MND advocate warns foreign medical bills could cost a family car

Gísli Jónasson, a former dean who has lived with motor neurone disease for more than a decade, has warned that some Icelanders could face medical bills worth the price of a family car when travelling abroad. He made the comments in an email to all members of parliament, according to mbl.is.

A change to Iceland’s Health Insurance Act will take effect on January 1. From that date, Icelanders travelling to countries outside the European Economic Area will no longer be insured against costs resulting from illness or accidents.

Icelandic Health Insurance will also only cover medical expenses at state-run hospitals within the European Economic Area.

The changes are expected to shift responsibility for the costs to insurance companies. However, Gísli said travel insurance policies often exclude people with chronic illnesses.

He asked whether insurance companies were finally the “broad shoulders” capable of carrying the burden, or whether people with long-term illnesses could instead be left to pay the equivalent of a family car if they became ill outside the European Economic Area.

Gísli has been an active advocate for MND Iceland for many years.