Anyone heard of European Health Care debit card scam?

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Not quite a Newb Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 33

A friend of mine was approached by a customer trying to get him to enroll in a scam which he turned down. She had some paper for him to fill out and join a free health care program (only asked name and email address), where you got a European debit card to pay for your medical expenses. The scammer said it had to do with the government bailout.

My friend asked me if I knew about that one specifically, and I said I didn't know about it. I did tell him that my guess is that he would have to pay a "processing fee" or give personal information to get the card.

Has anyone heard about this one? I'd like to send him information. As it was done face-to-face, it concerns me.

Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 5:39 am

There's so many things wrong with this that I don't know where to start.

First, you have to be a EU citizen to get their health card.

Second, it is not a debit card.

Third, I don't think it covers outside of the EU care (maybe emergencies? Not sure)

Fourth, you need the European equivalent of the SSN to get one of these things.

Fifth, you need to provide a lot more information than just name and email to get this.

Sixth, they charge a monthly premium for this, not sure exactly, about 100 euro?

I'm sure there is more than this.....

Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 6:07 am

@Bobcat

You got almost everything right except the cost- nothing! Smile

It just means that if you need medical treatment in another EU country you either get it free at point of provision or get all charges refunded subsequently ( bloody French!)

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

There is a European Health Insurance Card which entiltes the holder to either free or reduced cost health care when in other EU countries.

In the UK it is free to apply, if you get the form from the post office.
There is a service where it is checked for you which costs about £2 or online service which charges around £10.

http://www.ehic.uk.com/eligibility.html

I still take out travel insurance to cover all treatment and also repatriation costs if needed.

Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 7:37 pm

@ Nanny

My SO broke her fibula and badly dislocated her ankle on holiday in Portugal last September ( bloody first day as well! Sad

)

Luckily we had insurance and the private hospital was next door to the apartment complex! The rep told me that the public hospital locally was pretty bad and people had been known to spend a week there with a broken leg.

Best 30 quid I ever spent - i reckon all the bills would have come to well over £3000.

Elite Baiter Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 1702

Farkwood, no idea if it was a scam, but lads tend not to put themselves out in the open. But other criminals do.

I dont know of a company that gives a debit card for medical insurance, and google throws up too many results.

When i get my brain in gear, a real company would stand there for ages with a customer, sign them on the line and sort it as quick as possible to get as many customers as possible before the customers realised it wasnt the best possible deal, but thats business. They dont tend to waste money hiring people to gather email addresses, thats what mailing lists are for.

The EU card does help when in europe, but you definately do need extra insurance, check that eu items very carefully, much is not covered.

My opinion, something aint right, and we have all been here too long now to know where theres smoke, theres something going on lol.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 13 Jan 2009 Posts: 33

^^^ Yep, that's what I told him. But in the interest of exposing the scam for what it is, he's getting more information. I'll pass it along.

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 2628

@ Farkward, if something doesn't feel right it usually isn't

@ Music Man, thanks, I knew I was doing the rigt thing buying travel insurance!
We've never had to use it but it's there if needed.
The difficult one has been trying to get hubby and son covered as they do Martial Arts

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