ONLY four per cent of the island’s population has a European Health Insurance card (EHIC), with Cyprus joining Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Spain and Greece at the bottom of the list.
There are significant differences between Member States, with almost the entire populations of Italy and Austria possessing one, for example.
As of December 31, last year, only 32,077 people in Cyprus had the card.
Europe-wide, almost 173 million people now have an EHIC, four years after its launch, around 36 per cent of the total EU population.
The EHIC covers all health care which is needed during a temporary stay in one of the 31 participating countries other than the country of residence, be it for travel, work or studies.
The card entitles the holder, in case of illness or accident, to the same medical treatment and on the same basis as local patients, as if he or she were insured in the state of stay.
As each Member State has its own rules for public medical provision, the EHIC covers free medical treatment in some Member States, whilst in other Member States it covers reduced cost medical treatment. Some Member States may provide care free at the point of use (such as Spain or the United Kingdom), while others may require payment, to be claimed back later (such as Belgium or France).
The EHIC can only be used in the framework of public health care provision. Private health care providers (hospitals, doctors, pharmacists, dentists, etc.) can therefore refuse the EHIC.
As well as in all 27 EU Member States, the card is also valid in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Each Member State is responsible for the distribution of the EHIC on its territory. Therefore each Member State has its own distribution procedures. In some cases the card can be ordered online. People should contact their local health insurance institution or equivalent for further information.
Nationals of third countries who are legally residing in one of the EU Member States (except Denmark) are also entitled. However, they cannot use their card in Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
This difference in the percentage of people holding the card in different countries can be partly explained by the fact that in some countries, such as Italy and Austria, the EHIC has been integrated on the reverse side of the national health insurance card.
In general, the EHIC is more widely known in those countries which have been members of the European Union longer and less well known in the newer Member States.
In addition, some national authorities have run specific information campaigns to raise awareness of the card in their countries.
The European Commission works with Member States to support these activities and will from this autumn step up its activities to raise awareness of the card both among health care providers and the general public.
“Like the euro, the EHIC is a little piece of Europe in people’s pockets,” said Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs Vladimír Špidla. “It brings peace of mind to millions of Europeans when travelling abroad.”
