[lit-ideas] Re: The flu

Wednesday, November 24, 2004, 9:04:36 PM, Teemu Pyyluoma wrote:


>> 
TP> I'm used to all sort of ignorance from Brits when it
TP> comes to EU, but Judy, you of all people! European
TP> Health Insurance Card was introduced this year
TP> replacing the forms previously used. 

<ouch> I thought we still used the E111 !



What exactly it
TP> covers is somewhat complicated, the original EC treaty
TP> covered what would've been covered in patient's home
TP> country, but nowadays it seems to be "all necessary
TP> treatment" with the notable exception of transport
TP> back home.

ah -- I see (I suppose....)

 However this is conditional to such
TP> treatment being available in public healthcare, so
TP> your mileage may vary in Eastern Europe.

Yes indeed.  

TP> My understanding is that if I for example would be
TP> hospitalized in Italy, the relevant Italian
TP> authorities would bill Finnish Health Insurance.
TP> Expect to see this become increasingly important in
TP> the future: suppose I need an operation, and that
TP> there is a queue to the operation in Helsinki.
TP> However, in Budapest they have room.


well now this has not been publicized here (hence the court case -- brought by 
a woman who had waited some while for an op) thank you. It could put a bomb 
under the Welsh Assembly Health Minister, which would be great. 


 So my doctor
TP> tells me I can either wait three months or hop a
TP> health insurance paid flight and get it done next
TP> week. The operation would cost 20 000 euros in
TP> Helsinki and 8000 in Budapest. Suppose Hungarian
TP> hospitals adds a bit of margin to it billing Finnish
TP> Health Insurance 10000, add about 500 for flights and
TP> they save 9500, the local hospital gets money to pay
TP> their doctors living wage, Budapesteese have access to
TP> good healthcare, and I'm on a recovery room trying to
TP> tell Buda from Pest. I'm sure someone figuring out how
TP> to pay the health bills has thought of this. 

Meanwhile the UK is pretending it hasn't happened? I must look into this some 
more (btw an Italian who works at Cambridge and Torin told some of us recently 
that we'd have to pay if we wanted treatment in Italy)

thank you

Judy


-- 
 Judy Evans, Cardiff, UK   
mailto:judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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