Healthcare for the Family in Eastern Europe

By Andrew Apps,

As the EU expands eastwards a new confidence is emerging within the economies of Eastern Europe driven by a growing middle class. As a result countries such as Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia are becoming sought after as second-home destinations and also seeing an influx of more and more expatriate workers from the UK and Western Europe.

So how are the new immigrants served by the medical infrastructure?

Healthcare in Eastern Europe is relatively undeveloped and unsophisticated compared to the West but the situation is in flux as more and more investment money flows in. In all Eastern European countries participation in the public health insurance system is mandatory with no opportunity to opt-out. It is also much more seriously under-funded than even public-funded systems, . Generally speaking, therefore, most Eastern European state healthcare systems are considered to be inadequate and desperately in need of investment. A shortage of high-quality doctors and consultants represents a major problem, too. There is no question that most East European doctors are well trained but they are often poorly paid working with limited resources. Indeed many doctors are drifting to the west for better salaries. Shortly after joining the EU, almost 1,000 doctors left both Czech Republic and Poland to work in UK.

The solution for most expatriate families lies in international private medical insurance and the use of private clinics and hospitals. But there are difficulties here, too. Local private clinics offer a good service for minor conditions but, in spite of rapid growth, international-quality private hospitals are still restricted to the capital cities and major centres. Consequently obtaining the right sort of insurance cover for all the important contingencies is not as straightforward as it might seem and it’s well worth checking that your insurance policy covers all the options you could need.

Key Areas of Cover

For families, getting the balance right is an essential not a luxury. Evacuation should be the first item on your medical insurance shopping list, particularly in the case of your children suffering from chronic illnesses. Your policy should not only include the cost of repatriation to your home country (or an agreed substitute) for you and your child but also the right level of medical cover for carrying out the treatment the moment you return.

Maternity and pregnancy may be another priority area for young families. Even with modern medical facilities, pregnancy can be subject to a host of complications in the antenatal stages and during and after birth. Other options, such as cover for in-patient treatment or a medical condition affecting the newborn baby, also need to be on the agenda. It’s important, therefore, to review the full extent of any maternity package and the flexibility it gives you. By way of guidance, a good policy would provide up to US$10,000 for routine pregnancy and a full refund of costs where complications arise.

Additional hospital accommodation for family members is another costly item. The key options to look for here are: parent accommodation which covers a private room for a parent when a child under 18 is admitted to hospital, and newborn accommodation which relates to a newborn baby accompanying the mother whilst she is receiving treatment.

Another consideration for young families is adequate dental care, especially for children over six. And make sure your policy is flexible enough if you’re moving from one country to country.  

Local Wisdom

Most expatriates travelling to Eastern Europe arrive with little knowledge of the healthcare provisions of the country they are going to. There are now, however, plenty of internet sites providing invaluable information. Goodhealth’s on-line “Global Health Database”, for instance, is packed with useful guidance: from detailed information about locally approved doctors and clinics, and a useful translation service covering prescription drugs and commonly used medical phrases, to useful information about your newly adopted country.

On-the-spot representation by your insurer can also make all the difference when you’re faced with local bureaucracy or language difficulties. They should also be able to help you in accessing the network of local hospitals and clinics you plug into to ensure you and your children get the best consultations, emergency care and medical treatment.

Keeping Costs Under Control

First-class medical care doesn’t come cheaply but, fortunately, there are ways of keeping the costs under control. One of them is to opt for a level of self-insurance. Your policy should cover all the essentials outlined above but it’s the smaller incidents that push up the cost of the premium disproportionately. With the arrival of flexible insurance products you are able to opt for a menu of benefits that fit your pocket. And also, by increasing the excess on your policy, you can reduce the cost of the premium whilst still retaining control over the risks to your family.

But whatever you pay, the only sure way to protect your family and avoid costly hospital bills is to double check the cover options provided by your policy.

Andrew Apps is the Global Sales Director of ExpatWomen.com’s Preferred Health Insurance Provider: Goodhealth Worldwide.

To find out more about Goodhealth’s policies and coverage, please visit: