this post was submitted on 12 Jul 2023
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I do have a card in my wallet issued by the EU that gives me the right to receive healthcare in any EU member state I visit, and I struggle to think of a EU member state that does not have universal healthcare in one form or another.
If you mean the European Health Insurance Card, it's not the same as Universal Heathcare. If you travel to another contry that accepts it, you cannot go with any problem to the doctor, only ones that cannot wait until you return to the contry where you're insured. Still useful to not have to have travel insurance within the EU, just might be useful to know.
You are correct, and it is indeed good to make this clear. I meant to argue that it is a bit of an exaggeration to say the the EU has nothing to do with universal healthcare. Arguably, I have more rights to health care as a EU citizen visiting another member state than a US citizen who can't afford health insurance. Furthermore, it is unlikely that a state without socialized healthcare such as the US would be able to join the EU without reforming its public health policies.
Ireland joined the EU without it.
Even now Ireland's system public system is still very limited access for most people.
I received an update of similar card this week. "European Health Insurance Card".
Feels better having this while traveling :)
The EHIC doesn't cover things like a mountain rescue or being flown back to the your home country i.e. the most expensive and potentially life-ruining things, so travel insurance is still a good idea.
Barely anyone has this card. I never heard about it before
You should get it when travelling in the EU though.
Some countries make it a real hassle though.
In Italy your national social security card acts as a European health card as well.
In France, where I've lived for 10 years, it doesn't. But the European one is just a few clicks away on your personal online account, you just request it in a timely manner and it gets delivered at your address free of charge.
Dunno about other EU countries but I guess it's pretty much the same.
German insurance cards are also EU cards, I have no idea why any country which has cards wouldn't include the necessary EU stuff on it.
The UK were a reasonable exception as they don't have insurance cards, you just walk into the doctor's office they don't care as long as you're a human you're getting treated. And because they didn't record anything they never got reimbursed when non-UK EU citizens went to the NHS, and then they complained that it's unfair that they have to reimburse when UK folks get treatment in other countries. You know, complaining about issues they themselves created, typical Brit stuff.