EHIC card or the old fashoined E111... just a word of warning!

[angels3]

I've just been on line to renew our EHIC cards, and was directed to a website claiming they issue the card. The final page of the web asked for a payment of £14.99!!! I obv did not pay this as the cards are free.

I went to the NHS web page and applied for the card online for FREE through them, but there is a comments page at the bottom and it seems several people have paid something between £9.99 and £14.99 like I nearly did.

So apply for your card through the NHS web site and it will be free - here is the page I used.

www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/Applyingandrenewing.aspx

As angels3 has rightly stated th EHIC cards are free and no-one should have to pay a third party organisation any sort of processing fee.

If you have a EHIC card please do not just rely on these alone when you travel abroad; have a travel insurance policy as well. EHIC cards can be limited in terms of healthcare and certainly do not cover repatriation costs
back to the UK.

The E111 card was abolished in 2006 and the EHIC replaced it.

Well reminded! Just applied for renewed ones.

Good thread thanks

If you forget to get the EHIC card on time, phone the EHIC people and the nice lady on the other end of the phone will give you a phone number which needs to be phoned in case of crisis.

The EHIC card will give you the same level of treatment as a local would get. The travel insurance will then provide the difference including repatriation etc.

Therefore you need both EHIC & Travel Insurance.

As a top tip, find out what your cover actually is before you go and also make sure you know what you are supposed to do in case of an emergency.

Atilla and Gnome

I agree, these are not enough alone, and you do need travel ins, but we have been in France and needed to use them, quite sucessfully! It just makes me angry that some schister is making money out of us, when all we are trying to do is protect our families the best we can.

Its not as if there aren't enough bills in the world we have to pay.

Time for a cuppa me thinks!