Upon Poland’s accession to the European Union, we acquired the access to health services in other EU countries. Does it entitle you to have free medical treatment in all EU countries? Unfortunately, not always and not everywhere.

Health care in most EU countries is similar to ours in one respect: part of the cost is born by patients themselves (these are non-returnable fees). To receive help you have to complete a number of formalities. It may happen that you have to pay some amount of money yourself or pay for a surgery and then apply for reimbursement.

In such conditions the insurance included in Euro<26 card is without doubt a complete and comprehensive solution. Having an appropriate policy in Euro<26, you also have medical payment insurance (KL) up to 60,000 Euro.

What has changed in European Health Insurance Card (EKUZ) and E 111 form? Since 1^st January 2006 the E 111 form has been replaced by a plastic European Health Insurance Card (EKUZ). Unfortunately, it has not changed the fact that health services in the EU countries in many cases remain partly or wholly chargeable. EKUZ is simply the most ‘modern’ version of E 111 form. However, it does not provide any guarantee that you get medical treatment in the EU completely free of charge.

EKUZ –use it or not?
Insurance is like money in your pocket – you never have a sufficient amount of it. We are not going to tell you then that the European Health Insurance Card is completely useless. An additional policy may come in handy but in 99% of cases the policy included in Euro<26 will definitely do.



Basic information on EKUZ:

• It entitles you to use national insurance system in the EU (valid independently of the policy in Euro<26).
• It is issued by National Health Fund (NFZ).
• In some countries first you have to pay yourself for particular surgeries and then you can apply for reimbursement of medical expenses. Thus you have to have a lot of money on you or a credit card with an appropriately big credit.
• There are countries where you have to find a doctor who belongs to your national health service in order to be able to use EKUZ – in resorts and holiday towns this may be extremely difficult or even impossible.
• It does not provide accident insurance (NNW) – National Health Fund recommends taking out such insurance on every journey.

Insurance in Euro<26 is more that just medical treatment.
In relation to accidents there are situations, in which EKUZ is not able to find any solution and Euro<26 will help you to get yourself out without bearing any additional expenses.

• Insurance. EKUZ gives you a possibility to receive medical treatment but it does not guarantee that you will get damages after having an accident. You can be granted such damages in the amount of up to 20,000 zl with an appropriate policy in Euro<26.
• Break in a journey. If you have to stop and undergo medical treatment, nobody will pay you for the expenses incurred e.g. for catching up with your group. With Euro<26 you have got the amount of 500 Euro to do it.
• Minder’s stay. In the case when it is necessary to have an additional person to organise e.g. your return home – you have to pay for it yourself. You may need the Euro<26 policy then – it includes the costs of minder’s stay and covers travel expenses to the country of the injured and his minder.
• Recovery. Hospitals (to reduce costs) try to discharge patients as soon as possible. Sometimes after leaving hospital you may need some days to recover. You have two options to choose from – you either pay for board and accommodation yourself or you take advantage of Euro<26 policy – insurer bears the costs of your recovery up to 7 days!

How much is ‘free’ medical treatment in the EU countries - Examples.
Information acquired from the National Health Fund website. http://www.nfz.gov.pl/ue/index.php?katnr=5&dzialnr=2 accessed on 25 April 2006

• Italy. Fees for an appointment at the doctor’s (up to 36 Euros for a consultancy or test) and dental treatment are obligatory. For some prescription medicine you have to pay only a small flat rate (up to 3, 10 Euros), for others it is necessary to make full or part payment.
• Austria. You have to pay for each day of your hospital stay (10-15 Euros). For dental treatment it is required to make part payment. Price lists are set independently by the dentists, so it may be useful to ask the dentist for the price before treatment. Medicines included in the Austrian medicine list may be acquired at every chemist’s at a cost of regional health-insurance fund when you have a prescription from a doctor who in turn has an agreement with this fund. However, there is a non-returnable fee for a single medicine - 4, 45 Euros.
• Belgium. First you have to pay full price yourself for treatment as an outpatient, for dental treatment and medicines and then you can apply for reimbursement of some expenses in the regional health-insurance fund. Service provider gives a medical certificate stating what kind of treatment you have received. Once you have submitted this certificate to the regional health-insurance fund, it pays you back the expenses from which your share is deducted, i.e.: in case of doctor’s consultancy and dentist treatment: 25% - 40%, for medicines: 0%, 25%, 50%, 60%, 80% depending on the type of medicine.
• Spain. Full payment for dental treatment is obligatory. Some medicines are refunded and then you pay 40% of the price. Other medicines are available only at full price.
• France. If you receive treatment as an outpatient or buy medicines, you have to make full payment yourself and then apply for partial reimbursement in a regional health-insurance fund. Medical expenses are reimbursed by the fund in the amount of 70 % of the price set in the price list. According to the price list of the fund, an appointment at a general practitioner costs 20 Euros, and an appointment at a specialist doctor - 27 Euros.

The countries mentioned above provide only examples how much we have to pay for treatment in the EU countries without an additional insurance policy. It seems worth noticing that in majority of cases these costs constitute multiplication of the price you have to pay for Euro<26 card including insurance, which guarantees up to 60,000 Euro to cover expenses of this type…

You can find a full price list of health services in the EU countries on the National Health Fund website http://www.nfz.gov.pl/ue/index.php?katnr=5&dzialnr=2