A few recent posts on the important issue of healthcare citing PUMA and S1’s -
A summary of my understanding (apologies if it is to be corrected) - all applying to France residents who have not worked in France -
If not currently covered by S1, so covered by PUMA - get France card which covers non-scheduled care in UK.
When starting to receive the UK state pension, an exportable benefit, one will become entitled to S1 which allows for all care (including scheduled) in the UK. Separately, the EHIC becomes the UK GHIC unless one is covered under the WA, i.e. has a
in which case it will (become) a (UK) EHIC.
If frontier worker in UK, one has a UK S1 so entitled to scheduled care in UK.
In all cases, above applying only to France residents who have never not worked in France, i.e. France is not the competent state for social security. PUMA is for people who have either never worked in France or not currently working.
Of course, to be able to access scheduled UK healthcare, one needs a GP to refer, and probably about 6 years for the waiting time. Emergency of course is much faster, only about 12 - 24 hours (BYOB - bring your own bed). Likely better than Rwanda.
Last July I ended up in A&E in London after a tumble in the shower. No mention of paying, though I had my NI number to hand incase. They were a bit mystified why they couldn’t find a GP on my record though. Likewise in 2017 I popped into a triage GP in a hospital near Malvern as my ticker was over revving a bit. Excellent help and support and, once again no mention of payment.
According to the link below, I am still entitled to the EHIC… (UK National, Resident in EU before blah blah blah…)
which is marvellous as the EHIC is accepted in more countries that the GHIC…
the link below was updated 28/9/2023 so should be correct…
On the other hand @_Brian I think it would be helpful for UK holidaymakers to not only think about Hospital Costs (as per your poor friend) but also Medical Repatriation… which did cost £4,000 a few years back as I reported elsewhere on the forum…
Imagine if your friend had not been sufficiently well enough to fly back to UK… it would cost a deal more nowadays I reckon, for her to go home by road, with the necessary bits and bobs in the ambulance…
Indeed, Stella.
The subject of travel insurance and medical registration costs is an important topic; one which I believe warrants a separate thread rather than being buried in one with the title Hospital costs for UK holiday.maker with ehic card
and, of course, it’s not just the basic hospital costs… like for your poor friend…
imagine if they’d needed to move her into more specialized/hospital care … good grief… even with EHIC card that would be expensive (and would the EHIC work ?) …
I’m just wondering at what point the hospital expenses need to be paid in France and reclaimed from UKNHS on return… your friend had a short stay… but how would a longer hospital stay work out…
(leaving travel insurance aside and homing in on the EHIC)… I think it would be useful to know if there is a one-rule-fits-all or if some hospitals can do their own variation… ???
EDIT: I know of one situation where an elderly friend was treated as a day-patient at a local hospital. 9 hours of excellent care in a private room, all sorts of tests and treatments, x-rays, stitches, bandages etc etc etc…
and they said they would send the bill on… so she could pay it at her leisure… and it arrived a few weeks after she got back home. around 130€… which her son decided to pay promptly and not even bother trying to get it back from anyone.
I remember years ago when I came on holiday to France and, long story, the conclusion was that I’d torn part of an intercostal muscle after lots of checks to see if I’d broken any ribs. An a&e visit, x-rays and all sorts of other checks. Handed over my european health card and never received any charges for any treatment, despite them saying I’d receive a bill - think I was lucky
I broke both wrists 4 years agoand was taken by the pompiers to Perigueux hospital. Arrived in urgence on Monday lunchtime , spent 4 hours in the queue. Once Iwas seen things went smoothly , xrays of wrists CT scan of head as i had a wound that needed 11 staples and then temporary casts before being admitted to the ward. 7th May meant they couldn’t operate till the Thursday ( 3 wires in each wrist), discharged the following Monday.
EHIC card went with me to the hospital. Jim followed with our travel insurance details. I never saw the bill as anything not covered by EHIC went straight to the insurers, LV apart from 20 euros when I left the hospital, no idea what that was for, and prescription charges which were reimbursed very quickly. We have a yearly policy with LV.
It’s called the journalier and is the daily cost of your stay, it hasn’t changed for some years which is why I am fighting a daily cost of €66 for my wife at the moment as it isn’t the journalier, though it might include it, as we haven’t been billed for that yet.
I’m resurrecting this old thread after 6 months as the hospital has finally sent a bill for my friend’s treatment.
She was on holiday over here and suffered from an attack of emphysema that required emergency admission to Poitiers CHU.
She was treated as an inpatient for 5 days. The bill shows a Forfeit Journalier of 20€ per day - in line with the helpful suggestions above.
However, this is rather overshadowed by the charge for Hospital Complète of 1292.29€ per day. This is reimbursed (under the EHIC card) at a rate of 80%, but the bill for 5 days still comes to 1590.75€.
The service was excellent in every respect but the total charge is much more than we were expecting. Can anyone explain the HC tariff, please? Is there a conventional means of challenging/reducing the bill at all?
