Whether you’re just about to move to Hungary or you’re already there, knowing the ins and outs of its healthcare system is crucial for a safe and pleasant stay. This is why we at Flatio have put together answers to a few questions which might be going through your mind, such as “does Hungary have free healthcare?” or “what are the problems with healthcare in Hungary?” and many more.
Healthcare industry in Hungary
The healthcare industry in Hungary is one of the best amongst its neighbouring countries as it provides both high quality public and private care. The public healthcare provides you with a lot of everyday basics and even covers some much-needed surgeries whilst the private industry covers the rest and is so well known for its quality that Hungary has become a sought-after destination for medical tourism, especially when it comes to dental and cosmetic surgery, rehabilitative practices, eye surgery, joint surgery and more. In addition to that, the pharmaceutical industry is alive and well so that you can get both prescribed and additional medicine easily. All in all, you can expect good care, quick ambulance response times, and even some English speakers on emergency phone lines.
Public healthcare in Hungary
To answer the question in the introduction, yes, Hungary has universal healthcare. It’s provided by the Health Insurance Fund (HIF) which works through contributions. This means that whether you are a local, an expat, or just a tourist, any emergency and first aid treatment will be provided to you free of charge even if you are not giving any of the said contributions to the HIF. This makes Hungary a safe and secure place to live or even visit because any emergencies are well taken care of.
Healthcare contribution in Hungary
To have any additional public healthcare beyond emergencies, contributions are made partially by your employer and partly through a deduction from the employee’s salary (this applies to both locals and expats). Despite this system of funding, everyone must make co-payments on some medical procedures such as dental care as well as for some pharmaceuticals.
For foreigners, there are generally two ways of being eligible for Hungarian public healthcare. First is through European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which is provided to EU citizens in their home countries and which makes you eligible for public care. Though it doesn’t cover pre-existing medical conditions it at least covers chronic conditions. Second is the Társadalomizosítási Azonosító Jet (TAJ) Card, an insurance card provided for expats who came to work in Hungary. One asks for the TAJ Card at the local administration in Hungary together with the necessary contributions as well as presenting them with a legitimate working permit. In either case, you don’t need to worry that the public healthcare system would exclude you.
Hungary health expenditure
Hungary’s HIF is funded through a number of ways that are interesting to break down to understand how the system works as well as to know why some of the problems detailed later arise. In 2016, Hungarian healthcare spending was at about 10% of its budget (or about 4 % of its GDP) financing the HIF and by extension its public healthcare. The other payments, as stated above, come from the employer who pays about 15% of the employee’s salary as well as lump-sum tax whilst the employee pays about 3% of their salary. But as mentioned above, that’s not enough, as there has been a steady increase in co-payments by patients for pharmaceuticals and some surgeries which have made around 18% of HIF’s budget. Overall, whilst the system is funded from a variety of places, it is not enough.
Health care problems in Hungary
Since the funding of public healthcare is far from adequate and since the government seems to have been somewhat negligent of its public care the doctors and medical staff in hospitals tend to be underpaid and understaffed resulting in worse medical care, longer waiting periods for non-essential surgeries, and more. This also means many good young doctors and nurses choose to leave the country to work abroad where they are better paid and often work in far more secure conditions. There are many horror stories out there and the quality of care is sometimes left to chance but this should not deter you from enjoying the benefit of Hungary’s universal healthcare.
Private healthcare in Hungary
But if all these problems sound like too much for you to deal with, the answer may lie in the private sector. It is fairly expensive for locals but far less expensive in comparison with western countries and it’s provided by private insurance companies which tend to be fully cut off from the public healthcare system, making many of the problems listed above go away. The cost is well justified as the quality of private medical care is far better than public care. So if you can afford it, private healthcare is by far the best option in Hungary.
Whether public or private, you don’t need to worry that you will end up stranded in Hungary without any chance for good medical care. And whilst the administrative elements may get a bit daunting, and despite the problems shown above, it is well worth the struggle since good health is a key part of any pleasant and productive stay in any city or country.
If you were interested in the Hungarian healthcare system, there is kinda high probability that you will be also interested in the Hungarian education system, so don't be shy and take a look at one of our older articles.
