Why is there both “Public” and “Private” Health Insurance in the Czech Republic?

In 1995, the Parliament of the Czech Republic enacted legislation regulating how foreigners must obtain Health Insurance in the Czech Republic and created a segregated “Private” Health Insurance regulation for covering foreigners residing in the Czech Republic.

ONLY FOREIGNERS ON A VALID WORK PERMIT, working under a legal employment contract with a company registered in the Czech Republic, may enter the “Public” Health Insurance System, which is state-subsidized. ALL OTHER FOREIGNERS, INCLUDING FAMILY MEMBERS of legal employees, MUST purchase “Private” Health Insurance.

This segregation was put in place to avoid the practice of “Medical Tourism”, which is causing a catastrophic effect on the health budgets of other Western countries who allow foreigners into their “Public” Health Insurance System, since “Public” Health Insurance covers pre-existing conditions and “Private” Health Insurance does not.

This legislation was enacted to prevent foreigners with major illnesses from coming to the Czech Republic for treatment and taking advantage of the “Public” Health Insurance System at taxpayer’s expense.

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