Free European Health Cards For Romanians Come Jan 1 ’08

The European health card was launched January 1, 2007, while its issue triggered endless lines of wannabe beneficiaries. Some 180,000 de European health cards were issued in this year, most of the remaining unused.

 

The initial price for one card was RON2.2, while in August, after switching the company making these documents, the price doubled, reaching RON4.39. The money was paid by requestors.

 

"We estimated that there would be more people requesting this card, but before November 28 only 177,157 documents were issued, including 44,110 issued after August 20, by the new producer, the company S&T," Ciurchea said.

 

In the same interval, in Bucharest, almost 15,000 European health cards were issued, Ciurchea added.

 

The new card introduced starting with August 20 contains an additional three elements for security and check.

 

The card is valid through six months and it allows access to emergency medical services in other states without the need to conclude private health insurance.

 

The first contract for the production of these cards was concluded with the company Starling, over a period of six months, while the company was supposed to produce one million such documents, but it only made 150,000.

 

After the expiration of the contract with Starling, on July 30, 2007, the auction for the production of the new European health cards, with new elements of security, was won by S&T.