EHIC 'essential for all European travellers'

By Tom Farley, Fri 2 Jul 2010 - Published in Travel Insurance

The European Commission (EC) has reminded holidaymakers of the need to protect themselves against illness and injury before travelling.

A statement from the organisation stressed the importance of people carrying a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) when travelling on the continent.

"The [EHIC] makes it easier for people from the European Union's 27 member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland to access healthcare services during temporary visits abroad," it explained.

According to the EC, carrying the card will allow travellers to access the health services of the country they are in as if they were a national and permits them to be reimbursed for any expenses they incur.

The authority also pointed out that the EHIC is free to obtain and can be applied for via email, letter, fax, telephone or online.

Last month, independent financial research firm Defaqto warned holidaymakers that most travel insurance policies fail to cover them against scheduled airline failure.

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