The Health Insurance Card is a free card that gives you access to state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in one of the 28 EU countries, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country.
If you are going to do Erasmus or working temporarily in one of these countries, this is a good solution for you.
But you must be aware that this card could not cover the entire medical healthcare that you get. This card is not an alternative to travel insurance, it doesn’t cover costs in any private healthcare if you are travelling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment and doesn’t guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different, services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country.
But you can get all of the general information about the card, emergency phone numbers, covered treatments and costs, how to claim reimbursement and who to contact in case you have lost your card in each country in the 28 EU countries, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland with the European Health Insurance Card App.
It is a free app, you can download for IOS, Android or Windows Phone, and it is available in 25 languages with an easy option to switch from one language to another.
These are some useful healthcare info in the Czech Republic for the EHIC users:
- If you go to the doctor or dentist you have to pay a 30 CZK fee
- For certain dental treatments, you have to pay at least part of the material used
- Doctors will ask you to sign a “potvrzeni o naroku” (certificate of entitlement) which they use to bill your treatment to the Czech public health insurance fund.
- You need the “potvrzeni o naroku” if you need prescriptions medicines, laboratory tests inpatient or other examinations.
- There is a 100 CZK daily charge for inpatient treatment
So if you are going to stay in the Czech Republic for more than one year, you should get Comprehensive Health Insurance provided by Slavia Insurance Company.
This insurance guarantees access to the complete medical care, including both routine medical care and emergencies, and covers emergency care, outpatient care such as planned or preventive medical check-ups, vaccinations, postoperative, and post-traumatic care. Comprehensive insurance is applicable for children, adults, pregnant women, and professional athletes.
One of the best features of this insurance is that the Slavia insurance company offers non-stop assistance service, and the operators speak Czech, Slovak, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese and are ready to assist foreigners anytime.
Don’t forget that by getting your Comprehensive Health Insurance for a period of 6, 12 or 24 months, you will get a discount.
