Healthy
Holidays
At the start of the year we
reminded listeners that their old E 1-11 form which gives you medical
cover in the European Union, was out of date. Each person needs
their own form now – although a quarter of people recently
surveyed thought they could still include family members on the
one form.
Well Sally’s a spry 80 year old and loves to travel! She has
her own form and has been carrying it for years but recently she
began to wonder why she bothered when she had a bit of a fall in
Tenerife. We ask why when she had her E 1-11, did she have to pay
for treatment.
The Post Office® travel
services has warned that more than four million UK travellers could
be left exposed to unplanned medical costs by failing to travel
without a valid E111.
Research commissioned by Post
Office® travel services reveals that UK holidaymakers remain
ignorant of the need to travel with a valid E111, with one in five
of those surveyed neglecting to do so when visiting countries in
the European Union.
Of those travelling without
an E111, nearly half (42%) admit they do so as they are unaware
of its benefits, while a third (33 %) incorrectly presume that they
don’t need a form to receive medical cover within the EU because
they are a UK resident. More than a quarter (27%) still believes
that all family members can be included on one form, despite each
individual now requiring their own. Furthermore, 69% of travellers
are unaware that forms obtained before 19 August 2004 are no longer
valid.
The Head of travel services
at the Post Office®, said: “We are extremely concerned
that travellers do not recognise the importance of the E111. As
a result, millions of holidaymakers are leaving themselves vulnerable
to unnecessary headaches in recovering medical costs they are entitled
to as a UK resident, should they be taken ill or involved in an
accident on holiday.
“Our survey showed
that many people do not consider E111s to be a priority when organising
a holiday and often forget about getting a form. As the holiday
seasons gets underway, we are urging anyone planning to holiday
within the EU to ensure that a valid E111 is on their essential
checklist. E111 forms are completely free and all it takes is a
trip to your local Post Office® to pick one up and get it validated.”
According to its latest records,
the Post Office® expects to validate up to 12 million E111 forms
this year but in excess of 20 million UK travellers will need new,
validated forms.
Following a new EU agreement
in 2004 a revised E111 form was introduced in January 2005. As a
result, all E111s obtained before 19 August 2004 are no longer valid
and each family member must have their own individual form.
The E111 is not a substitute
for travel insurance and holidaymakers should take out adequate
travel cover in case of theft or loss of belongings, medical costs
or repatriation.
The revised E111, which is
valid until the end of 2005, is available free of charge from any
of Post Office across the UK. From January 2006, all countries in
the EU (including the UK) will need to be compliant with the European
Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which will be issued automatically
to residents with a valid E111.
Travellers are advised to refer
to the ‘Health Advice for Travellers’ booklet, available
from all Post Office® branches, to find out more about E111s.
Travellers can also find more information under the ‘Medical
care abroad’ section on the Post Office® website
New E111 forms are valid in the following countries. However, entitlements
for travellers and nationals are not the same for all countries
in the EU so travellers are advised to refer to the ‘Health
Advice for Travellers’ booklet available from all Post Office®
branches
or on the Department of Health website www.dh.gov.uk.
Austria Belgium Cyprus
Czech Republic Denmark Estonia
Finland France Germany
Gibraltar Greece Hungary
Iceland The Republic of Ireland Italy
Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania
Luxembourg Malta The Netherlands Norway Poland
Portugal Slovak Republic Slovenia
Spain Sweden Switzerland
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