If you are in the habit of traveling or if you are scheduled to travel to Europe, then you must have the valid card in the healthcare system in Europe with you. The European Health Card, as it is commonly known, has the uniform designation of European Health Insurance Card (CESD) in all Member States. We will explain how to order a European Health Card.
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European Health and Illness Card, what it is for.
It is issued by Social Security and is free of charge.
If you travel in Europe you can use the card if you need health care, either by accident or in an emergency. It works like a European health insurance.
With the card, you are covered by the same conditions as nationals of the state where you are.
You can contact any health care provider connected to the Social Security system in the country of stay. You only have to present the card, which is personal and non-transferable.
If you travel with your household, they must also have a card, to access, if necessary, the healthcare system in Europe.
What is the interest in ordering a European Health Card?
It allows access to the health system in Europe, for medical assistance in the countries of the European Union and also in 4 countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
It can be used whether on vacation, on business or even as a student. It is valid for temporary stays in any of those States.
It does not cover health expenses if you travel solely for the purpose of obtaining medical treatment. For this purpose, you must have obtained prior authorization.
The card does not allow assistance in private places, it is only valid in the public systems of each country.
In the case of travel, this insurance does not replace travel insurance.
There are some health insurance that can be complementary to the public health system, even outside the country.
As it is covered by the same conditions that each State offers to its citizens, there may be cases in which assistance is completely free, but in others it may have to pay the costs, equivalent to our moderating fees, in force in the country you visit.
In some Member States, there may be private health facilities that are covered by the social security system of the country where they are temporarily located.
What are the conditions of this type of insurance in each Member State?
To order a European health card and to find out the conditions in each Member State, the information is available “online”. Just go to the website European Comission and look for the country you want to visit.
You can also download the European health and illness card application to your Smartphone, which has a guide on how to use the card in the 28 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
It includes general information about the card, emergency phone numbers, treatments and costs covered, how to request a refund and who to contact in case you lose your card, as well as a card validity reminder function.
All this information is also available on your “smartphone” when you are “offline”.
The application is available in 25 languages with the facility of switching from one language to another.
Access to European Health Insurance.
The card can be ordered online, on the Social Security Direct website and is sent to your home by letter. It is valid for three years, after which a new request must be made.
Enter your NISS - social security identification number and password.
Once inside the Direct Social Security system, choose the option “Illness” and, within this option, “Get European Health Insurance Card”:
Selecting the “European Health Insurance Card”, you will find the application form that you will have to fill in with your details.
Online Card Renewal
To renew the European Health and Illness Card, you will need to follow the same steps, although you can only apply for renewal during the last month when the period expires.
If you want to be served elsewhere, there are other alternatives, available in the usual places that you can find out by visiting the same site.
Ask for the Health Card how long does it take?
From our experience, European health insurance takes less than a month to deliver. However, it must be considered that, being sent by post and using the CTT service, they have lately shown a relative slow delivery.
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