Health Care
Visitors from EU countries are entitled to medical treatment in the Republic under the EU Reciprocal Medical Treatment arrangement. EU visitors should collect a form E111 from their Social Security office (or in Britain from any Post Office). Although an E111 is technically not a requirement for people from the UK, in reality it's essential to get the entitlement to free treatment and prescribed medicines (though this does not cover dental examinations, X-rays and so on). Even then, you can run into problems, and it makes sense to take your NHS card, too. Armed with these documents, check that the doctor you use is registered with the Health Board Panel, and make it clear you want to be treated under the European Union's social security arrangements. Similarly if you are admitted to hospital, make it clear you want to be treated within the EU Reciprocal Treatment scheme. The only other real problem is that in rural areas you may find yourself miles from the nearest doctor or hospital, and possibly even further from one prepared to treat you under the reciprocal arrangements. British citizens need no documentation to be treated in the North ; for non-British EU travellers, the requirements are the same as for the Republic. Citizens of non-EU countries will be charged for all medical services except those administered by accident and emergency units at health service hospitals. Thus a US citizen who has been hit by a car would not be charged if the injuries simply required stitching and setting in the emergency unit, but would if admission to a hospital ward were necessary. Health insurance is therefore extremely advisable for all non-EU nationals. Citizens of some countries may also enjoy a reciprocal agreement; in Australia, Medicare has such an arrangement with Ireland and Britain. Check before you leave. And remember that whatever your legal rights, the local doctor may not necessarily know anything about them
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