It is called the EHIC and issued under EU Social Security Regulations. It is applied across all EU/EEA states. [Switzerland is an EEA State as you well know]. EU regulations apply in EEA States.
I repeat it has no validity outside the States where EU Regs apply. If The UK left the EU totally then the EHIC will have no validity in the UK (without special consideration) and the EHIC will not be available to British Citizens in the UK, who would not recieve such medical support within the EU/EEA. Those who would be able to obtain an EHIC because of employment within the EU/EEA or as a dependent on an EU/EEA national would be able to use it elsewhere in the EU/EEA but NOT in the UK.
In May 2012 there were 57630 British State Pensioners in France. This was an increase from 54980 in May 2011. All those who have never paid into the French Social Security system, and it must be the majority, are dependent on the British State for their welfare and thus also for their EHIC- which would cease if the UK left the EU (unless special conditions are assured in the event.) Such persons would otherwise have no regular State provided Medical cover.
Depends whether you are a pensioner or not and in receipt of an S1 or E121. If you are, CPAM will not renew or issue and you have to do it by post with the Pension Service. The site says:
You cannot apply online for your UK-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if you live abroad. You must apply by post using form EHICE, which should be sent to you automatically with your S1 or E121. If you haven’t received an EHICE application, please contact the relevant organization.
UK state pensioners contact The Pension Service on 00 44 191 218 7777
UK long-term incapacity benefit recipients contact the DWP on 00 44 191 218 1999
Careful with that Brian. My Swiss wife has one. Before we were married it was a Swiss issued one, then she had a UK one, now French one. I have been required to have it for two contracts in non-EU but European countries. I believe it is not called EHIC rather than EUHIC for nothing. Be very cautious about taking action without finding out exactly. Country to country arrangements would change most certainly but I think the EHIC agreement not. Not ALL retired persons do receive their EHIC from the UK unless they come here after retirement. Those who reach retirement age here and have worked or contributed to the fiscal regime who already have one continue to have a French one. Please note David Rosemont's post on that matter and again careful find out before assuming all approximately 57,000 are as you say. I believe you will find some thousands are not. I went through this with RSI last year in anticipation of reaching (UK) retirement age this year although not retiring and heard and saw that French regulations do not say exactly what you are saying.
I share your concern about the possibility of the UK leaving the EU to the point that my OH at home in Switzerland is collecting the documentation that gives me residence in her canton, a right I already have, but with the necessary date stamps to enable me to quickly obtain Swiss nationality and be able to remain here without change. So seriously do I take it that that is in hand. The disaster is so clear to me that I dared not act, just in case.
If Britain leaves the EU the EH Insurance Card [EHIC] would have no validity in Britain.
All British Citizens resident beyond the UK would be considered as not covered regularly by the NHS and might be asked to contribute. In effect they would be treated as any other foreigner for health. The laws on benefits which would apply are clearly in a state of flux under the current Government.
At present all retired UK Citizens (57,000 in France) under EU rules receive their EHIC from the NHS/DWP in the UK. This would cease (unless special rules are introduced for them) if the UK left the EU. At the moment the UK is the 'competent State' for the social security of all such retirees, and responible for the costs of their health care provided under the French (or other State) system of health care. On the UK leaving the EU this arrangement would cease (again unless special arrangements are put in place), and such retirees would have in consequence no State health cover
British Citizens should be aware of the potential disaster if the UK opted out of the EU.
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Strange but true, we got a UK one, sent to us in France. It says that when we get back from our holidays we should claim any expenses from the UK government. We have been here for more than four years. I am keeping it anyway!
Thanks everyone for all your help, I am thinking the site may be down due to weather so will try again tpmorrow I will certainly let you all know what the outcome is
I ordered mine and my husbands on the Ameli site, on line, and we received our cards very quickly, we are attached to the Rochefort, Charente-Maritime , office but the cards came from somewhere else and I actually don't recall from where. I wonder if the notice of "unavailable" comes from the weather conditions and difficulties up north of us .
Yes, mine came from Newcastle. I hadn't realised before that it had an expiry date. I see mine is 09.06.2015. I wonder why they feel it's necessary to have an expiry date, it's not as if there's a photo which needs updating and as we are pensioners when we get the card from Newcastle it seems odd to me.
If you come as a pensioner then you are expected to get your EHIC from the UK since you are drawing the pension there. If you have worked prior to retirement it is here. Because I reach UK retirement this year, I checked last year and that was the information RSI gave me. It was read to me in my presence then I was shown it to glance over myself. Seems clear enough to me. I don't think Roz is a pensioner though, so no real help.
Good to hear your excellent result in all senses. It's also true that lots of medical tourism happens in teh UK but British expats are in a different category one hopes. On the other hand a friend had an accident in Geneva and they would not admit him to hospital without sight of his insurance or the then equivalent of £10k in cash! That was over 20 years ago and the treating othopod was called Doctor Tchop if I recall correctly!
I am over retirement age and I got mine in France by the route mentioned already, using the ameli.fr website. I have never had to contact the UK to get it and no-one has ever suggested that I should.
As I understand it you now have to get your EHIC card from the UK to entitle you to cover whilst over there. For this you have to ring the Newcastle branch to get your application form. This came in a couple of years ago and I was actually sent my application form in order to get this card.
I don't go far these days but a few years ago, we went back to England for our daughter's wedding. On arrival I had total kidney failure. I went into three different hospitals for treatment and each time, my wife offered Carte Vitalle, European Card and Mutuelle but all were ignored and not required. Maybe because of the seriousness of the situation. No doubt if we had not had them I would have been refused any treatment.
We are with CPAM and have attestations but a while ago I went to order a health card online and was refused - when I queried it I was told I should write to the main office in st Brieuc (an hour away) with all my details,attestation, details of work etc.. so I wonder if they are just trying to make things difficult?
you have the possibility of downloading instantly and printing a temporary cars on Ameli (and the RAM for the independants) while you wait for them to send - which only takes about 5 days.