More confusion over EHIC cards

BRITISH expat pensioners in France are struggling to be properly reimbursed under the Ehic scheme.

Under EU rules, all British state pensioners must now have British, not French, versions of the Ehic (used to claim reimbursements of healthcare costs incurred on holiday in the EU) because, as state pensioners, it is the UK that pays for their ordinary healthcare in France. They must apply for their refunds to the UK.

However reader Peter Huggett of Montignac, Dordogne, said it took more than three months and several phone calls before he was able to arrange payment into his French bank account for treatment in Switzerland. Despite supplying international details of his French bank account, he was sent a sterling cheque.

Mr Huggett, 78, said: "I phoned and they said they had no way of transferring reimbursement outside the sterling area. They took an inordinate amount to time to do anything; nobody seemed to know the system.

"On my last phone call, I got an apology and was told an office in London would do the transfer for me."

Paying in the British cheque would have involved a large commission and at least a month for it to clear, he said.

Meanwhile reader Ian Sutherland emailed highlighting a separate problem: difficulties getting British medical staff to understand why he was using a British Ehic on holiday in the UK.

Another, John Tompa, said the scheme now involves more complication (applying outside France) and his topup health insurer has said it will not assist with costs reimbursed via the UK, as opposed to French social security.

There were some initial problems following the introduction of the new regulations in May 2010, but these seem to have been largely resolved. All payments requested in euros, will be made in euros.

The switch to British Ehics also also caused confusion last year, when expats were sent generic letters with their new cards, with wording aimed at UK residents.