vendredi, juin 08, 2012

*Healthcare: smartphone app to ensure stress-free travel this summer*





European Commission
Press release
Brussels, 5 June 2012
Healthcare: smartphone app to ensure stress-free travel this summer
Just in time for the summer holidays, the EURO 2012 Football Championship and the London 2012 Olympics, the European Commission has launched an application for smartphones explaining how to use the European Health Insurance Card.
The Card gives people access to state-provided healthcare in case of illness or an accident during travel and temporary stays in 31 European countries. The Card is available – free of charge - from national health insurance providers. It guarantees access to urgent treatment under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country.
Differences among healthcare systems may make it difficult to figure out how to use the Card in various countries and what the local rules are. This handy guide on how to use the Card in the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland is now available as an application for smartphones on three platforms: iOS, Android and Windows 7 mobile. It includes general information about the card, emergency phone numbers, treatments that are covered and costs, how to claim reimbursement and who to contact in case you have lost your card. The app is available in 24 languages, with the option to switch from one language to another.
The European Health Insurance Card itself cannot be generated or downloaded by the application but must be requested from national health insurance providers.
Download "European Health Insurance Card" app for your smartphone:


Background
Table 1: Numbers of EHICs and PRCs issued and in circulation in 2011
Country
EHICs issued in 2011
EHICs in circulation
PRC (provisional replacement cards issued)
Population
% EHICs in circulation for population
AT
1,015,397
8,059,279
5,061
8,404,252
95.90
BE
2,148,514
3,133,103
39,510
10,951,665
28.61
BG
94,997
139,121
49,968
7,504,868
1.85
CH
2,700,000
10,900,000
0
7,870,134
138.49
CY
42,502
44,789
21
804,435
5.57
CZ 
80,000
10,000,000
8,000
10,532,770 
94.94
DE 
0
45,000,000
0
81,751,602
55.04
DK
237,558
1,688,669
0
5,560,628 
30.36
EE
69,693
100,005
13,833
134,0194 
7.46
EL
170,129
104,248
29,211
11,309,885 
0.92
ES
1,937,656
3,401,306
900,703
46,152,926
7.34
FI
382,870
1,025,552
18,244
5,375,276
19.08
FR
4,859,876
4,859,876
1,807,777
65,048,412
7.47
HU
369,638
946,987
27,498
9,985,722 
9.48
IE
414,649
1,216,247
86,362
4,480,858
27.14
IS
37,566
73,912
541
318,452
23.21
IT
7,820,789
59,814,580
225,090
60,626,442
98.66
LI
1,048
36,953
60
36,149 
102.22
LT
117,016
244,604
15,281
3,244,601 
7.54
LU
125,304
504,662
14,757
511,840
98.60
LV
58,389
155,693
437
2,229,641
6.98
MT
44,254
154,378
17
417,617
36.97
NL
6,159,716
4,991,186
10,616
16,655,799
29.97
NO
519,284
1,100,000
6,990
4,920,305 
22.36
PL
1,456,059
1,225,502
16,010
38,200,037 
3.21
PT
391,603
1,109,641
22,910
10,636,979
10.43
RO 
328,787
200,563
22,493
21,413,815
0.94
SE
1,117,989
3,000,000
13,126
9,415,570
31.86
SI
671,496
646,675
171,532
2,050,189
31.54
SK
543,701
1,554,099
129,552
5,435,273 
28.59
UK
7,477,159
23,025,502
4,694
62,435,709
36.88
total
41,393,639
188,457,132
3,640,294
Source: Annual questionnaire to Member States, 2011; Population figures: Eurostat, data from 2011
The European Health Insurance Card continues to make it easier for people in 31 European countries (the EU’s 27 Member States, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) to access healthcare services during temporary visits abroad. A patient in possession of the card is entitled to the same access to public sector healthcare in case of illness or an accident (e.g. a doctor, a pharmacy, a hospital or a health care centre) as the nationals of the country he or she is visiting.
Currently over 188 million people in Europe have the European Health Insurance Card (or a replacement certificate) according to the most recent figures provided by countries participating in the scheme. This is over 37% of the total EU population.
It is up to national authorities of EU countries to ensure that people are aware of the existence of the Card, that it is easily available and that the Card can be used by visitors to their country to gain access to urgent healthcare. The Commission continues to work with EU Member States to fully implement the system and contribute to EU citizens' awareness of the benefits of EHIC.
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