So this time last year I had a bit of a stack in the Pyrenees, resulting in a trip to a&e to get the gaping rent in my arm scrubbed out and stitched up. Presented my EHIC. All fine and dandy.

Fast forward 6 months, and I get a bill through for 20.66 euros. Kind of ignored it/forgot about it, on the basis that everything *should* have been covered by the EHIC.

Last friday another bill, this time with more red writing on dropped through the door. Same 20.66 euros.

So what IS the score? Is it some kind of policy excess? I would have thought they would have relieved me of any cash owing either before, or immediately after treating me. (it’s happened before)

I guess I need to get round to paying it (and 20E ain’t going to break the bank). What’s the best way to go about it? Can I just write a cheque for £19ish and leave them to sort out the rest?

I naïvely went on holiday to France with a mate when we were 18. Long story short, ended up in hospital. Din’t think to get insurance or even bother with an E111.

Few days after arriving back home, I received a bill for I think it was over £2000. 😯

Never paid it mind. What they gonna do, send Interpol after me?

The mrs got a bill like this from a hospital trip during her year abroad as part of her uni course. No idea why as she’d presented her EHIC and they hadn’t mentioned anything at the time. She ignored it but they followed it up a short while later with a court summons.

She paid it via bank transfer I think and claimed it back from her uni travel insurance. Not sure what they would have done if she hadn’t paid but neither of us liked the idea of her potentially being hauled off to court the next time she went to France.

If you read this:

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/Whatiscovered.aspx

It says this:

•It will not cover the costs of private healthcare or services that are not part of the state healthcare system.

Could be something to do with it ?

I’d reckon – maybe they charge for the flowers and peeled grapes 🙂

There are all sorts of charges in the health provision chain in France. Ms TPT broke her shoulder there four years ago; she was in two different hospitals with a string of x-rays, two ambulance rides. Who did what when was a muddle but we got a bill for a similar amount several months after our return. I would forward it to your travel insurance folk who will deal with it. Or contact the EHIC people for clarification.

Did you have extra wine with your meals?

I had a ‘pleasant’ stay on an E111- a few year back – Food looked great – house red too – unfortunately I was so bruised -nil by mouth 🙁

I do remember having to pay for the ambulance before they off loaded me at A&E(?)

There is some cost involved, but it is much less than the actual cost of treatment. My mum spent 10 days in hospital this summer being treated for pneumonia and paid a small sum (60ish euro maybe??) which I think was towards her take home medicines. Couldn’t have been towards the 10 day stay, as that included IV antibiotics, CT & MRI scans.

AFAIK ambulances are private, & often run by the local taxi company.