Health and Medical
Health Care
Czech healthcare system is inspired by the European tradition, founded on public services and financed by predominantly public means.
It is provided predominately on the basis of obligatory public health insurance; contractual health insurance being of a supplementary nature.
Differences between public and private health insurance:
The legal right to public health insurance is established by law for anyone with permanent residency in the Czech Republic and those who, though they do not have permanent residency, are employed by employers based in the country. Those not fulfilling the conditions for public health insurance can conclude contractual health insurance.
Significant differences are
- in the scope of health care covered by public and contractual health insurance
- in the conditions of the inception, termination and duration of these types of insurance.
Health insurance
The public health insurance system in the Czech Republic is based on mutually binding relationships: the insured – healthcare providers – health insurers.
Foreign nationals in the CR are required to have health insurance.
EU nationals are entitled to health care under the same conditions as the nationals of the CR. They must present appropriate E-forms of their home health insurance company or the European Health Insurance Card to the health care provider. Dependants of the EU nationals coming to stay in the CR should register in a Czech health insurance company and have a Czech insurance card. EU nationals employed in the CR who do not regularly return to their home country other than the CR, are entitled to comprehensive health care in their home country as well as in the CR.
What scope of health care is a foreign worker and his/her unprovided for dependants entitled to and who covers it?
Workers have their full health care paid by the Czech health insurance company where they effected insurance for their stay in the CR. Unprovided for dependants are entitled to full health care both in the country of their permanent residence (an EU country) and in the country where the worker is employed (CR). Health care rendered to unprovided for dependants of workers is covered by the Czech health insurance company where the worker is insured.
How to proceed properly?
- a worker shall contact a selected Czech health insurance company in the place where he/she works and this insurance company will issue a form on which the place of his/her permanent residence shall be documented (for example information from your passport etc.),
- worker's unprovided for dependants will be listed on the form,
- this form must be confirmed by a health insurance company in the place of permanent residence (for example Austria),
- the selected Czech health insurance company shall always be informed about all potential changes which are important for entitlement to relevant material benefits within 8 days.
To forestall the situation of not being insured on the way to the CR a foreigner can take out short-term contractual health insurance. This insurance also covers necessary and urgent healthcare in transit to the CR. You can arrange insurance through your representative in the CR prior to arrival.
If you come to the CR for work purposes, employers based in the CR pay premiums on your behalf and the insurance relationship starts with the commencement of your employment. If your employer employs you in the CR but is based elsewhere find out from them about the conditions of your health insurance in the territory of the CR.
If you come to the CR with a visa for residence over 90 days and for another purpose than employment you are required to take out contractual health insurance. In this case health insurance is provided solely by the General Health Insurance Company of the CR (VZP CR). Visit one of their local branches or call VZP Assistance, telephone number: +420-221-752-121, +420-602-268-902, e-mail: asistence@vzp.cz , Orlická 4/2020, 130 00 Praha 3.
Health insurers:
Public health insurance in the Czech Republic is currently provided by public health insurers. The largest of the public health insurers is the General Health Insurance Company of the Czech Republic (Všeobecná zdravotní pojišťovna ČR – hereinafter VZP). http://www.pvzp.cz/
Aside from it there are currently eight other insurers, e.g.
Health Insurance Company of the Ministry of Interior of the CR (http://http://www.zpmvcr.cz/)
Metal Aliance Health Insurance Company (http://www.zpma.cz/)
Czech National Health Insurance Company (http://http://www.cnzp.cz/)
Industrial health insurance company for employees of banks and insurance companies (http://www.ozp.cz/)
HEALTHCARE PROVISION SYSTEM
Organisation of the System of Czech Healthcare Provision
Both state and private medical facilities exist in the CR. Almost all facilities have concluded contracts for the provision and payment of healthcare with health insurers and provide healthcare to patients insured at the relevant health insurers without direct payment.
Outpatient Care
In cases of falling ill a patient usually turns to a so-called primary care doctor who works in the patient's local area. These are general practitioners, paediatricians, also dentists and gynaecologists who can be visited directly.
Local administrative bodies, your health insurer or the phone book can be the sources of relevant information.
To be treated by a primary care doctor it is necessary to register with a doctor who has a contract with your insurer for the provision of healthcare. He or she then becomes your registered doctor, draws up a registry entry and is liable to systematic care of the patient, i.e. ensures basic care (including visits) and, as required, procures specialist care from a specialist or hospital.
Please note that policy-holders of contractual health insurance do not register with doctors. Their treatment is carried out by contractual doctors, as well as VZP contractual medical facilities.
If your state of health requires specialist care which your registered general practitioner cannot provide, the latter recommends you relevant specialised medical facilities which have contracts with your health insurer. Even in this case you have the right of free choice of healthcare facility and doctor. The registered doctor issues a recommendation for specialist care or treatment in hospital, or directly arranges for this admission. Patients can visit specialists in the CR without a recommendation from their primary care doctor.
Pharmacies issue patients with medicaments on the basis of prescriptions either without charge or for a charge corresponding to the part of the price covered by the insurer. Validity of medical prescriptions may differ from 24 hours (for prescription from the emergency service) to one week.
For urgent medical assistance call 155 - emergency services.
If you don’t speak Czech call the emergency number 112, where the English and German speaking operators will connect to line 155 themselves and communicate your problem. Every healthcare facility is required to treat you in the case of acute, urgent care.
If your need is not acute get help from a medical facility which is under contract with your insurer. Healthcare will be provided without direct payment in such facilities, to the extent of the given type of your health insurance (public health insurance or long-term contractual health insurance).
With short-term contractual health insurance it is necessary to turn to state-owned medical facilities (e.g. hospitals). Only necessary and urgent care is covered by this insurance.
Source: Centre for Administration and Operations of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, International Department, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Repoublic
