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It is highly recommended that you take out travel insurance as well as having the EHIC card as prescriptions are not covered. Whilst you have to pay for medication up front, with travel insurance you will be able to claim back this expense on your return and also be covered for private health care, in that he could go to a private clinic for his daily injections.

Vicki,          As I understand it one can also claim back the cost of prescriptions when using an EHIC, that was not my point.   

i was just bringing to attention that one needs to be aware that if the medications are very expensive, some may not be able to find the cash.

Also.   I do not know what happens in UK but here, if one say breaks a leg and cannot walk then too bad, no help re crutches, wheelchair,  etc. is provided, so another problem which  most may not anticipate.   

In my son’s case it was less of a problem as he has funds available. I live here and even had a pair of crutches.

And just in passing:  If one loses their credit cards and passport they may not be able to have funds sent to say a bank or Western Union etc.  as they would have no acceptable form of ID.   I have assisteda few  people in just that situation. They had the money sent to me and the person in need (whom I had assisted making their crime reports)  went with me to Western Union so I could give them the funds when I collected them.

Again  just something which some might need to be aware of and maybe have a plan B  in mind..

Jim    EHIC is there for emergency treatment only

Not exactly so : -

From

A valid European Health Insurance Card gives you the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland.

The EHIC covers treatment that is medically necessary until your planned return home.

Just an update with new ‘be aware’ info,:-

My son went back for the dressing to be changed after a week,  When we asked for a repeat prescription they said he must get it from his GP. That is as it would be for a person who is resident in Spain.

We explained that of course my son does not have a GP in Spain and thus he would have to make an appointment using his EHIC to see a doctor.   They had second thoughts and my son was given a manuscript prescription on a letter-headed sheet of paper.  They thought it might be accepted at a pharmacy.  It was,

Another ‘interesting’ point. The first chemist charged 80 euros for the anti-coagulant injections, the second one, which I know well, charged 60 euros,

Thus: Be aware if you are buying medications, even on a prescription, that just the same as in UK they do not have a fixed price in Spain,  i.e. the chemist can charge what they like.  So maybe sometimes it is worth shopping around.

I had a similar experience with Boots Chemist in UK, they charged a lot more than Lloyd Chemist across the road, for exactly the same item.

Hi,
Is he now paying 60 euros per day as I thought it started out at 8 euros a day for 21 days treatment?

I live in Spain. It is not as ominous as you say. Most pharmacists are extremely flexible as they want to make money. So they will usually give one extra meds based on an old prescription or just by showing the meds box. If they know you they will not even ask for that. Should you have trouble with one pharmacy, try another. Each has its own policy. One can be a real stickler to rules, another can be far more relaxed in that. Nothing is as rigid as it seems in Spain, certainly not as in other more Northern countries .

Peter

EHIC treatment warning??

The EHIC has never and was never intended to replace travel insurance. Even if its for a weekend away or much longer. YOU NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE.

The EHIC has never and was never intended to replace travel insurance. Even if its for a weekend away or much longer. YOU NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE.

No one said it did ?

extract from:     


Covered

The card provides you with the right to access state-provided healthcare on temporary stays at a reduced cost or, in many cases, for free. This includes treatment of a chronic or pre-existing medical condition that becomes necessary during your visit.

It includes routine maternity care (not only because of illness or an accident), as long as you're not going abroad to give birth. However, if the birth happens unexpectedly, the EHIC will cover the cost of all medical treatment for mother and baby linked to the birth.

The EHIC covers the provision of oxygen and kidney dialysis, although you will have to arrange and pre-book these treatments before you go on holiday. You can ask your GP or hospital for advice, but make sure you are not booked with a private healthcare provider, as these are not covered by the EHIC.

The card also covers routine medical care for people with pre-existing conditions that need monitoring.

Our experience of using the EHIC was in Holland where our daughter managed to break both of her arms; she was taken to hospital where she was treated without a problem, no complaints about the treatment at all.  However, when it came to the bill, we showed our EHIC and after a lot of umming and ahhing, we were asked to pay the bill, then claim the money back from the NHS, which we did.  When my wife (who used to work at the same Dutch hospital as a nurse) asked why they said that the Brits were very bad at paying their bills on time.

Up date on EHIC treatment warning

About 5 weeks after the injury to his tendon, my son returned to hospital, on his EHIC.   He thought he had a pulmonary embolism (blood clots on the lungs).  The hospital confirmed the diagnosis and he was admitted.

Blood clots had formed in his legs, despite the  daily injections of anticoagulant for 21 days, but with insufficient consulting follow up.  The clots had broken away, travelled through his heart to his lungs.

He was in hospital for a week and is now on more anticoagulant medication  and awaiting an appointment to check his condition.

He cannot fly back to UK as the air pressure in an aircraft is around 20% less than at ground level and thus breathing is difficult for all passenger, although most would not notice it.  Those with reduced lung capacity would probably be at risk,

Alas, my son’s experience does not reflect well on the health service in Andalucía.

The medication he is now on is again very expensive.

I called DWP and he can claim a refund.  He will need the receipts of course and then a claims form, which will be sent to Spain, where it will be assessed to see what discount he would have received in Spain had he been resident here.  When that info is returned DWP will decide if he is to get any refund, They said the process will take at least six months..

As a result of that info, my son called his GP in UK and emailed the hospital report from Spain.  Fortunately the GP speaks Spanish. The doctor issued a prescription for his medication. That was collected my his wife who obtained the medication from a chemist’s in UK and has mailed them.

I  do not know if better private travel insurance would have helped.

I hope my son’s experience will help others who may find themselves in a similar situation.

PS  The information recorded on the medical report on his second hospital visit, is wrong in several important several important facts. One was that he had broken his Achilles tendon (i.e. that at the back of his foot) when in fact, as demonstrated by a 4 inch scar,  he completely cut through the tendon on the front of his foot !