Medical Insurance Coverage for the EU

Living in the EU and Require Medical Insurance?

If you have a medical insurance policy from the UK, the extent to which this will cover you in the EU depends on the individual policy you take out. There can be quite a substantial difference between policies, so make sure you read the fine print when taking a policy out.

There are some UK insurance providers who will offer their customers a fairly limited overseas coverage, subject to a number of stringent conditions. This coverage is sometimes, but not always, inclusive of any necessary repatriation costs. However, there are also providers of private medical insurance who will not offer any form of coverage for medical treatments received in the EU or overseas.

What do I need to know?

We have elaborated on a few concepts you should consider under the first of our easy to use product comparison tables below. To begin getting medical insurance quotes from providers, simply follow the links in the table.

If you think that you may require medical insurance coverage in the EU, you might want to make yourself aware of whether or not any potential policies will meet your individual requirements.

• Travel Insurance

The general consensus from UK insurance providers regarding medical insurance coverage in the EU is that, alongside your UK medical insurance policy, you may want to purchase travel insurance if you were to go abroad. This could prove to be useful in helping to cover the costs of any necessary medical treatments that you may have whilst in the EU.

• EHIC

Furthermore, UK residents are entitled to a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which will entitle you to reduced rate, or sometimes free, healthcare when in the EU, but this should not be seen as a suitable replacement for travel insurance.

• Global Insurance

If you are looking for cover on more of a long term basis, there are also medical insurance providers who will give insurance quotes for global medical coverage, with the option to purchase medical insurance for Europe.

Are you an EU Official?

Some providers, such as Foyer Group Global Health, offer cover specifically designed for EU Officials, which complements the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme (JSIS) offered by European Institutions. Purchasing EU Health insurance on top of this can help reduce (or eliminate altogether) the waiting periods, second opinions from experts and benefits in the case of an emergency (such as evacuation and repatriation).