To think prescription costs from Ireland should be reimbursed?

[MariaDingbat]

Hi,

I live in the UK but was recently in Ireland and had to get a prescription filled. I have a E11 card but the pharmacy didn't look at it. The prescription charge came in at €160!!! Which I am not used to at all but I needed to get the prescription, it couldn't wait to I got home. It's there any way to get that cost reimbursed? The E11 card says your health insurer should reimburse you but does that mean that's the NHS? I can't find a single thing online about getting prescriptions reimbursed by the NHS but it's not a small amount of money so I'm seeing if anyone here might have come across this before and could help?

[MariaDingbat]

Oh and it was a pregnancy related prescription.

[workshy44]

We have to pay for prescriptions in Ireland (up to a certain amount amount, think it is 130 or 160 Euros)
That is unless you have a medical /GP for lower income households

[Bert2020]

Your travel insurance should cover the cost.

[RandomLondoner]

I think the rule with EHIC cards is that you pay the same amount as a local person would. So based on workshy's post, it sounds like you've paid the right amount.

(I wouldn't have though travel insurance pays non-emergency prescriptions.)

[lyralalala]

Your EHIC card doesn't entitle you to NHS type charges - it entitles you to the same access and charges as local people in the country you are in.

If you have health insurance that would reimburse you a prescription charge here then they may reimburse you, but the NHS won't reimburse you.

You could try your travel insurance, but I've never had one that covers prescriptions.

[PineappleDanish]

No, you have a EHIC card not a E111 card.

As others have said, EHIC puts you on the same standing as an Irish citizen. They pay for prescriptions, you do too. No refunds. And quite right too.

[Star81]

Your health insurer is your travel insurance company.

[TheRoyallingStones]

EHIC gives you the same treatment as citizens of the country you’re in, not the same as NHS.

If you had travel insurance then claim on that. If you didn’t then lesson learned for next time!

[Gingerkittykat]

No, the NHS shouldn't be reimbursing you for prescriptions when you are outside the UK.

[Likethebattle]

If you have travel I durance you could try to claim but you would pay any excess. The NHS is not a ‘medical insurer’ and Pregnancy doesn’t make you special.

[lockdownstress]

Claim on your travel insurance though the excess may make it not worth it.

[JagerPlease]

As PPs have said the EHIC just entitles you to the same cost as someone local, and the NHS reimburses the loss to the member state. So if your €160 euro prescription was actually worth €200, the NHS would pay €40 to Ireland, not the cost to you

[lockdownstress]

If you didn't have travel insurance then chalk this up to experience, be glad it wasn't more, and never travel without it again.