The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles you to receive medical treatment in other Member States for free. Before going on vacation to a European country, you should remember to go down to a National Health Fund (NFZ) branch and get yourself the EHIC. This card will entitle you to receive free medical treatment in urgent circumstances. The EHIC is a plastic-card document that entitles the owner to use healthcare services across the EU and in the EFTA states (Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). This insurance is only for emergency treatment and does not cover planned medical procedures. For a guide on the EHIC, go to NFZ’s website www.nfz.gov.pl. According to this guide, a necessary treatment is “any treatment that the physician believes cannot be delayed due to patient’s condition, without the patient having to return to the country to receive treatment under a state health-insurance scheme." If you are abroad and need medical treatment, go to a healthcare facility and present the card to a physician or to administrative staff. Some countries will also require you to produce your ID.
Not always free of charge
The EHIC entitles its owner to use the same treatment – the same procedures and rates – that is provided in the country he/she is staying in under the statutory social security scheme of such country. Before leaving your country, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the public healthcare system of the country you are going to. Look up “My destination" in the NFZ’s guide for information about the respective countries.
In many countries, some medical services are only partly covered by the insurance and the patient has to pay some of the costs. For example, if a given country charges its patients extra costs for the first days of a hospital stay or for some medicines, patients from Poland will be charged extra costs too, and these costs will not be refundable by NFZ. Also, the card does not ensure free medical transport.
In Belgium, for example, outpatient treatment, dental treatment and medicines have to be first paid for in full. The patient can then request a refund from the local health maintenance organisation. The patients, however, will not get a full refund. Their participation in the costs is 25-40% for medical advice and dental treatment, up to 80% for medicines, and 2 Euro for providing a prescription.
Some countries that are popular among the Poles as ski destinations, such as Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, charge full costs of mountain rescue. In this case, it might be a good idea to purchase a private insurance policy.
If you presented your EHIC and a healthcare facility has still charged you for a treatment that is covered under the scheme of the visited state, you may seek a refund from NFZ after returning to Poland. Remember though, to keep all the original payment receipts.
Who may receive the card
The EHIC is issued for a specific period. Issued to insured individuals, such as employees, pensioners and students insured by their universities, the card will be valid 6 months. Unemployed persons who are registered with the Employment Agency receive a 2-month EHIC. For retired persons, the card is valid 5 years. To receive the EHIC, you need to submit an application. You can do so either in person, in a NFZ branch, or by regular mail/e-mail. You can collect your card in a branch or receive it by registered mail.
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