Legislation in Czech Republic (insurance-based system)

 

Asylum seekers are eligible for public health insurance and thus they are entitled to access the same types of preventive and curative care as Czech nationals. Although exempted from paying the insurance premium, anytime they seek health care they have to pay, as all other insured persons, the "regulation fee" which, despite being only 1.20 EUR, constitutes an obstacle for them to access health care. In fact, they are neither allowed to work in the Czech Republic during the first year nor to receive welfare money from public institutions. In addition, asylum seekers do not receive the common insurance card but only a paper certificate mostly unknown by the majority of health care professionals. This also hinders their access to health services.

 

This system also applies to all unaccompanied children, except for the payment of the "regulation fee" which is generally covered by the centre for minors where they are accommodated.

 

Undocumented migrants, including very vulnerable groups such as children or pregnant women, do not have access to any medical services free of charge in the Czech Republic. They have to pay the full cost of any kind of care with no exceptions. Nonetheless, if they cannot pay, they cannot be denied immediate care (which is mainly interpreted as care needed in life-threatening situations) and treatment of infectious diseases, including HIV. These types of services are accessible for them (the law obliges health care providers to treat all persons in need of emergency care or treatment for infectious diseases), but chargeable.

 

The only option they have is to take out private health insurance. There are mainly two kinds. The first one is relatively accessible for them but only covers "immediate care" and has almost no applicability in practice. The other type is wider but undocumented migrants hardly take it due to the lack of information, the need to be illness-free to buy it and the high cost and limited coverage.

 

Until very recently, the highly problematic issue of undocumented migrants' access to health care had not been discussed in the Czech Republic at all. In addition, there does not exist any public local program or initiative addressing their health needs and the health services provided by civil society organisations are still very scarce.

 

Download the Comparative overview of the legislation on access to health care for undocumented migrants and asylum seekers in 16 countries (in Czech). Click here to read the English version.

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