The European Health Insurance Card - EHIC came into effect, also in Italy, on November 1, 2004. The Card, which is the back of the National Health Card - TS or the Regional Services Card, allows you to access medically necessary treatments (and therefore not only urgent ones) previously covered by forms E 110, E 111, E 119, and E 128, if you are in an EU, EEA, or Swiss country for temporary stay.

All individuals registered with the National Health Service (SSN), who hold Italian citizenship and reside in Italy, can receive the TEAM, in principle.

Exceptions include:

• workers with an Italian law contract registered in the Register of Italians Resident Abroad (AIRE) and seconded abroad;

• students (holders of model E106 or S1) registered with AIRE;

• pensioners (and their family members) holding a model E121 or S1 (since May 1, 2010, with the entry into force of the new EU social security regulations);

• family members of workers, residing in a country different from that of the head of the family, holding model E109 or S1.

Furthermore, the TEAM is also granted to EU and non-EU citizens registered with the SSN who meet the requirements and conditions set by the respective EU and national regulations.

To obtain the services, you can go directly to a doctor or a public or affiliated healthcare facility and present your TEAM, which entitles you to receive care under the same conditions as the residents of the country you are in. The assistance is provided directly, and therefore nothing is due, except for the payment of any ticket (in France, for example, it is 20% on each service including hospitalization) which is the responsibility of the patient and therefore non-refundable.

We remind you that in Switzerland and France (where a system based on indirect assistance is in place), payment for services is often required. It is good to know that reimbursement (except, as mentioned above, for the ticket) can be requested directly on-site from the competent institution (to LAMal for Switzerland and to the competent CPAM for France). Otherwise, reimbursement must be requested from the ASL upon returning to Italy, presenting the receipts and medical documentation.

Furthermore, you cannot use the TEAM for highly specialized treatments abroad (Planned Treatments), for which prior authorization from your ASL is required.

The TEAM is valid for six years, unless otherwise indicated by the relevant Region/ASL (Decree of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of February 25, 2010, which updates the Decree of March 11, 2004). Near the expiration date, the Revenue Agency automatically sends the new card.

You can request a substitute certificate for the TEAM from your local ASL only in the following exceptional cases:

• theft or loss, if the card has already been received, by presenting a copy of the relevant report;

• departure in too short a time to obtain the Card, if it has not yet been received.

In the latter case, the Revenue Agency Office has provided for the possibility for ASLs to request the Card online for beneficiaries who make such a request. From the date of the request, it will take about 30 days to receive it. It is always possible for ASLs to issue a temporary substitute certificate filled out by hand.

If the personal data on the TEAM is incorrect, contact any Revenue Agency Office to request a correction. Similarly, in case of loss or theft, you can request a duplicate.

We remind you that the Ministry of Health has no competence in the issuance and distribution of the TEAM.

The European Health Insurance Card - EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) allows access to medically necessary treatments (and therefore not only urgent ones) previously covered by forms E 110, E 111, E 119, and E 128.

To obtain services, you can go directly to a doctor or a public or contracted healthcare facility and present the EHIC, which entitles you to receive care under the same conditions as those enrolled in the Italian National Health Service (SSN). Assistance is provided directly, and therefore nothing is due, except for the payment of any ticket, which is the direct responsibility of the patient and is therefore non-refundable.

We remind you that you cannot use the EHIC for highly specialized treatments in Italy (Planned Treatments), for which prior authorization from your competent institution is required.

Decree of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of February 25, 2010

Update of the decree of March 11, 2004 and subsequent amendments, implementing paragraph 1 of article 50 of law no. 326/2003.

Decree of March 11, 2004

Application of the provisions of paragraph 1 of art. 50 of the decree-law of September 30, 2003, no. 269, converted, with amendments, by law of November 24, 2003, no. 326, concerning the definition of the technical characteristics of the Health Card (TS).