The European Commission is taking legal action against Spain after hospitals refused treatment to British holidaymakers carrying a European health insurance card (Ehic).
Holidaymakers are advised to take an Ehic on their travels, giving them peace of mind that they will be entitled to free healthcare in public hospitals in any of the 27 EU member countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. While British travellers are not entitled to the same free treatments on offer at the NHS, they are able to access the treatment available to local residents.
However, the commission has received hundreds of complaints about Spain from holidaymakers who have been told to reclaim the cost of treatment from their travel insurer, or forced to cover it themselves.
A number of leading British insurance companies have lodged official complaints as they are being left to foot the bill for treatment they should not have to pay for – and their costs are being passed on to holidaymakers in the form of higher premiums.
The commission has requested information on the issue from the Spanish government, which has two months to respond. There have been reports of similar incidents in Portugal, and the Commission is investigating these as well.
Sarah Watson, editor of the International Travel Insurance Journal, said: "For years now, private collection agencies in Spain have worked on behalf of public hospitals to recoup the cost of treating foreign patients by seeking reimbursement from private travel insurers, but the situation appears to be escalating.
"Unfortunately, we're also now seeing holidaymakers without the back-up of a travel insurance policy being asked for a credit card before treatment is given, or in some cases refused treatment altogether under the Ehic scheme."
Ehic is supposed to cover the cost of emergency treatment and cover patients for pre-existing long-term medical conditions, although people travelling to the EU are still advised to have travel insurance as private healthcare and flights home are not covered.
The commission said that where possible travellers with an Ehic should insist on being treated under the publicly financed health system and refuse to sign anything they do not understand. They should also keep all receipts and documents.
Graeme Trudgill, executive director at the British Insurance Brokers' Association, welcomed the investigation. "Ehic covers emergency medical treatment and should be accepted by hospitals in all EU member states, regardless of whether the holidaymaker has travel insurance or not," he said.
