Kela question about reimbursment of medical expenses

Amandine.K · Post by **Amandine.K** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:52 am

Hi!

I am a bit confused to know if I'm allowed any money back or not.

Here is the situation:

I was in France for a week with my 6-month old son. While we were there he got a stomach flu so I had to go and see a pediatrician (cost me 31€) and go to the chemist to get the prescribed drugs (which cost me about 50€). 5 days later he developed an ear infection and as we were due to take the plane the next day I again went to the pediatrician to get the treatment started (so another 35€ + €20 for the prescribed drugs).

Am I allowed to claim money back for his medical expenses? Any idea how to?

Thanks!

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Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:26 am

Do you have the European Health Card? It's a piece of plastic (credit card size) and is a grey/lilac colour. The idea is that you use this card to get a refund on expenses in the country where you are treated.

In my case it was a bad back, could hardly move. I went to see a doctor in France and he gave me a jab and a pile of anti-inflammatories. I paid the doctor in the normal (French) way as anyone without a Carte Vitale would do. He gave me a feuille des soins and I went to the pharmacy to get the pills. I paid the pharmacy in the usual way and stuck the sticky things on the feuille des soins.

Next stop "La Sécurité Sociale" (your local office will do). Take a ticket, wait your turn, hand over the European Health card, the feuille des soins with the stickies (and I also kept the till receipts). Fill in a form, sign it. The SecSoc refunded the money (most of it), it took a few weeks, but it worked.

The idea of the European health card is that it enables you to get treatment in a foreign country according to the local regulations. So you might be refunded better in France than in Finland but not so well in eg: the UK.

Since you are now back here I suggest you go into your KELA office and show them all the paperwork. But if you don't have the European health card then they may make a fuss. If that's the case, try your insurance company.

BTW, our Euro health cards were renewed automagically. The new ones came through the post a couple of weeks ago and we didn't even have to re-apply for them. There is no cost for the Euro health card application.

http://www.kela.fi/in/internet/english. ... enDocument
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/h ... dex_en.htm

debonaire · Post by **debonaire** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:08 am

you could also try to get a refund if you have a travel insurance...for instance,if either your husband or you are a member of any union,then the union usually has a travel insurance cover for the member and his/her kids...and if you bank with nordea and has their mastercard gold then you could get a refund from them as well..

Amandine.K · Post by **Amandine.K** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:46 am

We have the European Health Insurance card but not for the baby (silly me didn't do it yet! We all have it but him!). I didn't know you could get the refund that way penelope, thanks for the tip I will know in the future.

We do have travel insurance so I guess I'll check out with them and if they don't cover it then I will try kela. I seem to remember my husband saying that the insurance didn't cover sickness if it wasn't travel-related...

Anyway thanks a lot for your help!

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 12:01 am

Well..on tip ... most insurances cover medical emergencies where you are unable to be served by the country that you belong

and remember, that Even if Insurance covers, they have a deductible ( oma vastu)..
So Kela First and then insurance later..

Amandine.K · Post by **Amandine.K** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:42 am

In any case my husband just told me that we were not insured while in France (we just changed insurance company this month and I didn't now we were not covered just yet by the new one!). So our only option is Kela...

raamv · Post by **raamv** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:02 pm

If you paid for your ticket by Diners club, you might be covered by their travel insurance..

Amandine.K · Post by **Amandine.K** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:37 pm

I am a EU citizen (French actually, I was going home for a week) therefore I know that I will get some money back. Should I have travelled outside EU of course I would have checked before leaving that everything was in order. So please don't come and infer that I am a bad parent...

I paid with my French visa, not sure it covers the kids but it's ok. It'll take time according to the Kela lady I spoke to but I will get reimbursment.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 8:15 pm

That's strange because in the UK you shouldn't have to pay anything (as in ZERO) when you go to an NHS doctor with a 3 yr old. You may have to pay a small prescription charge for medicine but as far as I know NHS doctors surgeries and hospitals are not even equipped to take payments! I have taken my kids to see the doctor in the UK and never had to pay a thing (I don't think I was even asked to show my ID but that was maybe because I was with my mum who's a regular). Once I was in the UK and a friend called me to say there had been a meningitis scare at my kids' school in Hungary and I had to get them vaccinated. We walked into the local NHS surgery where my folks live and had it done, no charge.

OTOH, if you go into a private practice..... BIG money changes hands..... and I agree, you'd have to fight to get a refund.

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