Be sure you’re carrying your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for travel within the EU, or else take out adequate health cover for travel outside the EU. These are the Foreign Ministry’s recommendations to all Italian nationals preparing to spend their summer holidays abroad.
Avoid nasty surprises
The ministry reminds that private healthcare facilities are often very costly and consequently advises having adequate insurance cover that includes not only the cost of medical treatment in a foreign healthcare facility but also the cost of eventual air transfer to another country or back to Italy, which in the most serious cases could involve air-ambulance service.
Garanzia pagamenti solo per casi gravi e urgenti
While our diplomatic-consular missions are there to offer their assistance, the MFA reminds that it is strictly and only under the most urgent and serious circumstances that they are authorised to offer direct financial assistance. It adds that, in the case of commercially organized tour packages, it is advisable to carefully check the extent of healthcare cover provided in the package and, where inadequate, to supplement cover with a private policy.
