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SolveYourProblem
Article Series:
Health Insurance
Health
Insurance For Traveling Internationally
When traveling abroad not only should you
make sure that you have had all the vaccines required for where
you will be going, remember to find out what kind of medical
coverage you have when leaving the country. Some insurance
plans are only good in the country where they were purchased,
while others have some sort of coverage for traveling abroad.
It is possible to have a medical emergency while traveling
and you will need to have your medical information with you
at the time of service. Since January 1, 2006 it is now required
for all persons traveling in Europe to have a European Health
Insurance Card (EHIC) to be able to receive medical treatment
while visiting an European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
So, make sure you find out if the country in which you are
traveling even accepts your insurance and if not what you will
need, such as an EHIC card or something else similar.
The
EHIC is valid for three to five years. It covers any medical
treatment that becomes necessary during your trip, due to either
illness or an accident. This can be very handy especially when
traveling with the family. The card gives you and your family
access to state-provided medical treatment and you'll be treated
on the same basis as an 'insured' person living in the country
you're visiting. Depending on what country you are visiting,
you might have a co-pay or fee depending on the type of treatment.
Each country has its own uses for the card, so be sure to know
the usage and limitations of each country you are visiting.
Flare-ups of chronic diseases and pre-existing conditions is
also covered under EHIC, such as dyalisis or diabetes. Make
sure you have all you medical issues cleared up before traveling
abroad to reduce the risk of needing medical assistance. But
having the protection in case of an emegency is much better
than getting stuck with a huge bill.
EHIC
will not cover you if getting medical treatment is the
main purpose of your trip. If you have scheduled a surgical
procedure abroad then you won’t be able to use EHIC and should
have made the arrangements with your private insurance to handle
that. Make sure when scheduling a medical procedure in another
country your private insurance is a form that is accepted.
EHIC is for people who have no known health issues or minor
health problems. This will enable them to be covered in cases
of emergency or falling ill while traveling. This keeps the
individual from have to spend all their money in medical treatment.
You should take out comprehensive private insurance as well
for visits to all countries, regardless of whether you are
covered by your EHIC. For women traveling abroad during pregnancy
EHIC should cover any routine visit you might need. They will
also cover an emergency birth, but other paper work might have
to filled out at the time. If your sole purpose is to give
birth in another country you will not be able to use EHIC.
You will have to fill out other types of paper work that you
can obtain from the government of the country you are seeking
to birth in.
Apply for the European Health Insurance Card if you:
- Plan to go on holiday to another EU / EEA country or Switzerland
- Regularly visit any of these countries on business, as a transport
worker or for leisure
- Plan to go to any of these countries to look for work
- Are being sent by your employer to work in any of these countries
temporarily
- Intend to go to school in any of these countries
- Intend to visit any of these countries for any other type
of temporary stay where healthcare in itself is not the aim
of the visit
Having a European Health Insurance Card will allow you to
get reduced cost or free medical assistance while traveling
in European Economic Area countries, and Switzerland. The European
Economic Are includes the European Union, including Iceland
and also Liechtenstein and Norway. Switzerland also participates
but has a slightly different policy than some of the other
countries. Make sure you know where you will be staying and
what the policy is for each country. Click here to to view health insurance quotes, compare plans side-by-side and apply for the most affordable health insurance within your budget. I did this myself (June 17, 2011) to change my health insurance policy. Saved me $84 per month (or $1,008 per year). It's my SolveYourProblem recommendation.
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by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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