Almost 4.5 million European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) are due to expire this year.
The card helps the bearer obtain free or cheaper health care within the European Economic Area, which is all the nations of the EU as well as Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
Research by Cocompare, a travel insurance comparison site, discovered that 4,479,132 EHICs will expire during the course of 2014.
The cards, which replaced the E111 in 2006, entitle the traveller to the same level of state medical care given to the residents of the country in which they are.
Cards are valid for up to five years and are free to most UK residents. Applicants are directed to ehic.org.uk. The public is warned not to fall prey to imposter websites which charge for a fake “fast track” service.
It takes about a week in the UK for a new card to arrive.
Gocompare’s study showed that 54% of holidaymakers thought they could access free medical care anywhere in Europe.
"Few EU countries pay the full cost of medical treatment as you’d expect from the NHS. For example, in France a patient may be expected to pay for a consultation with a doctor but will have up to 70pc of the cost reimbursed later. The patient may also be expected to contribute to the cost of staying in a hospital overnight," said Gocompare.
While 10% believed that the EHIC would cover free repatriation to the UK by air ambulance, this is never the case and only specific travel insurance can provide this service.
