 Poster: A snowHead
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https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/startApplication.do
This is the official link for renewal of your EHIC card. The old one is valid until renewal. There are a lot of scam sites around that scrape a fee for what is free. I’ve heard different views if it still covers Switzerland.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@jbob, only in limited circumstances
Who can use a UK-issued EHIC
Some people can get a new UK-issued EHIC which is valid for visits to Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
You’ll be able to apply if you’re:
an EU, Norwegian, Icelandic, Liechtenstein or Swiss national, and have been living in the UK since before 1 January 2021
receiving a UK State Pension or some other ‘exportable benefits’, and have been living in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland since before 1 January 2021
a ‘frontier worker’ (someone who works in one state and lives in another), and have been one since before 1 January 2021, for as long as you continue to be a frontier worker in the host state
an eligible family member or dependant of one of the above
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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So an EU citizen living in the UK gets more healthcare coverage than a UK citizen living in the UK under this reciprocal healthcare agreement?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| So an EU citizen living in the UK gets more healthcare coverage than a UK citizen living in the UK under this reciprocal healthcare agreement? |
Indeed. A belter of a deal, I'm sure you'll agree.....
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@rob@rar, yes, aren't you so glad that we had such a competent negotiating team in charge. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Alastair Pink wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| So an EU citizen living in the UK gets more healthcare coverage than a UK citizen living in the UK under this reciprocal healthcare agreement? |
Indeed. A belter of a deal, I'm sure you'll agree..... |
EHIC allowed us access to the health cover equivalent to that of the visited nation's own citizens, I think. Similarly, EU citizens visiting the U.K. were allowed the NHS cover we receive. In what way are visiting EU citizens receiving better cover than before?
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| achilles wrote: |
| Alastair Pink wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| So an EU citizen living in the UK gets more healthcare coverage than a UK citizen living in the UK under this reciprocal healthcare agreement? |
Indeed. A belter of a deal, I'm sure you'll agree..... |
EHIC allowed us access to the health cover equivalent to that of the visited nation's own citizens, I think. Similarly, EU citizens visiting the U.K. were allowed the NHS cover we receive. In what way are visiting EU citizens receiving better cover than before? |
They aren't, they are receiving the same benefits as previously. UK citizens on the other hand are receiving less cover. 
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@Alastair Pink, sorry, I haven't been keeping close tabs on this. In what way are UK citizens receiving less cover than they did under EHIC?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@achilles, the new GHIC card only gives cover in the EU27. The EHIC also includes Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, the 4 EFTA states.
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| achilles wrote: |
| @Alastair Pink, sorry, I haven't been keeping close tabs on this. In what way are UK citizens receiving less cover than they did under EHIC? |
Previously UK citizens were also covered in Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland; under the new arrangements they are not (but of course EU citizens are).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Android2000, @Alastair Pink, so in fact the GHIC does provide the same cover as before within the EU, which is what we and the negotiators were after. So I am not clear what
| rob@rar wrote: |
| So an EU citizen living in the UK gets more healthcare coverage than a UK citizen living in the UK under this reciprocal healthcare agreement? |
meant. EU citizens get what they did before - and wishing the EU we get the same as we did.
Is there negotiation under way concerning Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland? As a side comment, I wonder how many here are interested in health cover in Liechtenstein!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Quote: |
I wonder how many here are interested in health cover in Liechtenstein!
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@achilles, Me, we drive through it.
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@achilles, not including the 4 EFTA countries is clearly less cover than before.
And I believe the point referred to the fact that EU citizens that reside in the UK can still get a UK-issued EHIC which covers them in all EU/EFTA 31 countries, but British nationals can only get cover in the EU27.
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You know it makes sense.
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| achilles wrote: |
| .... Is there negotiation under way concerning Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland? As a side comment, I wonder how many here are interested in health cover in Liechtenstein! |
Duh.
Pretending "global" means something it doesn't is almost as dishonest as pretending you don't know some of us ski in all those places.
This is a skiing site.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Markymark29, drive carefully.
@Android2000, true. But the negotiations were with the EU, not EFTA. Are negotiations with EFTA taking place with select to EHIC?
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Poster: A snowHead
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@achilles, I doubt it. The UK concluded a trade agreement with Norway and Iceland in December, and also a different one with Switzerland. I suspect the UK govt are happy to leave it at that, and hope that people are fooled by the word "Global" in a card that actually has less coverage than the "European" version that preceded it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Android2000
@albob, thanks. I have also found this government page dated 11 January.
| Quote: |
The UK is seeking to conclude new, comprehensive agreements on social security coordination, including reciprocal healthcare, with the EEA EFTA States and with Switzerland.
Until a new agreement is in place, the UK and Norway will apply, on a temporary basis, an amended version of the 1991 Convention on Social Security and Protocol on Medical Treatment between the governments of the UK and Norway. This includes necessary healthcare. |
So healthcare has not been overlooked.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Well, you have to ask why wasn't EHIC continuity for British citizens included in the new Reciprocal Agreement on Citizens' Rights between the UK and Switzerland? This does include continuity of recognition for UK nationals of dual EU:UK citizenship or with access to an EU EHIC card by virtue of marriage etc. So they specifically engineered EU EHIC continuity but excised any UK EHIC recognition. During the years of negotiation, they clearly gave some time and effort to structuring a replacement Agreement that ended-up excluding reciprocal healthcare i.e. this wasn't just passive omission due to the pressure of time, but active exclusion.
