UK EU Healthcare Comparison

Published / Last Updated on 07/04/2016

UK EU Healthcare Comparison.

There is plenty of spin out there about healthcare if the UK leaves the EU compared to if UK stays, so we decided to do some research on what we actually receive whilst a member of the EU on our travels.

Provided you have a European Health Insurance Care (EHIC) you are entitled to the same “State” treatment that local residents are entitled too.  This is free in many countries usually for emergency treatment provided you are treated at a “State” registered doctor or hospital, but many other treatments are not and as in the UK, private treatment is never or rarely free or even subsidised.

Some of the bigger EU countries do not offer that much whereas some of the smaller ones offer quite a lot in comparison.

Source: http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/countryguide/Pages/EEAcountries.aspx

Country

State Doctor Free?

 

State Dentist Free?

 

State Hospital Free?

EU visitors to UK

Free

 

Subsidised tariff if you can find an NHS dentist

 

Free

Austria

Free

 

Free but charge made for some treatments

 

Daily rate charged c€12+ per day

Belgium

Few state doctors and even then you pay upfront and may get 75% refunded

 

Few state dentists and even then you pay upfront and may get 75% refunded

 

Daily rate charged c€15+ medicines

Bulgaria

Non-refundable fee to see doctor

 

Many + non-refundable fee to see dentist

 

Free if referred by Dr or Emergency

Croatia 

No, must pay a mandatory healthcare contribution the same as residents, non-refundable when leave

 

No, must pay a mandatory healthcare contribution the same as residents, non-refundable when leave

 

No, must pay a mandatory healthcare contribution the same as residents, non-refundable when leave

Cyprus

€15 for a visit to a general practitioner and €30 for a visit to a specialist

 

€15 for a visit to a general practitioner and €30 for a visit to a specialist

 

€10 for emergency treatment in an accident and emergency unit, although this does not apply to pensioners, then pay whatever locals would pay

Czech Republic

30 CZK per consultation with a GP, foot specialist or gynaecologist. 30 CZK charge for prescriptions

 

30 CZK for a clinical examination and 90 CZK for any emergency treatment. These charges are non-refundable

 

30 CZK for a clinical examination and 90 CZK for any emergency treatment. These charges are non-refundable

Denmark

Free, pay for prescriptions

 

Free to under 18's only

 

Free

Estonia

Free consultation but up to €5 treatment

 

Only emergency treatment free e.g. toothache and pulled out

 

Free but daily rate €2.50

Finland

Free for most things but not all

 

€10.20 appt + charge for additional treatments

 

Inpatient care – €38.10 a day, outpatient care – €32.10, day surgery – around €105.90

France, including Martinique and Guadeloupe 

Pay doctor directly and social security charge. Claim back around 70% of the standard treatment cost.

 

Pay dentist directly and social security charge. Claim back around 70% of the standard treatment cost.

 

Pay 20% towards your treatment plus daily rate €18

Germany

Doctor Free, prescriptions pay 10% of cost, minimum €5, maximum €10.

 

Pay in full

 

Pay daily rate €10

Greece, including the Greek Islands 

Free for most state doctors

 

Free for most state dentists

 

Free

Hungary

Free, pay for prescriptions

 

Free, pay for some treatment

 

Free

Iceland

Pay fixed fee set by government

 

Pay in full then possible to reclaim some from Icelandic government

 

Inpatient free, outpatient pay 5400 IKF

Ireland

Free

 

Free

 

Free

Italy

Pay a contribution called "the ticket"

 

Pay a contribution called "the ticket"

 

Pay a contribution called "the ticket"

Latvia

GP appt €1.42. Specialist € 4.24

 

Pay in full

 

Specialist € 4.24, day rate between €4.37 and € 7.11. Pay at the end usually cash only

Liechtenstein

Free

 

Pay in full

 

Pay in full

Lithuania

Free

 

Free appt, pay for some treatment

 

Free

Luxembourg

pay 88% of the official rate

 

pay up to €60 maximum

 

Free but daily rate €20.93

Malta

Free

 

Free

 

Free

Netherlands

Only private no NHS, so pay in full or part

 

Only private no NHS, so pay in full or part

 

Only private no NHS, so pay in full or part

Norway

Fixed fee

 

Pay in Full unless below age 20

 

Free

Poland 

Free

 

Free for some things

 

Free

Portugal, including Madeira 

Free

 

Free if can find a State Dentist (just like UK)

 

Free

Romania

Part payment required, may be refunded by State

 

Emergency Free, pay 60% other services

 

Part payment required, may be refunded by State

Slovakia

Visit to health centre €1.99, prescription charge €0.17, emergency prescription (after 10pm) = €0.33

 

Emergency Free, pay for other services

 

Mostly free, but some complex procedures may carry a charge

Slovenia

Free

 

Some services free, but additional charges may apply

 

Free

Spain, including the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands

Free

 

Pay in full

 

Free

Sweden

Doctor appt fee SEK 100 - SEK 300

 

Pay a subsidised fee

 

Specialists fee SEK 150 and SEK 350, inpatient daily rate SEK 100,  Outpatients pay in full

Switzerland 

Pay subsidised tariffs

 

Pay in full

 

Pay subsidised tariffs

Plus side:  In theory, the EHIC helps, in reality many are not aware of what we are entitled to and pay for being ill.

As to leaving the EU and then having health agreements with each country individually, we already do this with many non EU nations e.g. in the Caribbean, the US, Australia etc and whilst we all usually have travel insurance anyway, many do the same when we travel to the EU.

We do not see much difference in being in or out of the EU for health care but it is clearly easier with UK as part of the EU.

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