Could the EHIC card potentially add thousands to your holiday?

Millions of us have an EHIC card that we refuse to go on holiday without. But how many of us actually know what It’s for or what it entitles us to?

There always seems to be lots of confusion surrounding this little blue card. According to The Mirror 50% of Brits think it entitles them to free medical treatment, 7% think it will get them home from abroad and 5% believe it extends to anywhere in the world.

The EHIC card happens to be extremely useful for travellers, but if not used properly could potentially cost you thousands as people don’t seem to understand that It’s not to be used as a replacement for travel insurance.

The benefits of the card are limited. It gives access to medical care, but only at the same level as locals in the EU country you are visiting therefore it won’t cover you for a flight home in an emergency. Many countries still charge for lots of their medical care as they don’t have an NHS system as advanced as ours.

The card is free to most UK residents and is valid for use in all 27 European countries and is not accepted in Turkey or anywhere else in the world!

While some care can be free, or at a reduced cost, many countries charge for medical treatment as they don’t have a system like our free NHS.

If you don’t have travel insurance then you could end up having to splash out thousands in the event of an emergency even if you do have an EHIC card which is where people keep on going wrong.

CLICK HERE to read about how parents could be set to face big fines.