Do I need travel insurance for Europe?
Yes – even when travelling in Europe insurance is a wise idea. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is also a good addition to your travel documentation. As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office explains, the EHIC ‘is not an alternative to travel insurance’, and recommends having both an EHIC and separate travel insurance when visiting Europe.
The EHIC will only cover emergency medical care in the local equivalent of an NHS hospital. It won’t cover treatment if you’re taken to a private hospital.
UK residents can use their EHIC during the Brexit negotiations, until the UK is scheduled to leave the EU on 31 January 2020. The UK Government has proposed a scheme similar to the EHIC in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal, and consequently the EHIC no longer being usable. However, the implementation of that scheme is subject to EU countries agreeing to that proposal.