Absolutely everyone has to pay health insurance – from newborn babies to retired people. But what is health insurance actually for, what is covered, how and how much do we have to pay, and what happens if we don’t pay? Find out in this article.
Absolutely everyone has to pay health insurance – from newborn babies to retired people. But what is health insurance actually for, what is covered, how and how much do we have to pay, and what happens if we don’t pay? Find out in this article.
Public health insurance is compulsory insurance used to pay for health care for the insured. Its rules are regulated by the Public Health Insurance Act. Health insurance is based on the relationship between the recipient of healthcare (i.e. the insured), the healthcare intermediary (e.g. doctor, hospital, etc.) and the healthcare payer (i.e. the insurance company). There are a total of seven health insurance companies in the Czech Republic, from which the insured can freely choose.
Health insurance is created:
Health insurance does not apply to Czech citizens who have been abroad for more than 6 months and have informed their health insurance company of this situation.
Tip: We often see the following in the form fields: enter the insurance number. What exactly does this number mean, how does it differ from a birth number and where can we find it? This is what we look at in our next article.
What exactly is covered by health insurance is defined in the Public Health Insurance Act as follows: Health insurance covers health services provided to an insured person to improve or maintain his or her health or to alleviate his or her suffering if:
In practice, these include preventive healthcare, reimbursement of some or part of medication, rehabilitation and spa treatment, basic dental care, blood and other samples, hospital stays, transport for medical purposes, certain vaccines or, under certain conditions, artificial insemination.
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Every citizen of the Czech Republic, including children and pensioners, must pay health insurance. However, some groups do not pay insurance themselves, but the state pays for them. The payers of the insurance premiums fall into three categories:
Tip: Are you planning to hire employees? Employment law can be complex and sometimes even a small deviation from it can cause big problems later on. We can help you navigate them and set up your employment documents in accordance with the law.
There are different minimum health insurance premiums for each group of payers:
Tip: You may see various deductions from your pay on your payslip. Sometimes it’s a food stamp allowance, a multisport card or other benefits, or there may be a compensation line item. You can find out when such deductions are justified and when they are not in our next article.
Again, health insurance is paid differently for each group of payers:
Tip: Do your current advances not match your current income? Find out how to reduce advances for the self-employed.
It is always compulsory to pay health insurance. So if your employer or the state does not pay it for you, you must pay it yourself. The good news is that even if you don’t pay health insurance, you are still entitled to free healthcare. But that doesn’t mean it’s worth not paying.
Because if you don’t pay, you’ ll incur a debt and a penalty of 0.0403 per cent of the amount you owe. The insurance company should inform you of this debt and you should start addressing it as soon as possible. Insurance companies are often willing to agree to a payment plan and in some cases will even waive all or part of the penalty. But you need to take action and not ignore the debt. Otherwise, the bailiff may come to your home.
Tip: Have you been contacted by a bailiff and are facing foreclosure, car repossession and account seizure? What can you do in such a situation, what are your rights and what can and cannot the bailiff do with your property? Read our next article.
As an employee, you may find that your employer will not pay for your health insurance. Fortunately for you, you are off the hook as an employee and will not be affected by any debts or penalties. Everything in this case is up to the employer. However, it is a good idea to inform your health insurance company of this situation.
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