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.