The health insurance funds: safe summers in Europe with a European Health Insurance Card
With summer holidays in full swing, people often choose to relax and travel in European countries. Specialists from health insurance funds urge people not to forget the European Health Insurance Card, which is easy to order and collect before departure. The card will make your holiday in Europe safer, as it guarantees you the necessary medical assistance you may need during your trip in medical facilities in another country.
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) confirms a person’s right to receive emergency medical care in the countries of the European Union, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, the cost of which is fully or partially covered by the health insurance funds.
“In summer, when people go abroad to enjoy their holidays, we issue twice as many cards as in other times of the year,” says Diana Remeikienė, a specialist of the Population Service Division of the Šiauliai Territorial Health Insurance Fund (THIF). According to her, there are times when about 400 cards are issued per day.
In total, in the first half of this year the THIF of Šiauliai issued more than 23,000 EHIC, and the territorial health insurance funds of all regions - almost 161,000 EHIC in the first half of this year.
People are particularly pleased that the card can be obtained as soon as the THIF is contacted. All the representatives in the districts are equipped with EHIC card printers, so that local residents can obtain an EHIC card on their first visit. EHIC are immediately printed and issued at all THIF offices upon ordering electronically or upon arrival at the office.
People also prefer to receive their EHIC by registered mail, so they don’t have to leave home to get their card. By filling in the online application form, people can choose to have their card sent by registered mail to their preferred address in Lithuania. But in this case, you have to wait a few days for the card. The card and the postage are free.
It is possible to order and collect an EHIC for minor children. It is necessary to present your ID document when collecting the card.
According to D. Remeikienė, when there is no time to take care of the card, when going on a trip, the insured person can log in to the information system of the National Health Insurance Fund through the Electronic Government Gateway portal and independently generate and download certificates to his/her own mobile phone for himself/herself and for his/her minor children, which will temporarily replace the EHIC. The certificate is valid until the last day of the current month, so you will need to generate it again the following month.
This certificate can also be downloaded if the EHIC is forgotten and the traveller urgently needs emergency medical treatment in a European country. If a person is unable to order the certificate, he or she can either submit an electronic application form to the THIF or contact the local public health insurance office in the country where he or she is staying. This institution will contact the Lithuanian THIF of the person’s place of residence to request a certificate.
Similar to the EHIC, the certificate is issued free of charge to insured persons. The costs of emergency medical treatment in European countries incurred with these documents are fully or partially reimbursed by the health insurance funds. Lithuanian insured persons who have suffered an injury or acute illness abroad can be sure, by presenting the certificate at a medical facility, that medical assistance will be provided in accordance with the scope of care and paid for in accordance with the procedures and rates laid down in that country.
If the insured person does not have an EHIC or a certificate while in Europe, he/she will have to pay for the cost of the emergency medical services provided. However, upon return to Lithuania, the person can apply to the THIF of his/her place of residence for reimbursement and provide proof of payment and medical documents.
Health insurance funds would like to remind that EHIC and the certificate are only for those insured with compulsory health insurance. They cannot be used once the insurance is no longer valid.
(Freepik photo)
Information from the Šiauliai Territorial Health Insurance Fund
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