UK European Health Insurance

Access to healthcare: UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)..

Important information for UK State pensioners living in Spain

If you are a UK State pensioner and are resident in Spain then you probably access free healthcare through the form E121 issued by the Department for Work and Pensions. Currently, if you travel back to the UK or to any other EU member state then you need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) issued by the Spanish Social Security Authorities (INSS) to access free necessary healthcare during your visit.

From 1st May 2010, the UK will become responsible for issuing the EHIC to UK pensioners resident in other EU countries. For further information on this change visit the NHS website.

EHIC (European Health Insurance Card)
The UK European Health Insurance Card is valid for holidaymakers and temporary visitors who need to use the state health system while in another EU country. If you are not normally a resident of the UK and spend less than six months of the year there, the Spanish authorities may decide to treat you as a private patient.
If you are a resident in the UK, you should apply for your EHIC before travelling to other European Union Member States.  A UK EHIC is usually valid for three to five years – but if you stop being a UK resident, you need to return your EHIC to the Department of Health immediately.

In Spain, the EHIC covers:

• all medical care that becomes necessary during a temporary stay;
• oxygen and dialysis treatment, as well as treatment for chronic diseases or a pre-existing illness. You should inform healthcare authorities at your destination in Spain before you travel, to ensure that supplies are available;
• routine maternity care;
• 60% off prescriptions, and free prescriptions for pensioners (you may need to prove your pensioner status to get free prescriptions).

Treatment not covered by the EHIC
The EHIC won’t cover you:

• if getting treatment is the main purpose of your trip. In this case you need to get permission from your UK local healthcare trust who will issue you with form E112;
• for long term, routine or planned treatment;
• for private sector healthcare providers. You must use the State Health System;
• if you are a resident in Spain. If you live here, check with the Department for Work and Pensions whether you have any entitlement to free healthcare in Spain.

Getting free prescriptions if you are a pensioner
Additional documentation is often requested as proof of pensioner status to get free prescriptions when on holiday. If you provide proof of pensioner status and that is not accepted by the local health authorities, you can apply for a refund when you return to the UK. Send your receipts, along with a covering letter to:

DWP International Pension Centre
Overseas Healthcare Team
The Pension Service
Tyneview Park
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE98 1BA
United Kingdom

Alternatively, your nearest British Consulate can issue a certificate, valid for 3 months, confirming that you are a pensioner. For this you will need:
• UK EHIC;
• recent DWP correspondence, addressed to your UK address, regarding payment of pension.

This certificate can be done free of charge by the Pension, Benefit and Healthcare Team.

Applying for an EHIC
You can apply for your EHIC, free of charge, through the Department of Health:

• online
• by phone: 0845 606 2030 or +44 191 203 5555 (if outside the UK)
• by post: EHIC Applications, PO Box 1115, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE99 1SW

Dependants can’t be included on an EHIC, so each family member needs to apply for their own card.

Where to get more information
Detailed information on the UK EHIC can be found on the NHS website. For general information on the EHIC for all countries, go to the European Health Insurance Card page on the European Union website

The above information was provided by the Foreign & Commenwelth Office and is Crown copyright.