Using an EHIC Card in Wales
As I understand it, an EHIC Card entitles the bearer to recieve treatment at the same cost as a local resident within an EU country. In Wales, residents are entitled to prescriptions without paying a prescription charge, but in England most residents pay an £8.80 prescription charge. What's to stop a resident of England travelling to Wales (albeit without the expressed intention of recieving treatment which would invalidate the card) and claiming free prescriptions using their EHIC card?
Best Answer
Inconvenience of a travel usually costs more then 8.80 pounds.
Additionally you are wrong about:
the bearer to recieve treatment at the same cost as a local resident within an EU country.
On NSH page Cover your healthcare abroad:
Free EHIC
If you're going abroad on holiday or a business trip, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which may give you access to reduced-cost medical treatment.
So, if you go to your doctor and you get your prescription (so at your home), it will seems very strange that you will go on a trip forgetting to get the medicines (but not forgetting the prescription).
And abroad you could get some extra costs, not for the prescription, but to validate the prescription (e.g. for the chemist to call abroad; this case could be suspect, so the validation could be required).
Note: your question is not really about abroad (England and Wales), so the above is not relevant, also the EHIC rules are not required. In any case if you have a 8.80 surcharge in wales, you are still paying like people in the same country (UK).
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Do you have to pay for healthcare in Wales?
Healthcare in Wales is mainly provided by the Welsh public health service, NHS Wales. NHS Wales provides healthcare to all permanent residents that is free at the point of need and paid for from general taxation.Can I use my European health insurance card in UK?
Updated to reflect the UK-Switzerland Convention on Social Security Coordination coming into effect. From 1 November 2021, eligible visitors to the UK from Switzerland can use a valid EHIC to access state-provided, necessary healthcare in the UK.How do you access NHS services in Wales if you are visiting from abroad?
Studying in Wales You can continue to use your EHIC or Provisional Replacement Certificate (PRC) to access free NHS healthcare if you began a course of education or training in Wales before the UK left the EU. This will apply until the end of your course, even if it finishes after 31 December 2020.Do you pay for NHS in Wales?
From April 1st 2007 the NHS prescription charge was abolished for people in Wales.ASSISTENZA MEDICA in EUROPA dopo BREXIT | Come fare la EHIC /GHIC CARD UK | NHS | Vivere Londra
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