European Health Insurance Card Expired?

So, you Sour Faced Grubby Little  Englander, you thought that if you got one of the European Health Insurance Cards then your health needs in European Mega-State would be secured.

You know -  the pinkish credit card sized ID that so "conveniently" replaced the E111 form.

Maybe you even hedge your bets and plan to take out some private insurance as well. You know - Just In Case.

Billowthewisp has some very bad news for you.

These are a couple of itsy titsy issues with the European Health Cards.

The first issue is that they expire. (unlike the old E111)

Waddya mean they expire? (I hear you say)

Have you checked yours recently? (Ah No. Thought not.)
Didn't you realise they expired?

Now come on. Get a grip.

Why do you think they were issued in the first place?

All you cynical bastards here can now chime in together  - "So they could be charged for at a later date"

After all, why do you need a card when you have a passport? As I remember when you apply for a passport you provide your National Insurance Number.  So this little card is just another redundant bit of pointless bureaucracy. Something to expire, something to get lost or whatever.

At the moment more than 3.3 million Brits have expired European Health Cards. ( See Here ) Only 220 thousand people have realised they need to be renewed and have actually renewed this useless and pointless piece of jobs worth empire building.

But without it you could end up knee deep in the shite, far from home, with no health cover and very large bills.

No doubt, literally millions of Brits will be going abroad this year with NO VALID RECOURSE to on-demand health care.

This will not be because they are feckless imbeciles.

It will be because some idiot in government has decided that:

a. Having yet another useless piece of ID is a "good idea".
b. Making this useless piece of ID expire out of sync with your passport is also a "good idea".
c. Not publicising the fact that they expire is also a jolly money saving wheeze.
d. Making folk jump through a few more hoops really does show who is on control.
e. This new little empire will create lots of pointless wealth shrinking McJobs.

The second issue concerns Private Medical Insurance.

Do I detect a level of smugness amongst some of you who hedge their bets with private insurance?

Well, take that smile off your face matey. You insurance is probably null and void - if your European Health Insurance card is not valid.

You know as well as I do that Insurance companies are about as honest and compassionate as a Columbian drug Cartel.

Many Insurance policies are only valid if you have a valid European Health Insurance Card. Read it in the small print.

How crap is that.

So, as an aid memoir to you my fellow English Barbarians and ne'er do wells.....

CHECK THAT YOUR EUROPEAN HEALTH INSURANCE CARD IS VALID. DO IT NOW! (You know it makes sense.)