Healthcare: Smartphone App to Ensure Stress-Free Travel This Summer

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Healthcare: Smartphone App to Ensure Stress-Free Travel This Summer

BRUSSELS, June 5, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

    Just in time for the summer holidays, the EURO 2012 Football Championship and the
London 2012 Olympics, the European Commission has launched an application for smartphones
explaining how to use the European Health Insurance Card.

    To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

    http://www.multivu.com/mnr/53837-european-commission

    The Card gives people access to state-provided healthcare in case of illness or an
accident during travel and temporary stays in 31 European countries. The Card is available
- free of charge - from national health insurance providers. It guarantees access to
urgent treatment under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries)
as people insured in that country.

    Differences among healthcare systems may make it difficult to figure out how to use
the Card in various countries and what the local rules are. This handy guide on how to use
the Card in the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland is now
available as an application for smartphones on three platforms: iOS, Android and Windows 7
mobile. It includes general information about the card, emergency phone numbers,
treatments that are covered and costs, how to claim reimbursement and who to contact in
case you have lost your card. The app is available in 24 languages, with the option to
switch from one language to another.

    The European Health Insurance Card itself cannot be generated or downloaded by the
application but must be requested from national health insurance providers.

    Download "European Health Insurance Card" app for your smartphone:

    AppStore

    http://itunes.apple.com/be/app/european-health-insurance/id516504241

    Google play

    https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.europa.ec.ehic

    Windows Marketplace

    http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/661cb16d-630b-4f17-a767-8a75cb695664

    Background

    http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/12/563&format=HTML&aged=0&l
anguage=EN&guiLanguage=en

    For more information

    European Health Insurance Card website:

    http://ehic.europa.eu/ [http://ehic.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=509 ]

    EU Social Security Coordination website:
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=849&langId=en

    Audio-visual material on the European Health Insurance Card:
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=702&langId=en&videosId=2526&vl=en&furtherVideos=yes

    http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=702&langId=en&videosId=2121&vl=en&furtherVideos=yes

    http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=702&langId=en&videosId=1301&vl=en&furtherVideos=yes

Video:
http://www.multivu.com/mnr/53837-european-commission

Source: The European Commission

Contacts: Jonathan Todd, Jonathan.Todd@ec.europa.eu , +32-2-299-41-07. Nadège Defrère, Nadege.Defrere@ec.europa.eu , +32-2-296-45-44