I'm actually more pessimistic than I was, having read the UK:CH Agreement, because the easiest thing for both sides would have been to just carry on as before. Acknowledging that some years the UK would be in credit while other years CH would benefit. But they didn't. The only logic I can see is that the UK was trying to save a few £million by trying to put the onus on the traveller and their insurer - basically, putting countries like Switzerland in the same category as the USA, and thus providing some useful soundbites and headlines about Brexit saving us money when they knew that few voters would have much sympathy for the trope of well-heeled British skiers frolicking in Switzerland. But then I'm a cynic - it could just have been incompetence, rather than a subtle strategic masterplan.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@LaForet, That's very cynical, I think it's probably just a case of too much to do all at once.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Well, @BoardieK that would be understandable if it was new arrangements from scratch, but doing what they did took more effort to define than just continuing with the current arrangement. All the charging mechanisms are already in place, and there is continuity of cover for the EU27 under the GHIC. They actually had to add new, convoluted rules to allow a GB with a valid EU EHIC card to continue cover, but not a regular GB national. I'm still more inclined t think it's incompetence or a feeling that 'savings' from the loss of reciprocal cover for Switzerland et al meant they'd be able to claim it as a benefit: shifting the burden of cover from the state to the traveller and their insurer.
I could see the argument for complete non-reciprocity across the EU27+4 especially if the UK is a net loser on balance (i.e. we provided more in treatment for EU27+4 visitors than the 31 did for GB visitors). But to continue with the GHIC for the EU27 but not the +4 seems daft - the worst of both worlds.
Unless, of course, the Swiss felt they were the net losers? Perhaps the Swiss found that they treated far more Brits, at far greater cost, under the EHIC than the NHS did Swiss. So took the opportunity when it arose to remove a perceived imbalance in health care costs between the two countries? And given that the Govt was way behind in getting the promised slew of new Agreements, perhaps they did indeed just not have the time to press the point.
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I was a little surprised, but delighted, when the GHIC was announced a few weeks ago, thought it might have taken another 6 months or so. I think the Swiss were the first country to sign a trade deal with UK so I've always looked upon them as a very co-operative country and I optimistically reckon reciprocal healthcare will come through later this year.
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I'm also hoping that a reason for calling it "Global ..." is that other countries will be added in the future. Probably not USA, but the addition of some or all of Canada / Australia / NZ / Japan etc could offset the loss of Switzerland / Norway / Iceland (even if those turn out to be permanent).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@ecureuil, I think Australia and NZ already have reciprocal healthcare agreements with the UK.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Is that the standard Microsoft clipart for the Union Flag? No expense spared...
What happens when the Union is no more? They'll have to find some new clipart. 
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Thu 11-02-21 15:29; edited 1 time in total
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That looks absolutely vile but I wouldn't expect anything else from this bunch of colonials.
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You know it makes sense.
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About the same amount of time to get mine too. Agreed that it does look vile but having said that the EHIC, whilst not vile, doesn't look great with the weird text boxes and misaligned text in the boxes!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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That reminds me, I ordered ours and got the email confirmation on 28th Dec but nothing has turned up yet.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| ster wrote: |
| That reminds me, I ordered ours and got the email confirmation on 28th Dec but nothing has turned up yet. |
I ordered mine the same day (perhaps the following day) and my GHIC card arrived yesterday.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's a plastic card, it looks fine. You aren't wearing it like a badge
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
I think Australia and NZ already have reciprocal healthcare agreements with the UK
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When my Australian sister in law arrived at my house really ill, I was able to get her an emergency appointment in an assessment unit in the local major hospital, on a Saturday morning, and they admitted her with pneumonia - she was in hospital for a week. There was never any question about her eligibility for treatment. My only grumble was that the initial wait in the assessment place was difficult as there were no chairs available and she really wasn't well enough to stand. I went rooting round empty offices till I found a chair. Good job it was pre-Covid....
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Mjit, @Hells Bells, you are Emily Thornberry and I claim £5 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@rob@rar, thanks. Post has been usually ok around here so shouldn’t be held up there. Maybe a few more days will do it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@holidayloverxx, fair enough, I'm just not a fan of Union jacks plastered everywhere. It's a medical card not a symbol of my national identity.
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@Hells Bells, also fair enough
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I'm just not a fan of Union jacks plastered everywhere
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Neither am I - I feel our effortless superiority to all other nations need not be shouted from the rooftops.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
I'm just not a fan of Union jacks plastered everywhere
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Neither am I - I feel our effortless superiority to all other nations need not be shouted from the rooftops. |
Should one put the card in a sound-proof receptacle when in libraries?
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FAQ
. One felt rather sorry for the Americans for example who seem to wrap themselves in their flag, placing their hand over their heart when their national anthem is played and even going so far as to requiring schools to hold 