Are you going to spend your vacation in one of the European Union countries? Check how the local he alth service works. If you need medical help, you will receive it under the terms applicable to the nationals of the country you are going to. What should you know about treatment abroad?
If in a specific country its inhabitants pay from a private pocket for a specific service, then we will also have to do so. In Greece, for example, you pay for a lot of tests, including x-rays. So if during yourvacationyou suspect that you have broken your arm and need to take an x-ray, you will pay for it out of your own pocket. Although in Poland the benefit is paid from general contributions. Therefore, before leaving, it is worth finding out about the pitfalls that may await us on vacation, if we needmedical carein emergencies.
Treatment abroad - take the E111 form
It is worth taking with you not only the formE111(the one that certifies our right to free emergency treatment on holiday in EU countries), just in case, but also some copies of it. In some countries (e.g. France, Italy) doctors and hospitals want to see the original but also take a copy of the document.
Treatment abroad: medications
Most EU countries pay a compulsory flat fee for medicines. In some, you have to pay the full price of the drug and then apply for a refund. Therefore, you should keep the medicine pack. In France and Greece, in order to receive money, you should send to the insurer a receipt from the pharmacy with a sticky note from the packaging with the name and size of the medication.
According to an expertMarcin Ajewski, Medicover Medical DirectorIf we are going on holiday abroad and we do not want to pay out of our own pocket for emergency treatment, the best solution is to purchase additional travel insurance. Preferably one that includes a non-cash transaction security. When something happens and we have to use medical assistance, we will inform the insurer's assistance center about it and then we will not pay out of our own pocket in any country. The insurer will claim reimbursement of the costs of medical assistance from the National He alth Fund, taking us offthe same trouble from the head.
The money for the drugs will be given back to us by the French equivalent of our National He alth Fund.
Treatment abroad in a life-threatening situation
Remember that in all life-threatening cases it is enough to have a passport. The he alth service has no right to refuse help, we can arrange the formalities later.
Accident insurance
Before we go on vacation, it is worth taking out accident insurance. Thanks to him, if something bad happens to us and they have to take us to Poland, the transport will be free for us. Otherwise we can pay. In the EU, it is not customary to transport the patient to his country free of charge.