STORY: Read about how the right to treatment works in practice
Accident on holiday outside Europe
Joona’s scooter crash in Thailand
Joona has rented a scooter on his holiday in Thailand. His scooter ride ends badly, as he hits a pothole and falls off his scooter. Joona strains his back and bruises his arm.
Joona is taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he spends two days and then continues his holiday. When leaving the hospital, Joona pays all his hospital costs himself. Fortunately, he has taken out travel insurance for his trip. Joona saves the receipts for treatment costs and, after returning from his trip, claims reimbursement from his insurance company.
Grounds for Joona’s right to treatment
Finland and Thailand do not have a social security agreement, so Joona is entitled to treatment solely based on Thai legislation. Outside the EU, Joona is not automatically entitled to treatment other than urgent medical care and usually has to pay all the treatment costs himself. Joona should take out travel insurance.
In other words, Joona will not receive treatment in Thailand using his European Health Insurance Card and is not automatically entitled to treatment other than urgent medical care.
However, Joona does have travel insurance, which reimburses all the hospital costs incurred in Thailand. He receives the reimbursements directly from the insurance company.