Obtaining Health Care Abroad

During the temporary stay abroad for private reasons

• prior to going abroad it is necessary to submit an application for registration of stay abroad at the competent Branch Office of the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance
• prior to going abroad a person should pay the entire amount of the special contribution, which is paid at the rate of at most 0,51% of the budgetary base valid in the time of payment of special contribution and per day spent abroad.
• thus defined contribution rate used to calculate the amount of money expressed in kunas per insured person, depending on the lengths of stay abroad, or number of registered insured persons according to the Decision on the basis and the rate of special contribution for the use of health care abroad of insured persons of the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance who are staying abroad for private reasons (National Gazzette: 93/11)

AMOUNTS OF SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION FOR USING HEALTH CARE DURING TEMPORARY STAY ABROAD FOR PRIVATE REASONS

• additional to the listed above, persons on sick leave are required to enclose a doctor's certificate as well, by which the selected doctor confirms giving his/her consent for a person to go on his/her intended trip
• upon meeting the requirements outlined above, the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance issues a certificate of entitlements to health care abroad
• it is possible to get urgent health care services
• the scope and modes of healthcare provision differ depending on whether it's being used in countries with which Croatia has concluded a bilateral agreement on social insurance or in countries where such agreement does not exist.

While working abroad or during professional training (posting), respectively studying abroad

• employers, or government body, local and branch ( regional)  self-government  units - liable to pay contributions, who send their employees to work, professional training respectively study abroad are required to submit an application  for  the registration/cancellation (by completing the form T-4) of their stay for the purpose of being sent abroad to work (posting), at the competent Branch Office of the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance  and is required to enclose:
  • copy of the employment contract
  • document about posting the insured person abroad, professional training, or education abroad, indicating the length of time for which a person is send abroad
  • medical certificate of health condition not older than 3 months issued by the occupational medicine specialist
• an application for registration should generally be submitted 8 days before leaving Croatia at the latest ( the application must be submitted prior to departure abroad)
• during the stay abroad those liable to pay contribution are obliged to pay special contribution for the use of health care abroad*
• upon fulfilling all the above conditions the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance will issue a certificate of entitlement to health care abroad
• it is possible to obtain health care services that cannot be postponed until his/her return to the Republic of Croatia
• the scope and modes of healthcare provision differ depending on whether it's being used in countries with which Croatia has concluded a bilateral agreement on social insurance or in countries where such agreement does not exist

While on business trip abroad

• under the business trip we consider a stay abroad for a period of up to 30 days regardless of the reasons for that trip, if the employee has been sent on this business trip by the employer
• it's possible to issue a certificate of entitlement to health care services abroad prior and during the business trip under the basis of the copy of travel order, and a registration of stay abroad written on the form T-4; (this procedure is not obligatory)
• the employers are obliged to pay special contribution that now amounts to 17,87 kn* per day of stay abroad
• it's possible to get health care services that can't be postponed until his/her intended return to the Republic of Croatia
• the scope and modes of healthcare provision differ depending on whether it's being used in countries with which Croatia has concluded a bilateral agreement on social insurance or in countries where such agreement does not exist.

Referred for medical treatment abroad

• it is possible only if the medical treatment cannot be performed in a contracted health institution in the Republic of Croatia, but can be successfully performed abroad
• when applying for medical treatment abroad, which should be done before leaving Croatia, it is obligatory to submit the following documents to the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance:
  • proposal for referring for medical treatment abroad written by a specialist, respectively doctor's consilium of the health institution where the insured person is being treated in the Republic of Croatia on the prescribed FORM "Request and proposal for referring for medical treatment abroad"
  • application of the insured person
  • an opinion and proposal from the specialist or doctor's consilium for referring a patient for medical treatment abroad that should be written on an appropriate FORM
  • appropriate medical documentation
• the Central Office of the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance decides with Administrative act upon the patient's entitlement to be referred for medical treatment abroad
• if a person has received medical treatment abroad without obtaining this decision from the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance for being referred for medical treatment abroad, he/she is not entitled to reimbursement of costs incurred on account of that medical treatment at the expense of the obligatory (compulsory) health insurance fund.

* special contribution for using health care abroad as provided under the Contribution Act (National Gazzette 84/08, 152/08, 94/09, 18/11), respectively under the Rule Book defining the rights and entitlements, terms and modes of health care provision abroad (National Gazzette, 50/09, 118/09, 4/10, 13/10, 14/10, 1/11, 16/11, 31/11 i 93/11). For an insured person sent to work or professional training abroad (posting), respectively education abroad the contribution is paid by the rate of 10% of the insurance base defined by special legislation.

na vrh stranice

27. 12. 2011.