An unhealthy bureaucracy

Earlier this year I filled in an application form for my family and myself to renew our European Health Insurance Card.

About three weeks later my forms were sent back with a note saying that I should not renew more than three months before the cards' expiry date. I accept that. What I do not accept is the fact that I also have to return the existing ones to have the new ones issued. As a person who travels frequently and at short notice I cannot spend several weeks without an EHIC. Why do I have to return the old one? When my bank cards are about to expire I do not send my old ones back to the bank. The same applies to any other membership card. Am I expected to waste time going to some government department?

In this day and age I would expect a little less bureaucracy. So much for smart this and smart that and e-government blah blah.