on July 10, 2011
It's nothing to do with citizenship - I am German, when I lived in the UK I was paying national insurance contributions which entitled me to NHS healthcare...so I was also entitled to en EHIC card. I now live in Switzerland, I have taken out the mandatory health insurance here and the insurance card issued by my insurer has my policy details on one side and the EHIC card is on the other side.
As long as your friend gets covered by the health insurance system in the country she's going to be living in she will be entitled to EHIC cover. However, as others have noted, this does not mean she won't need travel insurance. Note that the cost and scope of travel insurance varies greatly in different countries. In the UK I used to take out a policy that covered me for everything - medical care, repatriation, cancellations, theft etc - premium for annual cover was £40. It transpires that in Switzerland I will have to take out extra cover from my health insurance provider for the medical care side of things and I have to take out an extra travel policy for everything else - cost between them will be a few hundred CHF.
So your friend needs to work out what cover exactly she will be provided with, it sounds likely that this would provide her with EHIC. But she will then need to look into travel insurance provisions in the country she's going to, too. Based on that she can work out how much local cover would cost her and can compare that to the cost of the cover she can get through her US insurer.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:50 AM on July 10, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
However, the EHIC is NOT insurance, and it won't cover everything.
posted by Jehan at 5:26 PM on July 9, 2011 [1 favorite]