The Department of Health in the UK is warning Britons that they are risking their health when they go abroad because up to three million of those who are travelling to Europe are thought to be without a valid European Health Insurance Card.
This worrying fact comes hot on the heels of news that Britons living abroad are unaware that they need a flexible health insurance plan if they intend to return home to the UK for any length of time, as access to the British NHS is not guaranteed for Brits who are resident outside the UK.
At a time when the global community is facing everything from the very real symptoms of recession depression to a potential pandemic of swine flu, we find it extraordinary that travelling and expatriating Britons aren’t making more of an effort to ensure that their global health requirements are taken care of. In this article we’ll look at the worrying facts and statistics, and show you how you can get affordable cover in place that will take care of you and your family no matter where in the world you’re travelling to or living.
British Government Warning
The Department of Health has issued a warning to the estimated three million Britons who have failed to renew their European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) that ran out at the end of March this year. They are advising them to renew this free benefit or face the prospect of expensive medical bills if they travel abroad for business or pleasure. In a recent survey 68% of those polled who hold the EHIC were unaware when it expired – so if you hold one, you’re encouraged to check out its validity.
The European Health Insurance Card
If you don’t hold a valid EHIC you may wonder about its usefulness – well, all you perhaps need to know is that almost one half of holidaymaking Britons fall ill when abroad, and of this figure up to 35% avoid getting medical treatment overseas for fear of the cost that they will incur. If you have an EHIC in your wallet and you are taken ill in Europe, your emergency treatment will be free or heavily subsidised – therefore it makes sense to have this free benefit from the British government. However, as one Briton found when he travelled to Ireland last year, an EHIC doesn’t cover all your medical costs and it certainly doesn’t cover you for long-term treatment abroad or repatriation.
You might think that if you’re moving to Ireland or just going there on holiday that you won’t need any form of medical insurance because it is so close geographically to the UK that if you fell ill you could get home. Well, for those who are going to become resident in Ireland, access to free treatment on the NHS could be lost, and for those thinking about holidaying in Ireland, anything more than emergency care could end up costing you substantially.
For expatriate Brits living elsewhere in the world, the story is the same, the EHIC won’t cover you as you’re resident outside the UK, the NHS may not be accessible to you if you return to the UK and need anything other than emergency treatment, and you can probably guarantee that the medical services available abroad in your new nation will cost you handsomely if you try to have access to them. So, you need to seriously think about getting health insurance in place. There are many providers of expatriate medical insurance because it is such a large marketplace – and because most expats are well aware that they have to have cover in place for peace of mind if nothing else.
Expatriate and International Health Insurance Needn’t Cost the Earth
In this day and age however, the cost of everything from a loaf of bread to your essential insurances will be coming under the microscope as we all realise that we not only have to stay living within our means because the great credit promotion that our governments allowed to happen was an unsustainable scam, but because of weak economies, currency fluctuations and job instability. So naturally enough, you may well be wondering how much expatriate health insurance is going to cost you, and whether there are any ways to reduce the overall cost.
The good news is that a basic level of cover needn’t cost the earth, and that if you’re insured with a reputable provider you can often ensure that you’re insured for not only your new nation of residence, but the UK as well for when you visit home. Think about the basic level of cover you need, consider increasing the excess you pay to reduce your monthly premium, and know that the earlier you get cover in place the better – because the older you get the more expensive cover becomes.
Which Health Insurance Policy?
If you’re not sure which provider to opt for, have a look online as there are many of the larger firms offering free quotation services and even cover and premium comparisons with their competitors…and if you are still in a quandary at the end of your research, you could consider asking a financial adviser for their recommendations based on your own personal requirements and circumstances. The bottom line is, don’t risk your health and your wealth by opting out of expatriate or international health insurance.
