Smartphone app explains European health insurance card

New smartphone app ensures stress-free travel this summer

The European health insurance card is available – free of charge – from national health insurance providers and guarantees access to urgent treatment under the same conditions and at the same cost.
The European health insurance card is available – free of charge – from national health insurance providers and guarantees access to urgent treatment under the same conditions and at the same cost.

Just in time for the summer holidays, the EURO 2012 Football Championship and the London 2012 Olympics, the European Commission has launched an application for smartphones explaining how to use the European Health Insurance Card.

The card gives people access to state-provided healthcare in case of illness or an accident during travel and temporary stays in 31 European countries.

The Card is available - free of charge - from national health insurance providers. It guarantees access to urgent treatment under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country.

Differences among healthcare systems may make it difficult to figure out how to use the card in various countries and what the local rules are. But this handy guide on how to use the Card in the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland is now available as an application for smartphones on three platforms: iOS, Android and Windows 7 mobile.

It includes general information about the card, emergency phone numbers, treatments that are covered and costs, how to claim reimbursement and who to contact in case you have lost your card. The app is available in 24 languages, with the option to switch from one language to another.

The European Health Insurance Card itself cannot be generated or downloaded by the application but must be requested from national health insurance providers.

DOWNLOAD "European Health Insurance Card" app for your smartphone.

The European Health Insurance Card continues to make it easier for people in 31 European countries (the EU's 27 Member States, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) to access healthcare services during temporary visits abroad. A patient in possession of the card is entitled to the same access to public sector healthcare in case of illness or an accident (e.g. a doctor, a pharmacy, a hospital or a health care centre) as the nationals of the country he or she is visiting.

Currently over 188 million people in Europe have the European Health Insurance Card (or a replacement certificate) according to the most recent figures provided by countries participating in the scheme. This is over 37% of the total EU population. Malta has the seventh highest rate of EHIC ownership in the EU.

Country

EHICs issued in 2011

EHICs in circulation

Population

% EHICs in circulation for population

AT

1,015,397

8,059,279

8,404,252

95.90

BE

2,148,514

3,133,103

10,951,665

28.61

BG

94,997

139,121

7,504,868

1.85

CH

2,700,000

10,900,000

7,870,134

138.49

CY

42,502

44,789

804,435

5.57

CZ 

80,000

10,000,000

10,532,770 

94.94

DE 

0

45,000,000

81,751,602

55.04

DK

237,558

1,688,669

5,560,628 

30.36

EE

69,693

100,005

134,0194 

7.46

EL

170,129

104,248

11,309,885 

0.92

ES

1,937,656

3,401,306

46,152,926

7.34

FI

382,870

1,025,552

5,375,276

19.08

FR

4,859,876

4,859,876

65,048,412

7.47

HU

369,638

946,987

9,985,722 

9.48

IE

414,649

1,216,247

4,480,858

27.14

IS

37,566

73,912

318,452

23.21

IT

7,820,789

59,814,580

60,626,442

98.66

LI

1,048

36,953

36,149 

102.22

LT

117,016

244,604

3,244,601 

7.54

LU

125,304

504,662

511,840

98.60

LV

58,389

155,693

2,229,641

6.98

MALTA

44,254

154,378

417,617

36.97

NL

6,159,716

4,991,186

16,655,799

29.97

NO

519,284

1,100,000

4,920,305 

22.36

PL

1,456,059

1,225,502

38,200,037 

3.21

PT

391,603

1,109,641

10,636,979

10.43

RO 

328,787

200,563

21,413,815

0.94

SE

1,117,989

3,000,000

9,415,570

31.86

SI

671,496

646,675

2,050,189

31.54

SK

543,701

1,554,099

5,435,273 

28.59

UK

7,477,159

23,025,502

62,435,709

36.88

TOTAL

41,393,639

188,457,132