Does this mean none of us can go to France/Germany/Spain /Italy etc etc

biba is a British citizen, GG13. (I don't know if she has dual nationality). As such, any rights she has as an EU citizen in her present country of residence will lapse after 31/12/20

I took a little look on the Internet at the provisions in a few EU countries. The EHIC won't cover you in most countries for anything except emergency treatment and to be stabilised so that you can be repatriated.

Countries like Italy and Spain advise everybody, including its own citizens, to take out private insurance as State medical services vary from region to region.

There's nothing out there like the NHS.

I also found Insurance companies that supply travel insurance for most countries worldwide in terms of where you live.

I wonder where biba is?

But it's always been more expensive to get travel insurance if you have underlying health conditions

Friend of mine always had to pay a fortune to go to Spain due to heart problems

There are a few people who will be in for s shock in January, if you have a history of cardiac problems, stroke, are on dialysis you are highly unlikely to be able to travel without paying huge amounts for travel insurance, even assuming you are able to get health insurance at all. An example; a friend's adult son has learning difficulties and health problems such as asthma, early stage kidney failure, the highlight of his year is the annual trip to France with his day centre. They stay in a small holiday village which is adapted up to deal with him and his friends. He will not, in a million years, get health insurance to cover his health problems, so as of next year, that is the end of his holidays. Worth it now is it?

but it does cover all medical emergency costs- including dialysis- you just have to ensure that you go to a State hospital and not private.

Surely someone on dialysis would need that regularly, not as emergency treatment?

I can't imagine anyone having regular dialysis wanting to go on holiday in the EU - perhaps a couple of days in the UK between treatments? A friend was going for dialysis for three or four days a week and each session took up most of the day with hospital transport.

biba70 as you are in a European non EU Country do they honour the EHIC now? If so why will they not from 01/01/2021?

What are they changing?

karinu

It will be easier for me to travel to Australia regarding health insurance as we have a reciprocal arrangement than it will be to
travel to my birth country Germany to see my family. I will have to take out expensive travel insurance (I’m 70+), thanks
to the people who voted to leave the EU without knowing the
full consequences.
Best not say more....??

Sorry, karinu, but that is not true.

No person with a modicum of common sense would travel to Australia without travel insurance. You could receive emergency treatment if something unforeseen happened whilst you were there but reciprocal just means emergencies.

On the whole, people travel to Europe for shorter periods than to Australia/New Zealand, but I'd never have travelled within the EU before now without taking out insurance either.
It's relatively cheap if someone has no pre-existing conditions.

vickymeldrew- oh I know how you feel. Hope you can meet, hold and hug little one soon.

In the meantime, and as an aside re unintended circumstances- we will celebrate our dog's 15th birthday this week-end. Adopted here when she was 12- and she is traumatised by previous events. Fit as a fiddle and so happy- but cannot go in kennels. So in the New Year we will have to decide- grandchildren or the dog. Would you like to have to make that decision? How can we explain that to our grandchildren who adore our dog as they cannot have one of their own? Hard indeed.

suzie, so many of us made decisions having studied all aspects VERY carefully, researching every nook and cranny- getting expert advice, calculating costs, etc, VERY VERY carefully. And now all the goalposts have changed- rug pulled from under our feet, through no choice of our own at all. So excuse me for saying your post sounds totally uncaring and mean, truly.

For us, we will not have the choice of buying holiday insurance to travel even round the corner- because IT DOES NOT EXIST. I know it is hard to fathom- but it is correct.

People make all sorts of decisions in their lives which later on turn out to have unintended consequences.

No problem with that if they are their own decisions, suziewoozie. It's having something you never wanted imposed on you that people object to.

People make all sorts of decisions in their lives which later on turn out to have unintended consequences. If you go to live abroad and your parents stay in the UK there many scenarios as everyone ages that might make visiting difficult. Sometimes life is hard and there aren’t easy answers.

Biba70. Thank you so much for responding in an intelligent and lucid way which explains the dilemma perfectly. We are not talking holidays and little jaunts here, but simply visits to see loved ones, in the same way as others with family in the UK do.
I have a new baby grandson in France I am bursting to see.

Elegran

Quizqueen Our expired EU gym membership entitled us to use all the facilities which that gym group provided across its several premises and many different exercise rooms. Now that we have cancelled our membership, we can't use any of those gyms, but the EU doesn't care which other gyms we use - it is just up to us to join those others and negotiate our membership. If we don't join any gyms as members, then we pay per use and put up with the inconvenience and extra cost. As for exercise, we could always run for the bus, but we may have already missed it.

Brilliant!

