Croatia, a little country in Europe, is fast becoming a haven for expats from every corner of the world. As a popular expat destination, it offers a lot more than just beautiful locales. Croatia is a great choice because of a rapidly growing economy, plenty of opportunities, low cost of living, safety, and security.

Along with rewarding career prospects, expats in Croatia enjoy rich cultural experiences, a warm and loving local populace, adventure sports, and a lot more.

As an expat moving to Croatia, you definitely have a lot to look forward to. Before you leave, it’s important to have a good understanding of the country’s healthcare system and to buy Croatia expatriate health insurance to keep all your medical needs covered.

Healthcare Systems in Croatia - An Overview

Both public and private healthcare systems exist in Croatia.

Croatia has a universal healthcare system for all its residents. According to Croatian health laws, it is mandatory for all residents to buy a Mandatory Health Insurance (MHI) plan. It can be bought from the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (CHIF) or Hrvatski zavod za zdravstveno osiguranje (HZZO).

Types of Insurance Plans in Croatia:

Obavezno

• It is a basic insurance plan that provides only basic coverage.
• It is mandatory for all Croatian residents to buy at least this basic insurance coverage.
• It can be bought from the HZZO after obtaining requisite prescriptions.

Dopunsko

• It is not mandatory for Croatian residents to buy this plan.
• It can be purchased from a private bank, insurer, or from HZZO.
• It is an affordable plan that provides more coverage than the Obavezno.
• It includes basic doctor visits, prescriptions, and limits the expense of hospitalization.
• It doesn’t include specialized treatments or diagnostic tests.

Dodatno

• This is a private insurance plan offered by private banks and insurance companies.
• It is completely optional to buy this plan.
• It offers the maximum level of health insurance coverage in Croatia
• It includes medical expenses like specialist doctor consultations, additional treatment charges, laboratory tests, and in-hospital visit charges.

The Croatian public healthcare system is not as efficient and seamless as the private healthcare system.

According to the Croatian public healthcare system, each person using the state health insurance policy needs a recommendation from a General Practitioner (GP). Patients must first consult a GP, who is under contract with the HZZO, to seek further specialized treatment or testing.

This recommendation from the GP is called an “Uputnica”. It is used at every stage of your medical treatment. All medical treatments—including blood tests, diagnostic tests, hospitalization, anesthesia, and medical prescriptions—are done with the help of the Uputnica.

This can lead to long delays in receiving proper medical treatment.

There is a shortage of public healthcare facilities outside the major cities. Moreover, public healthcare facilities in Croatia offer limited English-speaking medical staff.

Croatian Expat Health Insurance

Most expats to Croatia prefer to buy a Croatian private expat health insurance plan. Such a plan is specially designed for expats who are moving to Croatia as employees of Croatian companies, business travelers who may stay for a longer period, and students, to name just a few.

Croatia expat health insurance plans make it easy for you to access world-class medical facilities in the country without the inhibition caused by massive expenses. It covers both regular check-ups and specialized treatments. It also offers additional services like:

• Comprehensive financial coverage against medical expenses
• Medical evacuation and ambulatory services
• Repatriation services and expenses

Why do you need a Croatia expat insurance plan?

Cost-effective: A Croatia private health insurance plan is not expensive. Croatian public health insurance also comes with a charge which is deducted from your salary. As compared to the services and benefits, expat health insurance is a more cost-effective solution.

Worldwide services: It’s a headache to renew or subscribe to your insurance plan every time you travel abroad for work. Croatia expat health insurance saves you the hassle of subscribing to a health insurance plan that works for all your trips abroad. You may choose different health insurance coverage options like:

• Worldwide
• Worldwide excluding the U.S.
• Worldwide excluding the U.S. and Canada
• Worldwide excluding the U.S., Canada and Far East Asia

Pay for Use: Most expat health insurance plans let you customize your coverage based on your personal needs. Some things to consider at the time of choosing your expat health insurance plan include:

• Geographical preferences
• Number of family members
• Duration of coverage
• Previous health conditions
• Occupational hazards

Superior Service: An expat health insurance plan is your ticket to hospitals with the best doctors, medical staff, and medical infrastructure. It also makes it easy for you to access medical care with 24x7 customer support, English-speaking medical staff, and a hassle-free registration process.

Cashless: Public health services in most countries are not free. Also, they usually require you to pay up front for any expenses that you may incur during a medical emergency or illness and then wait for reimbursement. On the other hand, expat health insurance may offer cashless facilities. No more worrying about managing cash while you are sick in a foreign land.

Extra bundles: In most countries, the public healthcare system provides medical treatments. It may not include extra services like routine checkups, regular medical tests, maternity coverage, rehabilitation treatments, and dental services. With the help of Croatia private expat health insurance, you may opt-in for all the extra facilities that you feel are important for your safety and well-being.

Health is wealth. This website provides detailed information and expert opinions to expats regarding their healthcare requirements. Browse plans, compare, choose the one that best fits your needs, and buy your Croatia expatriate insurance today.

DISCLAIMER: The information within this article is intended as a broad summary of benefits and services and is meant for informational purposes only. The information does not describe all scenarios, coverages or exclusions of any insurance plan. The benefits and services of an insurance plan are subject to change. This is not your policy/certificate of insurance. If there is any discrepancy between the information in this article and the language of your policy/certificate wording, the language of the policy/certificate wording will prevail.

The insurance plans available on this website are not specifically targeted towards the destination mentioned in this article. They can provide coverage while traveling away from home, according to the terms and conditions and geographic restrictions applicable to the specific plan.