Health Coverage

To help you better understand the health care system in Croatia, here is some information on their public health insurance plan. Thanks to Mr. Josip Paunovic for the info during our lecture at the Makarska City Hall.

Health insurance in Croatia is provided through the government, with about 80% of the funding from taxes and 20% from the federal budget. This health plan covers 97% of the population (the other 3% is not covered due to reasons like working or living outside of Croatia). Private providers and insurance options are also available, but the system is mostly public. In the U.S., there is currently no national health insurance program to cover all citizens. The only public programs in the U.S. are Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. (The pictures are from the Public Health Insurance Buildings in Osijek).

According to the Croatian Ministry of Health, in 2003 total spending on health was estimated at 8.9% of GDP, in 2004 at 9.7% of GDP and in 2005 at 8.7% of GDP. In the U.S. in 2005, national health expenditures totaled 16$ of GDP, with this number increasing every year.

There are three types of care: primary, through small clinics; secondary, through hospitals; and tertiary, through institutional hospitals, typically more advanced procedures. This plan covers dental, hospitalizations, vision, and care at primary and secondary health centers. Pharmaceuticals are also included, and those that are covered are listed in a national database. One half the cost of tertiary services are covered under this plan. Cosmetic surgeries are not covered.

Patients are required to pay for certain publicly provided health services through co-payments or to buy supplemental health insurance. Certain groups are exempt from paying co-pays, including: the unemployed, disabled, people under 18, students, the military, war veterans with disabilities, and people that voluntarily donate blood more than once.

The Croatian health insurance program also includes services such as prenatal and maternity care, school health services, and care for the elderly and subsidizes costs of health care in remote regions. The government pays for public health, environmental protection, and health education, and provides paid maternity leave. The Public Health students were surprised to learn about this during our presentation at the Psychodermatology clinic in Zagreb. The psychologist giving the presentation came in during her maternity leave and told us a little about maternity leave in Croatia. Every woman has a child in Croatia has the choice of maternity leave up to one year from the child’s birth, with an additional 45 days of leave. After the first three month’s of the mother’s leave, the father can opt to take paternity leave if the mother chooses to go back to work. In the U.S., women do not have the right to maternity leave, and maternity leave policies differ from company to company.

During our time in Croatia, we discovered many things we liked about the country’s policies, like paid maternity leave, free education through college, and free health insurance for those under 18.

Also, we would like to say thank you to our wonderful professors, all of our guest speakers, program planners, tour guides, and to Mr. and Mrs. Phillips for allowing so many students the opportunity to visit and learn about such a wonderful country!

- Elizabeth