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You have the right to emergency healthcare provided by a healthcare provider of your choice, regardless of whether you have public health insurance or not.
General outpatient healthcare is provided to persons with public health insurance based on an agreement on the provision of health care concluded with a general practitioner in writing, free of charge and for a minimum period of 6 months. Specialised outpatient healthcare covered in part or in full by public health insurance is provided only upon a referral from a general practitioner. Referral is not required for psychiatry (including child psychiatry), dermato-venerology, and ophthalmology, when it comes to prescribing the spectacles.
With the consent of the health insurance company, you may apply for the provision of healthcare (including operations and transplantations) also in EU Member States. If you do not have public health insurance, you have to pay in full the relevant healthcare costs, subject to specific exceptions.
In terms of emergency medical service and inpatient emergency service a small lump-sum fee is paid. You will also pay a fee when collecting a prescription for medicines at a pharmacy. Co-payments in different amounts are made for many medicines. Certain patient categories may apply for a refund of their co-payments when the total amount exceeds a pre-determined maximum limit in a particular period.
Source: "https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1127&langId=en&intPageId=4762"
Slovak health care system runs on mandatory health insurance contributions. Every person with permanent residence in Slovakia is obliged to contribute. This system forms part of EU health care system, so according the legislation person can pay mandatory contributions only in one of the member states of the EEA.
Even person without permanent residence has health insurance. This depends on where this person works or does business. If a foreign national is employed or self-employed in Slovakia, he/she or the employer has to pay the mandatory contribution. When this person works in other member state, he/she has to pay in that state. Even person without residence or work is insured. In this case the insurance is paid by the state (this apply to students, minors, unemployed…). This person has to be registered.
According to the law, person is obliged to apply to chosen health insurance company within 8 days since the obligation to be insured. There are three insurance companies in Slovakia, one is public and two are private. You are entitled to health care since the moment you applied in one of the company.
Public Health Insurance Companies:
Všeobecná Zdravotná poisťovňa, a.s. - General Health Insurance Company, Inc., www.vszp.sk
Union zdravotná poisťovňa, a.s. - Union Health Insurance Company, Inc., www.union.sk
DÔVERA zdravotná poisťovňa, a.s. - Dôvera Health Insurance Company, Inc., www.dovera.sk
In principle, citizens of EU Member States have the right to equal conditions for the provision of healthcare as Slovak citizens.
What conditions do I need to meet?
You have the right to emergency healthcare provided by a healthcare provider of your choice, regardless of whether you have public health insurance or not.
General outpatient healthcare is provided to persons with public health insurance based on an agreement on the provision of health care concluded with a general practitioner in writing, free of charge and for a minimum period of 6 months. Specialised outpatient healthcare covered in part or in full by public health insurance is provided only upon a referral from a general practitioner. Referral is not required for psychiatry (including child psychiatry), dermato-venerology, and ophthalmology, when it comes to prescribing the spectacles.
With the consent of the health insurance company, you may apply for the provision of healthcare (including operations and transplantations) also in EU Member States. If you do not have public health insurance, you have to pay in full the relevant healthcare costs, subject to specific exceptions.
In terms of emergency medical service and inpatient emergency service a small lump-sum fee is paid. You will also pay a fee when collecting a prescription for medicines at a pharmacy. Co-payments in different amounts are made for many medicines. Certain patient categories may apply for a refund of their co-payments when the total amount exceeds a pre-determined maximum limit in a particular period.
If you wish to receive full healthcare, you need either to be insured or to pay for the healthcare provided. You will receive emergency healthcare also without public health insurance, however, the hospital or the physician have the right to demand the direct payment of incurred costs from you.
With regard to free dental interventions (tooth decay) they are based on a preventive examination in the year previous to the intervention.
If you wish to use a medical prescription or medical voucher issued in another EU Member State, you need to present a document, which fulfils the defined criteria (consult with the National Contact Point here). If not, you will have to pay the full price for a medicine, medical device or dietetic food.
Emergency healthcare is provided to individuals experiencing a sudden change in their health condition that poses an immediate threat to their life or any of their vital functions, Healthcare provided during childbirth is also considered as emergency healthcare.
Likewise, the emergency healthcare is also considered an examination of an individual who is suspected of being a potential source of a fast -spreading life-threatening disease, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of an individual with a fast-spreading life-threatening disease.
Emergency transportation – the emergency healthcare includes transportation of persons to a healthcare facility and between healthcare facilities. It also involves the emergency transportation of donors and recipients of organs. The emergency transportation is arranged by medical rescue service providers.
General outpatient healthcare - the specific type of healthcare.
Link to additional information provided by the European Commission:
Public Health Insurance Companies:
General Health Insurance Company, Inc., www.vszp.sk
Union Health Insurance Company, Inc., www.union.sk
Dôvera Health Insurance Company, Inc.,www.dovera.sk
Health Care Surveillance Authority - HCSA
(Úrad pre dohľad nad zdravotnou starostlivosťou)
Žellova 2, 829 24 Bratislava 25
Phone: +421 2 2085 6789
Email inquiries and complaints concerning the quality of provided healthcare may also be sent to national contact point or directly to any of the eight HCSA branches.
If you seek an advice or want to complain about the fee charged, contact the Health Care Department in any of the eight Slovak self-governed regions.
© 2018