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Healthcare | 27
International
healthcare
The rules on how much help you can expect when
abroad are complex
by Graham Thompson,
Sales and Marketing Director,
à la carte healthcare limited
I
f you are planning to relocate abroad, which they had settled. They were wrong. Of EEC nations plus Norway, Lichtenstein and
whether permanently or simply for an course the E111 has long since been replaced by Iceland. If you’re planning to live outside these
extended stay, there should be few European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and areas, you will not be covered by healthcare
things more important to your plan- whilst you should always carry one in your paid for by the UK and the sooner you start
ning than your future healthcare. back pocket if you’re simply visiting, remember exploring the health insurance options open to
While today’s range of health insurance that it is for emergency use only and is you the better.
products means that you can find and even designed to help you with conditions that arise If you already have health insurance in the
design one that’s exactly right for you and during your stay. It will give you the same level UK, that will be the place to start because you
yours, it’s likely that you will need a health of treatment a resident of that country would will achieve continuity of underwriting and
insurance professional to help you obtain what expect, but of course some countries expect maintain any no claims bonuses you may have
you need. It’s not surprising when you consid- their citizens to pay a contribution towards the accrued. Your policy will still need to be
er the thousands of different combinations of cost of treatment and that will include you. reviewed in the light of the level of medical
insurance needs thrown up by the basic check The cost of repatriation is certainly not cov- care available in your destination country – for
list of questions such as; Where are you going? ered, so it is important to have both an EHIC instance you may wish to add in repatriation
How long do you intend to stay? How old are and a valid private travel insurance policy. In charges - but at least you’ll avoid fresh set-up
you? Are you going to be working? Do you fact some insurers now insist you hold an costs.
receive a UK pension? And that’s before any- EHIC and many will waive the excess if you Within the EEA, the rules on how much help
body discusses health, family circumstances or have one. you can expect are complex to say the least and
medical history. Essentially the great divide between those once you’ve moved, you won’t be entitled to the
You’d be surprised at the number of UK countries where some free healthcare might be EHIC. In fact if you want to come home on a
expatriates living in the EU who thought that available to you and those where you’re on your visit, you’ll need to apply for an EHIC issued by
the old E111 European medical assistance form own, is between the nations in the European your new country of residence. On the other
would give them complete access to the nation- Economic Area (EEA) plus Switzerland and the hand, if you’re receiving a UK state pension or
al health care provisions of the country in rest of the world. The EEA is composed of the long-term incapacity benefit, you should be
www.investmentinternational.com January 2009 Investment International
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