Croatia healthcare system is one of the very few systems that revolve around the principles of solidarity and reciprocity.
What this means is that, as a citizen of the country, everyone is expected to contribute to the best of their ability in paying for and receiving basic health insurance.
[lwptoc]
Introduction to Croatia Healthcare System
The universal healthcare system of Croatia is such that all citizens have access to public insurance, which enables them to have decent access to healthcare in form of “obvezno.” Though there are major cities that have better access to healthcare facilities in Croatia compared to remote areas where health services are less, but still acceptable.
One of the major challenges of Croatia’s health system is the rising costs of healthcare, especially on the aspect of expenditure on drugs. Also, there’s a lack of budget funds for the system to cushion this effect, which has affected the supply of drugs in the country.
Medications in Croatia
In Croatia, pharmacy is in every town, and prescriptions for medications must always be gotten from the medical doctor. This means it’s pertinent to consult a doctor before going to a pharmacy for drugs.
If it happens you’re traveling with medications, it’s very important you check with the Ministry of Health for details on medication allowances and restrictions.
Another interesting thing about the Croatia health system is that every working member of a family continues to pay a certain amount of money as a contribution to the healthcare delivery, which makes it possible for other members of the family to access it.
Also, the self-employing members of the population also pay health care contributions.
Croatia Health Insurance
The health insurance in Croatia is all-inclusive as it applies to every single person in the country; be it the students, temporary residents, citizens, and whatnot.
Once you’re a resident of Croatia, there are no cut corners about it as you need to sign up for health insurance well before making the residence permit applications.
It’s crucial every resident of Croatia must obtain insurance through the office of HZZO (the Croatia Institute Insurance) to meet the nation’s insurance policy requirements.
To successfully navigate through the health insurance requirements in the country, reach out to renowned insurance professionals.
Pros of Croatia Healthcare System
Here are some of the benefits of Croatia healthcare system:
Croatia provides premium healthcare to citizens and long term visitors
One thing about the Croatia healthcare system is that the state is in charge of proving access to healthcare. This is done by mandating every citizen to pay into the HZZO, which is a country-wide health insurance system.
To fund the healthcare system in Croatia, there are two forms of funding, which take care of general healthcare.
Payments to HZZO are determined by calculating the yearly income of every working member of a family. The money is then paid monthly by an individual or the family through the employer as the case may be.
It’s available to all people
You sure don’t need to panic about the accessibility of the Croatia healthcare delivery as it is available to all and sundry.
Residents cover mandatory health insurance and there are options to get supplemental health insurance for extra service.
It’s important to note that there are linkages between private healthcare and established medical facilities.
Another good thing is, issues with lack of insurance aren’t common because the state takes care of the less-privileged and makes them access healthcare.
Croatia healthcare is cheap and of quality
The provisions and supports by the Croatian Government make it possible that there is high-quality healthcare in the country with low fees.
These days, many foreigners are now attracted to the country in terms of making it their abode and where to seek medical treatments for their various conditions, all thanks to the lower healthcare services the nation offers.
There has been a report that indicates that medical care is 70% less in terms of cost compared to other developed nations of the world.
Croatia Healthcare System consists of polyclinics
The healthcare system in Croatia competes shoulder to shoulder with the other health systems around the world.
This is in accordance with the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers (IAMAT).
It operates state-of-the-art medical research
There have been a lot of remarkable advances in the Croatian health system shown in the past years. Drugs such as Azithromycin and its likes are some of the drugs developed by the pharmaceutical industry.
Very recently, the University Hospital Center Zagreb has developed a new incision-less Gamma Knife for radiation therapy on brain aberrations such as tumors, which makes it possible to target the tumor safely compared to the traditional surgery.
Also, there are a ton of new technologies in dentistry developed in recent times. The truth is, contributing to the national healthcare system has many benefits.
Citizens pay their ability and receive commendable levels of care based on special needs.
FAQS on Croatia Healthcare System
Below are some of the top questions people have been asking about the healthcare system in Croatia;
[sc_fs_multi_faq headline-0=”h3″ question-0=”Does Croatia have free health care?” answer-0=”There’s no free healthcare in Croatia as you would need to make a co-payment of 20% of the treatment you are to receive. But rest assured, you are not going to spend more than 2,000 Croatian kunas. Also, what many residents of Croatia do is that they take supplementary health insurance with HZZO to make up their co-payments. ” image-0=”” headline-1=”h3″ question-1=”How much does it cost to see a doctor in Croatia? ” answer-1=”If you want to see a doctor in the nation, you’ve got to pay upfront in cash and you can be sure these professionals also accept credit cards. For consultation fee, you will pay $30 on average and if you are a visiting foreigner in Croatia, you are entitled to free basic emergency first aid healthcare. ” image-1=”” headline-2=”h3″ question-2=”What type of healthcare does Croatia have?” answer-2=”Croatia operates a universal healthcare system that can be traced back to the Hungarian-Croatian Parliament Act of 1891. ” image-2=”” count=”3″ html=”true” css_class=””]
The nation’s healthcare system provides a form of mandatory insurance for all workers and craftsmen in the industrial sectors.
How is the emergency medical service organized in Croatia?
Developed in 2009, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Investment Planning Project started by providing the Croatians with more accessible and effective emergency medical services.
The EMS in the nation has been well organized to model the collaborative and single system of pre-hospital and the hospital EMS and the Croatian Institute of Emergency Medicine.
Final thought
We are confident we have gotten the essential information you need about the healthcare system in Croatia.
However, do not hesitate to drop your observation as your opinion would definitely count, or drop further questions if any in the comment box below.
Recommendation
Top 10 healthcare systems of the world
Chibueze Uchegbu is a certified medical physiologist with a great passion for healthy living.