With the world becoming smaller and travel becoming easier, it is not surprising that an increasing number of persons are considering foreign travel as part of their family vacation, or for solo travel. The thrill and excitement of visiting a new country and experiencing its culture is such an overwhelming feeling that travellers often miss the importance of having a financial cushion to take care of medical interventions and emergencies when they are abroad. This is why applying for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is highly recommended.
Other than direct EHIC application portals that are made by the Government for this process, there are several websites that claim to offer assistance in applying for EHIC. Whether to use their services for this purpose or not, is a matter of debate among individuals. Here is a list of pros and cons of hiring an application assistant for EHIC:
Pros:
- Saving time
When an assistant is hired for taking care of the EHIC, all aspects of processing this card are covered by this person. Right from downloading all relevant forms to collecting all documents that are needed for filling these forms. This saves a lot of time, especially for applicants who have a full-time job and those who are travelling a lot.
- Through checking
Professionals hired for EHIC application process will make sure that all the required details are correctly and completely filled. This is especially relevant for applicants who are old or those who need assistance in filling up online forms and accessing online material. This is a crucial step because if there is an incomplete or incorrect information filled in these forms, it may result in a delay of issuance of EHIC. This can hamper the travels plans.
- Hassle-free paperwork
Hiring a professional for EHIC related work saves the applicant form the hassles related to minor changes that may be required, for example, change of name after marriage, change in family status in case of divorce or separation, the birth of a child etc. The professionals who deal with EHIC processing help in updating all these details. Also, in case someone misplaces the EHIC or it gets stolen while travelling, these professionals offer full support for reporting the loss and re-applying for a new EHIC.
Cons:
The only downside of availing the services of an external party for EHIC related help is that they charge money for their services. This factor can be important for many applicants, and not-so-important for others. Therefore, this service is availed by applicants who really need assistance and are unable to apply online themselves.
EHIC is a free card that can be issued after EHIC application by individuals who are covered by a social security system of any of the countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. Having this card assures the applicants that any urgent medical treatment is provided to them for free in public healthcare system while they are abroad. Individuals who have an EHIC will still need to apply for travel insurance because EHIC doesn’t cover flight cancellation and repatriation.