More than six million Brits risk having to pay medical bills for emergency treatment in Europe

More than six million Brits could be missing out on their right to cheap or free emergency medical care abroad after a dramatic fall in the number of people with either a GHIC or a valid EHIC card.

In 2018 more than 26.6 million Brits had an EHIC. But the latest NHS data obtained by specialist travel insurance provider Insurancewith, shows that figure, including those covered by the new GHIC replacement card has fallen to just over 20 million – a difference of more than 6.5 million*.

Insurancewith specialises in travel insurance cover for those with pre-existing medical conditions.

The cards entitle travellers to emergency health care at the same cost as locals in 27 EU countries plus Switzerland. In many European countries, including Spain for example – the number one destination for British holidaymakers – emergency treatment is discounted or even free with an EHIC or GHIC. Having access to this type of protection is particularly important for those travelling abroad with a medical condition.

Fiona Macrae, who founded Insurancewith, said: “These health cards are particularly important for people with pre-existing medical conditions because they can contribute towards the cost of emergency medical treatment while in Europe.

“However, I would stress that EHIC or GHIC health cards are not a replacement for travel insurance. For example, they won’t provide cover for the cost of flying you home in the event of a medical emergency (also known as repatriation costs).”

One example of the importance of having both an EHIC or GHIC in place, as well as travel insurance, is a British holidaymaker who sustained severe neck injuries in Cyprus after hitting their head on the bottom of a swimming pool. Their GHIC covered the £20,000 medical bill for emergency surgery. And their travel insurance covered the £25,000 air ambulance costs to bring them back to the UK.

While their travel insurance may have covered the full amount for emergency medical treatment, their health insurance card would not have paid for an air ambulance to repatriate them – and it would’ve been down to the individual or their family to cover these costs.

GHICs – which replaced the old EHIC after Brexit – are free and can be obtained from the NHS on their website at https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/.

Macrae continued: “It’s worth remembering, it may not be as simple as just jumping on the next available flight should you fall ill abroad, you may not be fit enough to take a standard flight or you may need a medical escort, or to book more than one seat so you have more room. All of these situations would be covered, where medically necessary, by your travel insurance policy.”

There are also other situations that could happen during a trip abroad where travellers may need protection in place too. For example, needing to cancel a trip, being delayed on the outbound leg of the journey, or even experiencing lost or damaged personal possessions. Health insurance cards wouldn’t cover the cost in these scenarios, but a travel insurance policy is likely to.

The EHIC or GHIC reciprocal agreement also does not extended further afield, which means travellers visiting a destination outside of Europe would not be able to claim for any medical costs under the scheme and would need to rely on their travel insurance.