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The short answer is yes, you can. In more than one ways…
The cost of health care services in the EU varies by country. Factors that may affect pricing for the use of healthcare services abroad may include: the country in which you are receiving treatment; whether you have suddenly become ill or had an accident during your stay abroad (emergency care) or have travelled abroad for care (scheduled care); if you are receiving treatment from a public or private healthcare provider; whether an overseas healthcare provider may require an advance payment of all or part of the cost of treatment prior to the provision of care.
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Costs and reimbursement – Social Security Regulations (EC) 883/2004 & 987/2009
Tariffs applied in the country of treatment
On the display of a valid European Health Insurance Card (unplanned treatment) or S2 form (planned treatment), you will receive treatment at the same terms and at the same price as patients covered under the national statutory health insurance in the country of your stay.
As a result, the reimbursement tariff of the country of treatment will apply.
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Payment method applied in the country of treatment
Also the method of payment will depend on the legislation of the country of treatment.
1) If the treatment you need is free for local residents:
- you either do not have to pay anything or you only have to pay the patient’s part of the costs (co-payment)
2) If you have to pay for the treatment:
- you may ask for reimbursement directly from the local national health service while you are still in the country of your visit.
- or you may ask for reimbursement from your own national health insurance service upon return home.
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Co-payment
Regardless of which payment procedure applies when you make use of documents of entitlement (EHIC, S2), you will have to bear only the costs of co-payment yourself, that is the patient’s share. The amount of the co-payment will depend on the legislation applied in the country of treatment. As a result, you will pay the same amount as if you were a local patient.
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Extra costs for travel and stay
Important – the European Health Insurance Card:
- is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare or costs such as a return flight to your home country or lost/stolen property,
- does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment,
- does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country.
- Before you travel abroad for holidays, a business trip or studies, see our checklist here.
Generally, only medical costs are covered. Extra costs for travel and stay, such as hotel, transport or subsistence costs, as well as those of the person accompanying the patient, are not covered. However, in the case of authorized planned healthcare, you may be entitled to reimbursement for the extra costs if your statutory health insurance scheme provides accordingly. For more info on how to organize planned care abroad, see our checklist here.
Please note: when you move your habitual residence to another country, you should register with the S1 form instead of using the EHIC to receive medical care in your new country of habitual residence.
We recommend you contact your national health insurance service or National Contact Point for more information on the amount of costs that will be assumed and which costs you will finally have to bear yourself.
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Costs and reimbursement – Directive 2011/24/EU
Tariffs applied in the home country
You will be entitled to reimbursement according to the domestic tariffs applied in case the treatment would not have been provided abroad but in your own Member State. As a result, the tariff of your country of residence/statutory health insurance will apply.
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Upfront payment
You initially pay all medical costs yourself. Subsequently, you may submit a claim for reimbursement with your national health insurance service upon return home. The latter will reimburse you retrospectively according to the rules and rates applied by its own statutory health insurance system. The amount which you are entitled to cannot be higher than the actual costs you have paid for your treatment abroad.
In order to approve your claim for reimbursement, your national health insurance service may require to present all sorts of documents of proof of the exact treatment you have received and the costs you have made. Make sure you check which necessary documents to collect beforehand. Besides, the national health insurance service may require the documents to be translated into the home language. You may possibly have to pay yourself for any translation costs.
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Co-payment
You should be aware that you will only be reimbursed up to the tariff applied in your home country, which may be less than what you paid for the treatment abroad. This may cause you to bear a big part of the medical costs yourself. However also the opposite may occur: the applicable tariffs in your home country may be higher than the tariffs applied in the country of treatment. In case of the latter, it may be possible that you will be fully refunded for your medical costs incurred abroad. Thus, the exact amount of costs you will finally have to bear yourself will fully depend on the reimbursement scheme applied in your home country.
Make sure you ask the healthcare provider abroad to provide itemized invoices for the treatment provided. Generally only the medical costs directly related to the specific treatment may be assumed under Directive 2011/24/EU. Extra costs, such as costs for travel and stay you will have to pay for yourself. Member States may decide, at their discretion, to reimburse other related costs besides medical costs, such as costs for travel and accommodation or extra costs which persons with disabilities might incur when receiving treatment abroad.
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