I think, taking COVID out of the equation, from January 1st 2021 you have to follow the signs for non EU passengers, obey the duty free allowance for non EU passengers and ensure you have adequate health insurance. I think perhaps the EHIC card will not be available to UK citizens. As Whitewavemark2 says - it was voted for (not by me but majority) so we have to deal with it.

ABove, I meant elderly parent or relative with a disability, visiting you where you live.

So as an exemple- you live in Northern France, with easy access to Tunnel or ferry run - and your elderly father, in his 80s and well, but with pre-exisiting conditions - and unable to get Travel Insurance. With EHIC, they could visit you in your home in France, and should something happen, a fall or an illness, they would have been covered by EHIC. After the emergency phase- they would have to be repatriated to UK. In most cases, this could be done in your car, or in a slightly larger hire car- or in the worst cases, by private ambulance. You could plan for this eventuality and make provisions just in case.

Imagine your brother wants to visit ou, is well, but needs dialysis. Insurance refuses to cover- but EHIC would pay for this. And same as above if repatriation required. And on, and on- just two imaginary cases.

And for some, who are now living abroad- there is NO holiday insurance products that will cover them for travel out of the country where they reside, even if they will continue to be covered for their country of residence.

I’m interested Biba70 which countries do not have travel insurance for their residents to visit other countries?

Should have written “for treatment for COVID-19)”.

Dianalou you raised a relevant point re Covid insurance when travelling against FO advice. I would urge those travelling with such a policy to check small print (always a get out of jail free card for insurance policies).

You may find that you are indeed covered.......but not for Covid!

suziewozzie- for some who are older and with pre existing condition, and for those who need dialysis- cover will be refused- not just premium up. Not talking, again, about holiday makers- but perhaps elderly parents or relative with some disability. And of course we are not talking here about dangerous sports. Yes, I remember a woman who had a stroke in Turkey and was complaining bitterly she could not understand why EHIC would not pay- and could not understand she was not in the EU !

And for some- the country where they live do not have Insurance products that would cover them. What is so difficult to see.

A lot of people travel abroad without insurance, then the get ill or have an accident, next thing there are on line pleas for funding to get home!!
Our NHS suffers from those who come from overseas without insurance, fall ill here, then run up medical bills they never pay! Anyone who travels, mountain climbing, caving or other activities that out other people at risk saving them, sould have insurance cover!

I had no idea that people travelled to Europe without insurance

You live and learn

But biba I still don’t understand the problem re health care. Travel insurance will be a bit more expensive to cover the loss of the EHIC but surely not unaffordable.

And for many, it is not about a holiday, but about seeing much loved children and grandchildren who live there.

Doreen5

A lot of fuss about nothing - just get health insurance instead of using Green Card. Not much difference to the days when we weren't in the Common Market. But who would want to go to Europe anyway at the moment with Covid around!

For some of us, our lives are in Europe, in one way or another. Covid doesn't stop that. I work overseas. Can't give up work just because of a pandemic. Mortgage, bills etc have to be paid.

biba I responded to the point about Australia because I was making the point that if we negotiate any reciprocal agreements with EU countries, it won’t mean we don’t need travel insurance. As someone said upthread, health insurance is only one part of travel insurance anyway. Atm going on holiday to an EU country doesn’t mean you don’t need travel insurance. I think the groups really affected seem to be the ones like the dialysis patients.

''We do still have E111 cover until Dec.''

E111 is now EHIC, and yes, only until end Dec.

To all the 'you just have to get travel Insurance' - yes, that is fine, if you are young, if you do not have pre-existing conditions or chronic illness, if you do not need dialysis, etc. For the others, it will be either VERY expensive, or not available at all.

So imagine you have bought a little place in France, or your children live there- within a few hours travel- and you have any of the above, which would preclude you from having travel Insurance- with EHIC, you could still go- and be covered, but would have to plan to cover repatriation- be it by plane, or by car with one of your children, relatives. Even if they have to hire a bigger car so you can be more comfortable, the cost would be relatively low. From next year- you may not be able to visit them any longer.

Imagine too, that the EU/EEA country you live in does not have travel insurance products- as is the case for us. What then?

And if I may, Australia is not really relevant to this thread, we are talking about EHIC reciprocal cover here.

As for driving- and again, we must not mix tourists and residents here- about the situation in Ye Olde Days pre EU. You had to retake your licence again, IN FULL - in the local language. You had 6 months to do so if becoming permanent resident (as I did in 1970) or 1 year if temporary resident. I can just imagine all these elderly UK EU residents having to retake full licence in their country of residence, in French, Spanish, etc. It is not planned- but that was the case then.