Free Health Insurance For Europeans

[oldsailor35]

I am Australian, so this does not apply to me, but i am curious.

Today i read on internet that European retirees carry a health care card which they can use to get free treatment in Thailand and their respective countries will cover the costs.

Is this correct.

[Dave the Dude]

NO ITS NOT!

I understand Norway has some type of agreement with Thailand for healthcare for its citizens, but most others are in the same boat as you.

Wish you were right though!

[NALAK]

definatly not, i just lost all my rights to UK health care because they knew i was out of the UK for more than 3 months a year. paid into it for over 30 years, criminals and asylum seekers get best treatment as in free health care on demand.

[alyx]

FALSE for French Nationals

[PattayaParent]

Brits do get free health care in Australia though :jap:

[samran]

Brits do get free health care in Australia though :jap:

and vice versa.

[David006]

Brits do get free health care in Australia though :jap:

Well that IS news...must have missed THAT one...details please???

[PattayaParent]

Brits do get free health care in Australia though :jap:

Well that IS news...must have missed THAT one...details please???

^well it's more than 20 years since I've been to Australia but back then if you were a Brit and staying more than 6 months you could go to the local health department (I went to the one in Sydney) and register and get a health card to use in hospitals throughout the country.

I think it was introduced for those on a 1 year work visa and was reciprocated in UK.

Of course it could have all changed since then?

[samran]

Brits do get free health care in Australia though :jap:

Well that IS news...must have missed THAT one...details please???

here you go

http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/migrants/visitors/index.jsp

[PattayaParent]

^that's pretty much what it was when I was there.

[manhattan55]

Possibly the OP is referring to the "European Health Insurance Card" (EHIC). The card is issued to any resident of the EU and a few affiliated non-EU countries in Europe, as long as such resident is insured by or covered by a state social security system in any member state of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. The EHIC gives holders access to public sector health care as nationals of the country you are visiting and in case you need to receive medical attention in a country that charges for health care, you will be reimbursed either immediately or after you return to your home country.

However, the EHIC only allows the holder to access health care services when travelling to other EU or EEA countries (as defined above), i.e. this would exclude Thailand from the coverage.

There is a multitude of information available on the internet by googling for "European Health Insurance Card".

[alyx]

Brits do get free health care in Australia though :jap:

Well that IS news...must have missed THAT one...details please???

^well it's more than 20 years since I've been to Australia but back then if you were a Brit and staying more than 6 months you could go to the local health department (I went to the one in Sydney) and register and get a health card to use in hospitals throughout the country.

I think it was introduced for those on a 1 year work visa and was reciprocated in UK.

Of course it could have all changed since then?

It did work the same way from me as it was compulsory to register with the health department when staying over a period of six months and I am ....French. That was 30 years ago though. It might have changed