Anyone claimed back medical expenses whilst in EU ?

Efour

Efour

Efour

Caporegime
Joined
8 Sep 2005
Posts
30,545
Location
Norrbotten, Sweden.
Not an epic amount of cash to worry about but im wondering more the procedure/order of events ill go through, if im eligible, when i get back to Blighty.

Long story cut short. Spent 7 days on hardcore antibiotics in one of Northern Sweden's finest hospitals. Big infections, some pain and mediocre food :p

I initially paid a 200KR doctors fee (10KR = £1 near enough) to see the local on call in the medical center, who then sent me to the hospital for a 2nd opinion.

After 5 minutes they were showing me to a ward and getting me ready for my first IV drip dose thing... Was all a bit sudden and unexpected, mildly worrying :D

I was asked if i had paid.. I said at the doctors and they were happy...Showed Passport and blue EHIC card, stuff was copied nothing else happened until today when i was discharged and got the 650KR prescription for drops/tablets. which ill possibly need another repeat on in 1 week (ouch)

Its not a huge deal of cash but including further travel costs and out patient follow up costs im gonna be £250 personally down before any actual ward/staff costs which i guess i wont even cross my horizon ? Maybe get a receipt from the NHS saying they paid XXX quid to XXX to cover the cost of XXX ?

Im just putting out feelers for anyone experience EU, SWE in particular.. Timeframes hurdles and hoops that might not even be worth jumping if there's an excess charge on a claim or prescriptions and stuff isnt covered..

i have a natwest gold account, im sure that had holiday/medical insurance but i havent used that to pay for anything cos of their stupid charges.... Id love to claim back something from them for the years ive paid for the privilege :)

TLDR: Anyone claimed Health insurance from the EU from the NHS and how long will it take my pecker to grow back ? thx :p
 
I thought the recripocal agreement was that they provided medical care and attentionand medicines as required during hospital stay, but wouldn't cover anything such as prescriptions.
I nad no idea you could 'claim back' the cost of anything from the NHS.
Perhaps from you travel insurance. Keep all receipts and ask for a copy of your notes, contact the bank via email now and ask how to proceed.
 
I have no idea about claims, but before working in the UK, when I was a student, I had an EU medical card, which allowed me to go to any A&E (wherever in the EU) for free. What happens then is Cyprus would supposedly pay the UK (or any other EU country) for my treatments, though I imagine some limits exist.

My grandmother, when she was visiting, got sick badly and had to stay in hospital for a week, and all they needed was her passport to show she is an EU citizen. They gave her medicine and treated her normally.

Best bet is to ask a citizen's advice bureu(or similar) I guess.
That is how I learned about the EU medical card.
 
EHIC card in Sweden will cover you for whatever Swedish people get in terms of state provided health care. If its private, you may not be covered.

Ultimately, if you have travel insurance, that is likely your best route, especially if private.
 
Bump on this..

Im still in Sweden. Got sister to open/check my London mail and was told there was a letter from the hospital.

She read it out to me and its basically an invoice/faktura for 2.3k from the municipality.

I was thinking that this would all be dealt with and id not have to actually make a claim or arrange anything myself.

Did i get this part wrong, am i meant to be sorting all this out...? im not back in the Uk now until early July.

Dont want to have a mark on my name.
 
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Call 0191 218 1999 (UK number) they will advise you better than I could as I don't know your treatment, which hospital, etc - don't raise you hopes though mate.
 
my hopes ? i used my ehic and passport for ID. There was nothing more they wanted. I was told my insurance company will sort it and not to worry.

Then the letter to the UK.

im asking if i need to personalty sort out a claim, i have not yet as far as im aware paid a personal penny of the 2.3k, or will the swedish dept contact the ehic/nhs people and sort it directly, cutting me out of it.
 
They have issued you with a bill.

Like I say I don't know your specifics. You potentially may be able to claim back some (ie what a Swedish citizen would get) if you were at a state medical centre if you were private then certainly not.

That's why you need to contact that number to get advice.
 
Xordium is right. Get on the phone.

I have a feeling you've walked into a private center, or been referred to a private ward. In which case... dig deep, my friend.

But seriously, get on the phone with all of the details.
 
Yeah sounds like you went private to me also, I struggle to believe a Swedish citizen would be expected to pay £230+ for the relatively basic care you got.
My understanding is that provided you have a valid EHIC card then you are treated as a Swedish resident under the state run healthcare system.
 
ill call when i get back. GF assures me that its not a private hospital, she even laughed at me :P

I think there has been a crossed wire somewhere by insurance they mean EHIC company.

can anyone confirm please that has been abroad and used their ehic that they didn't have to personally deal with it or any claims... the country goes direct to the NHS/EHIC.

To be honest im gonna forget about it for a week or 2 ill email them, its not a priority right now :) just a niggling annoyance.
 
C.R.A.Z.Y said:
Yeah sounds like you went private to me also, I struggle to believe a Swedish citizen would be expected to pay £230+ for the relatively basic care you got.
My understanding is that provided you have a valid EHIC card then you are treated as a Swedish resident under the state run healthcare system.
Click to expand...

Exactly this. i paid the basic flat rate to see a doc £20 and GF tells me there's a flat rate £8 a day as an in patient.

neither of which im gonna be claiming back - i think this bill could be the above but something got confused. :confused::eek::p
 
Which is why I gave you a number to ring - the exact number you will need if you want to speak to someone who can deal with and advise you on your specific case.

It depends:

What you were treated for
Why you were treated that way
Where you were treated

Ring the number!
 
Some people cannot be helped.
Some people cannot be treated.
This is what makes jobs dealing with the public so difficult and stressful.
You go out of your way to explain, you go out of your way to be understanding, and really all they need is a dictatorship which will beat them into submission and continue to beat them until they do what they are told.

Told THREE TIMES in the thread already, three times in one day!
 
ok ill ask again :)

can anyone confirm please that has been abroad and used their ehic that they didn't have to personally deal with it or any claims... the country goes direct to the NHS/EHIC.

i will call them when im back if no one can answer..I dont think its that hard.

you really dont need to post the number again i get that thanks.
If you work for them or have done the above then its all im interested in thanks !
 
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