Travelling with children is always a little more of a worry than when travelling alone so, even if you are travelling to an EU country that has reciprocal healthcare agreements with the UK, such as Denmark, adequate insurance is a must. Invest in a family travel policy and you can then relax in the knowledge that every member of your family is comprehensively covered should medical help be required. Denmark and The EHIC Denmark is a country that accepts the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and if every member of your family has one, they are entitled to certain healthcare benefits, such as free treatment in a public hospital and consultations with a doctor or dentist. This card however is not an insurance policy and should you require private treatment, you will need to rely on a family travel policy as insurance for reimbursement of monies paid. Accessing a Doctor with an EHIC If you do not have insurance in the form of a family travel policy, and are relying on your EHIC, you will need to access a doctor who is registered with the public health service. You are then entitled to claim back any fees that have been paid to the doctor. Dentist fees are reimbursed but not in full, unless of course you have an up to date family travel policy from a travel insurance company. Private treatment of any kind will only be reimbursed through a private insurer. Should you or a member of your family need a doctor and you do not have private insurance, you first need to make an appointment, after which you must present your EHIC. The same system applies to dentists, who incidentally always ask for a contribution for treatment. However, under 18s receive free dental care in Denmark. Hospital Treatment If you need to visit a hospital in an emergency in Denmark, your treatment will be free. For any hospital visits, as long as you have been referred by a public doctor and have an EHIC your treatment is free. Interpreters are also provided free of charge for non-Danish speakers. Prescriptions In Denmark, everyone pays for his or her own medication. This cost cannot be claimed back from the state. A good family travel policy should entitle you to claim back the cost of medication, which is another good reason for investing in one. What About Repatriation? It is worth noting that repatriation from Denmark to the UK is not covered by the EHIC and only a comprehensive insurance policy will cover the cost of this eventuality. So, the message is always the same. When travelling to a country in the EU, while the EHIC gets you some reduced cost or even free healthcare, it is useful to have back-up insurance too, especially if you are travelling with the family. Patrick Chong is the Managing Director of InsureMore, an award-winning team of specialists in global single trip, annual and family travel policy insurance. Besides offering great deals on travel insurance, Patrick also collects and shares the best free travel competitions to help his clients get the most out of their holidays.
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