Parliament expected to end EU insurance coverage

As of August, CPR card will no longer cover Danish residents in other EU countries

Feb 6, 2014

You may want to be more careful on future trips to other EU countries. Today, parliament is expect to abolish the public travel insurance provided by the yellow health insurance card. According to DR Nyheder, a large majority will vote in favour of the bill, which then will come into effect by August.

When the proposal is passed, Danish residents will no longer have all their medical expenses paid when visiting another EU country. Instead they will fall under the same regulations as citizens of the respective country. To avoid unexpected medical bills on your next holiday in Europe, it will therefore be necessary to take out your own health insurance.

DF: Not fair with extra expenses
Despite the likelihood of the bill passing, some politicians remain against the proposal. Dansk Folkeparti’s health spokesperson, Liselott Blixt, said it wasn't fair to make travellers face extra expenses.

“We pay very high taxes in this country in order to receive the best health insurance. The deterioration that is presented here is not fair, since one does not decide when to fall ill," she told DR Nyheder.

Instead of being covered by their yellow CPR cards, Danish residents will instead need a blue European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which they will need to take with them on holiday in Europe. There is a big difference on the degree of self-payment in each country, however, and the Foreign Ministry is therefore advising that travellers purchase their own travel insurance.

80 million kroner saved
According to Jyllands-Posten newspaper, the government expects to bring in around 80 million kroner per year when the new legislation is up and running.

Radikale’s health spokesperson, Camille Hersom, stressed to DR Nyheder that health coverage in the EU is still much more extensive than in the rest of the world and that private travel insurance comes at a low cost.

“The situation today is that people who are injured on holiday get their bills paid by the ones who do not want or cannot afford to go on vacation. With this change we will save money and ask the ones who choose to go on holiday to adjust to the rules in the relevant country,” she said.