Visiting the Doctor in Hungary

When planning to visit any of the doctors in Hungary, an expat can either call for an appointment or walk into a clinic and endure long waiting lines. When walking into a private clinic, the situation can be more comfortable, as a private doctor usually sees less patients than someone who is enlisted in public healthcare.    

Paying for medical costs will depend on whether the expat has public insurance or international health insurance in Hungary or a combination of both. Hungarian public health insurance, which is funded by co-payment between workers, their employers and the national tax system, provides that all basic health services are rendered free for all members. A patient simply has to present his social security card when seeking medical care.   

Additional benefits may be enjoyed with private insurance which is more common among expats. But there are certain charges that everyone should know when seeking inpatient treatment in a hospital in Hungary. For example, a 30% additional cost is charged when a patient is treated in a hospital without a doctor's referral, when the patient seeks treatment using an insurance policy other than what the referral specifies, or when the patient is treated by a doctor who is supposed to be off duty at the time of treatment. Additional fees are also charged for any treatments given outside office hours. These fees apply to all except children under 18 and emergency patients, including pregnant women who come to the hospital with birth at hand.  

As the national language is Hungarian, communication between a doctor and patient could be an issue. But expats can always look for online listings of English-speaking doctors or call their embassy to ask for information.