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Insurance
09.06.2004
Travel Insurance
When travelling, it is of great importance to obtain proper travel insurance. The insurance should cover treatment, hospital and medical costs along with other problems such as cancelled or missed flights, itinerary changes or the loss of credit cards, cash or baggage.
Beginning 1 May 2004, all individuals insured by the Estonian Health Insurance Fund will have immediate access to medical assistance in any EU Member State during temporary stays. Beginning 1 June 2004, uniform EU health insurance cards, which attest that the individual has a health care plan or belongs to a national programme, will come into use. The uniform health insurance card should be in the form of a magnetic card, however, many Member States including Estonia will initially use temporary certificates, which have the same status as the magnetic cards. Three month temporary certificates are issued from regional departments. (The addresses of the offices and departments can be found at http://www.haigekassa.ee/HK/in_english.htm). Plastic EU health insurance cards will be issued beginning on 1 August 2004.
It is recommended that you also purchase travel insurance, which covers unavoidable medical costs. The Estonian health insurance card gives you access to medical treatment according to the host nation's legislation. This means that the traveller is responsible for all additional costs resulting from treatments that are not covered in that country, especially since in most countries medical treatments are not fully covered by health insurance. In some countries patients are required to pay for certain treatments and this is where travel insurance would be useful. Also, in the case of serious injuries where the patient requires special transportation, the Health Insurance Fund does not cover the transportation costs. These costs are normally covered by travel insurance.
The health card does not cover the treatments of those who are travelling to another country solely for medical treatment.
If the traveller becomes ill in a EU Member State, they are eligible to apply for illness compensation with a note from a foreign doctor.
Vehicle Insurance
Today it is virtually impossible to travel by personal vehicle without vehicle insurance. Check the requirements of every country in which you are travelling. If the requirements are not met, it is possible that you will not be permitted to travel through that country. The green card is valid in most European and Northern African countries.
If you have valid insurance, the laws of the country where the accident has occurred regulate vehicle accidents. When travelling abroad, it is important to be careful and to follow local laws, because fines can be significant.
Before travelling, verify that your driver's licence is valid and that your car meets the technical requirements of the countries you will be travelling in.
 
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