Private healthcare services

Private healthcare services supplement standard healthcare services due under the insurance in the National Health Fund. Using these services involves paying an additional premium to the entity within which the agreement is to be concluded. Private healthcare services are related to private health insurance (policies) and prepaid medical plans.

Private health insurance

Such services are offered by insurers (financial institutions subject to supervision of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority). It usually involves the insurer covering costs of healthcare services in the case of certain events (illness or accident), although other options are available, in exchange for the certain premium.

The policy can include access to outpatient services (e.g. consultations with specialist physicians or diagnostic tests), payment of one-off benefits (usually based on receipts presented) in the case of illness or accident, and hospital treatment (including reimbursement of costs of a patient remaining in hospital).
The premium is usually paid on a monthly basis, and its amount depends primarily on the cover range. The insurer usually cooperates with various providers of healthcare services. A patient may also use services of any provider of healthcare services and then, based on a receipt presented, the insurer reimburses costs of services.

Before making the decision on purchasing the policy, it is necessary to read the insurance agreement and General Terms and Conditions of Insurance. These documents describe in detail the scope of guaranteed services, including a full list of specialist, treatment procedures and providers of healthcare services, as well as guaranteed timing of obtaining access to a specialist or undergoing a treatment procedure.
The agreement with the insurer is usually concluded for one year, with an option to automatically extend it for subsequent years.

Private health insurance offered by Polish companies meets the requirements of the Act of 12 December 2013 on foreigners with respect to necessary insurance.
Health insurance, necessary to obtain Schengen visa (Type C), has to be binding on the territory of all Member States and has to cover the whole period of stay or transit by the particular person. Minimum amount insured is EUR 30,000.

Prepaid medical plans

They are offered by specialised companies, usually private providers of healthcare services.
The payment for healthcare services is made in form of a lump-sum fee. Prepaid medical plans often involve limits for certain services, and thus, after exceeding the limit, a patient has to incur additional costs.
Prepaid medical plans are popular especially among employers, who acquire them for their employees. However, they are also offered on an individual basis, for a single person and in form of family packages.
Prepaid medical plans allow using the services provided only by the chain for which the prepaid medical plan was purchased (or partnership facilities that concluded agreements with such chain).