Before leaving for the Czech Republic, you should remember to visit your medical insurance provider. This is because in order to receive medical care in the Czech Republic, you will need a special form or the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is issued by the medical insurance provider in your home country. You will need to obtain the form before travelling to the Czech Republic. The same applies to your family members.
Once you get settled in the Czech Republic and start working under your employment contract, your healthcare expenses will be covered by a medical insurance provider in the Czech Republic. You can select from several different providers. The list of all medical insurance providers in the Czech Republic and their contact information can be found on the website of the Centre for International Reimbursements. The Czech healthcare system is based on publicly provided healthcare, which is largely financed through the government. Subscribing to the Czech public health insurance program is mandatory under the law and no special negotiations with the insurance provider are required in order to subscribe.
Besides individuals working in the Czech Republic, EU citizens and their family members, who are permanent residents or who qualify under special EU regulations related to employees, sole proprietors, business owners and their families, are also eligible for coverage as part of the Czech public health insurance system. In order to get coverage, you must register with the medical insurance provider you have selected. Only employees are registered by their employers.
EU citizens and their family members qualify for participation in the Czech public health insurance system and are entitled to the same rights and benefits as Czech citizens.
In the Czech Republic, the majority of healthcare services are provided at public healthcare facilities where treatment and hospitalization is usually provided at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient provided the person receiving the care is covered by one of the Czech medical insurance providers or possesses the EHIC or the E111 form. The Czech Republic also has private hospitals, which often offer above-standard care. These private services are however paid for out-of-pocket by the patient.
If you are not insured with a Czech medical insurance provider, your doctor should provide you with a “certificate of eligibility”. Medications prescribed by a doctor are partly covered by insurance. Over-the-counter medications have to be paid for out-of-pocket.
65% of medical insurance subscribers in the Czech Republic are insured with the General Health Insurance Company (VS’eobecna Zdravotni PojiStbyna), which was established under an act passed in 1992.