617,088 Norwegians have received a new European health insurance card during the first six months of this year.
This is a decrease from 733,679 in the same period last year. But not everyone knows what the card will be used for. Or where it should be stored.
– We register that many people think that they do not need private travel insurance when they have a European health insurance card. It is a big misunderstanding. We recommend everyone to have private travel insurance in addition.
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The European Health Insurance Card does not cover treatment at a private hospital or with a private doctor, nor does it cover transport home, says senior advisor Marianne Storemyr at the Helfo service center to DinSide.
They are doing it wrong
The decrease of 116,591 fewer cards this year than at the same time this year may have several reasons, but Helfo believes the main reason for this may be that those who usually go on holiday abroad applied for cards last year – as a lag after the pandemic – and did not need to apply again this year.
– We also see that many people have received the card, but do not take it with them when travelling. It is a great advantage to have the card itself with you and to be able to show it if you need health care from a doctor or a hospital connected to the public health system in the country you are staying in, says Storemyr, who says that it comes as a surprise to some that have the same rights abroad as in Norway.
– There are also many who do not know that the European Health Insurance Card scheme is anchored in the EEA Agreement, but believe that it is a uniquely Norwegian scheme.
Here’s how to do it
– Can you post for hospital/treatment expenses abroad, and submit receipts for reimbursement when you return home?
– If you have received health care in an EU/EEA country, and have paid for the treatment, we advise you to go to the website of Health Norway and read more about the possibilities for reimbursement, and how to go about applying.
– Every year there are reports of private medical offices abroad that refuse to give Norwegians treatment if they only have the health insurance card and not private travel insurance?
– Helfo cannot answer for private actors abroad, but a private doctor’s office will probably be paid, says Marianne Storemyr to DinSide.
This is the European health insurance card
If you have to see a public doctor or public hospital when you are traveling in the EEA or Switzerland, the health insurance card can secure you health care, so that you can continue your holiday. By showing the card, you must receive the necessary health care on the same terms as the residents of the country you are visiting reside in. You also pay a deductible in the same way as the citizens there. Are you a member of the National Insurance in Norway and a citizen either here or in a other EEA countryyou have the right to get a European health insurance card. You simply apply to get the card helsenorge.no. There you will also find useful information about using the health insurance card. It is unnecessary to order a new one before the old one is about to expire. The health insurance card is valid for up to three years from the date it is issued. You can find the expiry date on the card itself. Remember to put the card in your wallet or another suitable place when you pack your luggage.
If you still don’t have the card available when you need it, you can call +47 23 32 70 00.
Helfo can then possibly issue an emergency form to the public hospital or medical center you are at.
The phone is serviced on weekdays from 08.00 to 15.30.
(Source: Helfo)
While children have the same travel insurance and insurance certificate as their parents, the rules are different when it comes to the health insurance card.
– Children must have their own card. And it normally takes ten working days from the time you apply for a European health insurance card until you receive it in the post. If the application is sent for manual processing, it may take a little longer, says the senior adviser.
You can apply for a new card even if you are still registered with a valid card. And, unlike the rules with passports, there is no limit to how many cards you can order.
And for the record: the card is free.
Hello, my name is Odd Roar Lange and I am a travel expert and journalist for DinSide and Dagbladet. Do you have a tip about the health card or medical treatment abroad? Or do you have an experience, a question or a smart suggestion that others should get to know?
2023-08-07 04:45:33
#big #misunderstanding
