Croatia Medical Insurance News
Croatia since its independence in 1991 has been in numerous wars and border disputes with Serbia. This has never allowed the Croatian government the time and resources to fully develop a proper healthcare system until all conflicts officially ended and occupying Serbian forces left in 1998. Since then the Croatian healthcare standards have increased dramatically due to strong growth in the economy. Expatriates are starting to immigrate to Croatia in due to the strong growth in economy, and whilst most health regulations in Croatia are very similar to that of the European Union and therefore seem very straightforward, there are some significant differences between the systems.
Health insurance for citizens in Croatia is provided by the state, however, it does not fully cover citizens and many services are not included in the mandatory national healthcare system. Extra insurance is optional. It is provided by private insurers and covers the costs of hotel amenities or a higher standard of care in public hospitals (e.g. choice of doctor, single rooms with television, air conditioning, etc.). It can also be used for preventive check-ups and treatment in privately owned practices contracted by the respective insurance company. Additionally, since 2004 it can be used to cover co-payments charged by public providers.
Every year in Croatia the amount spent on health as a percentage of GDP is generally around the 9% mark. This is slightly more spent on health than other countries like the U.S, Australia, Canada and the UK, who generally tend to spend around the 8% mark. Despite spending a lot of its GDP on health Croatia still has problems inherent in its healthcare system.
Croatia’s faces two primary problems in regards to healthcare. First is funding and the second primary issue is health coverage. In Croatia, historically health inflation has grown more than the countries GDP. This, in the past, has lead to funding being taken out of other sectors of the economy and placed into health resulting in a lack of funding for other sectors. Another outcome that increased medical costs have lead to is, the deprivation of some services to citizens, who therefore in turn must take out private insurance if they still desire coverage for these services. Despite this, recently, Croatia’s increase in economic growth has lead to national healthcare having a more extensive coverage.
Coverage for access to medical facilities in Croatia is very good and you can be assured that you will have a medical facility near you in the case of an emergency, if you are on the mainland. However, once you start to venture into one of many of Croatia’s attractively exotic islands the coverage basically stops there. If you are on a day trip or staying over a few nights on one of the islands and for whatever reason require medical assistance you will have to be taken, either by boat or air, to the mainland for treatment. For this reason it is advised that you take precaution and stay aware to your health as treatment may be hours away.
For those who can afford it there are some private healthcare facilities in Croatia who can offer higher standards of care, which include treatment on demand, single rooms, air conditioned rooms, TV’s and other luxuries of this nature. These facilities however are confined to Zagreb, the capital and large metropolitan areas.
It is worth noting that the UK and Croatia have a reciprocal health agreement where no charge is made for ‘emergency’ treatment. Therefore if you are a UK citizen in Croatia you will have the peace of mind knowing that you have basic health insurance emergency cover. You may be expected to pay for any other service you require, which is not covered by the bilateral health agreement. However alternatively you could take out international health insurance and experience this peace of mind any where you find yourself.
Overall Croatia has a well rounded healthcare service. As is true with any country in the world, there are some problems inherent in the system; however most people are able to receive the care that they need when they need it, except of course if you happen to be on an outlying island. The only way to avoid the issues and concerns of any healthcare system in the world is through a quality international health insurance plan. These plans give you the flexibility to go to the doctor or hospital of your choice, meaning that no matter where in the world you may be located, from Australia to the Zimbabwe, you will always be able to receive the highest standard of care available.
For more information about Croatia, the international health insurance plans that we can offer there, or to receive a free quote, please contact one of our expert advisers today.