How to become our insured person

In the sense of Act No. 577/2004 Coll. on the scope of health care defrayed on the basis of public health insurance, Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa, a.s. (hereinafter, “VšZP”) covers all types of health care – institutional health care, primary outpatient care including stomatology, preventive examinations and first-aid physician service, specialised care including all exacting examinations, transportation health service and air rescue service, health treatment of children and adults in a spa by invitation, as well as specialised health treatment abroad in cases when such treatment is not provided by Slovak health care facilities. In the sense of the Act, VšZP pays for medicines, vaccines, dietetic food articles and health care aids for its insured persons.

Each EU state has its own social security system, which includes the provision of health care. This system is regulated by the legislation of the respective state, ensuing mainly from its historical development, the needs of society and economic possibilities of the given country. Coordination of the provision of health care in the conditions of the Union is ensured mainly by Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1408/71 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons, self-employed persons and their families moving within the Community. This Regulation has its implementing directive in the form of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 574/1972. Both Regulations have superiority over Slovak legislation.

Generally, it applies that according to the principles laid down in Regulation No. 1408/71, a person may be subject to the legislation of only one member state. The objective of this is to prevent the occurrence of cases when a given person would not be subject of any legislation, or when several legislations would apply to the same person. The applicable legislation is precisely determined in compliance with the rules specified in Articles 13 – 17 of the Regulation, without the possibility to select a “worse” or “better” system.

In general, the principle applies that the person is subject to the legislation of the state which he/she is employed in, or executes self-employment (the lex loci laboris principle), viz. Article 13 of Regulation No. 1408/71. This principle is applied also in cases when the person resides on the territory of another member state, or when his/her employer has his registered office on the territory of another member state.

Compulsory public health insurance of persons without permanent residence originates as follows:

1. By inception of employment

Form: Application for insurance

Documents: Alien´s identification card or passport sticker, document in proof of employment – contract of employment, birth registration number (if allocated).

Compulsory public health insurance applies also to persons having no permanent residence on the SR territory and employed by an employer who has his registered office or permanent operational unit on the SR territory; this does not apply to such persons employed in the SR by an employer possessing diplomatic privileges and immunities under international law, who are not participants of health insurance in another EU member state.

2. By establishment of a self-employed person on the territory of the Slovak Republic

Form: Application for insurance

Documents: Alien´s identification card or passport sticker, trade certificate, licence, trade permit certificate, birth registration number (if allocated).

Compulsory public health insurance applies to persons executing self-employment on the territory of the Slovak Republic and are not participants of health insurance in another EU member state.

3. Asylum seeker

Form: Application for insurance
Documents: Asylum granting decision, residential permit document, birth registration document (if allocated).

The asylum seeker is entitled to permanently reside on the SR territory. The police department issues to the asylum seeker the document permitting his/her permanent residence on the SR territory, showing his/her identification data and the designation of the purpose of residence (“AZYLANT”). The validity of the permanent residential permit is five years at most, repeatedly extendable by five years at most.
The asylum seeker cannot simultaneously participate in health insurance in another EU member state.

4. Foreign student

Form: Application for insurance
Documents: Confirmation of school attendance, identification card or passport sticker or another document (e.g. passport), document issued by the SR Ministry of Education House of International Contacts in proof that the student will be insured within the implementation of international agreements, including specification of the provided scope of health insurance, birth registration number (if allocated).
Under the Act, the student from another EU member state or the alien student studying in a SR school on the basis of an international agreement that binds the Slovak Republic is subject to compulsory public health insurance, unless participating in health insurance in another EU member state. Free health care is provided on the basis of compulsory public health insurance in the scope specified in the applicable international agreements.

5. Minor alien

Form: Application for insurance
Documents: Decision of placement in a facility by judicial decision, birth registration number (if allocated).
Compulsory public health insurance applies to the minor alien who dwells on the SR territory without a legal representative or a natural person responsible for his/her upbringing, and who receives care in a facility where he/she was placed on the basis of a judicial decision, unless participating in health insurance in another EU member state. The minor alien placed in a facility by judicial decision who dwells on the SR territory with his/her parent, legal representative or a natural person responsible for his/her upbringing cannot participate in the compulsory public health care.

6. Alien in detention, in custody or serving a term of imprisonment

Form: Application for insurance
Documents: Application for insurance, document of detention, document of custody, document of registration for the commencement of imprisonment, birth registration number (if allocated).
The alien detained on the SAR territory, in custody or serving a term of imprisonment is entitled to participate in the compulsory public health insurance, unless participating in health insurance in another EU member state.

The insured person is entitled to apply for insurance in his/her selected health insurance company.

The form Application for insurance is available at all branch offices and detached offices of Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa, a.s., and may also be acquired from the webpage in the section For the insured, in the submenu Forms of application for registration/deregistration. The webpage enables on-line completion of the form. The completed form must be signed and mailed to any branch office or detached office of VšZP.

According to Article 6, Paragraph 1 of Act No. 580/2004 Coll., the insured person is under obligation to apply to the health insurance company for public health insurance within eight day from the date of inception of the fact establishing his/her public health insurance.