They say a problem well defined that is half solved. Nothing could have been said more on the importance of analysing phrases like the EHIC renewal. You know what EHIC stands for the European Health Insurance Card. Therefore, the renewal of an EHIC becomes imperative to all and sundry visiting the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland as it accords them with the state-owned and state funded healthcare facilities on a temporary basis for FREE or at a reduced cost.
In short, EHIC renewal can be seen as a protective guard against the possible health issues during the visit to those countries and till you are able to return to your home in UK. Hence, the EHIC renewal, in particular, can be seen as a shot in the arm that extends protection to you while visiting the EEA and Switzerland.
Key Areas of EHIC Renewal:
- Online renewal: You will be happy to know that you can apply for the EHIC renewal through the official website of the National Health Service (NHS). However, there are some private sites also that offer the same kind of service befitting your needs for an EHIC. All that you need to do here is that just download the form from the online sources, fill it up, and then submit.
- Free service: To renew your EHIC, you don’t need to pay anything when you apply through the official website of NHS. This, in other words, construes that this renewal service through the website of NHS is absolutely FREE to the citizens of the UK. However, the private sites that offer similar services usually levy a service charge.
- Envelop coverage: The best part of the EHIC is that it even extends cover against the pre-existing diseases and the maternity care at the state-owned and the state funded hospitals and the clinical facilities. This is not a mean achievement for sure when you are out of your home turf. But, you will not be able to take the benefits of EHIC if you visit EEA or Switzerland with the sole purpose of availing the treatment and the maternity care. This, in other words, means EHIC covers only the emergency situations while travelling to EEA and Switzerland.
- App service: An app is essentially a computer programme that gives instructions to a computer for performing certain tasks. You will be happy to know that the NHS has an app that gives you an instant access to the information on EHIC while travelling beyond the boundary of the country.
- Not a travel insurance: An EHIC is NOT a travel insurance. Hence, it doesn’t cover any private medical expense and also doesn’t extend any cover on cruises. So, you have to take your travel insurance separately in addition to seeking the EHIC renewal ahead of your planned travel to abroad.
The best part is that NHS is customer-friendly and, therefore, has taken customer engagement and learning opportunities through the social networking sites like Facebook. To get more details on the EHIC renewal and others, keep visiting its Facebook page regularly.