Law on Health Insurance - Croatia

Law on Health Insurance

The Law guarantees health care to all citizens of Croatia.

Hospital and maternity care are covered by the insurance. There is also an obligatory maternity leave. It begins between 45 and 28 days before the expected delivery and continues until the child is 6 months old.

All insured persons are entitled to health protection based on the compulsory health insurance plan which includes provision for equal standards of medical services for men and women. However the Law does give some advantages to women. The spouse of the diseased insured citizen (Article 7) has the right to health insurance if she is older than 40. If she is younger, she has to apply to the Croatian Employment Agency within 90 days after her spouse passed away in order to be eligible for the right for health insurance.

An ex-wife has the same right, if she was receiving alimony under condition that she is older than 45 (without this age condition if she is completely and permanently unable to work). A divorced wife with the custody of children has the right to health insurance if she is younger than 45 on the condition that she applies to the Croatian Employment Agency within the period of 90 after the divorce. This right continues as long as her children have the right to alimony.

Article 19 of the Law defines the right to financial compensation for the necessities for the newborn baby.

Unemployed mothers have the right to wage compensation have during the period of maternity leave for twins, the third and every following child until they are three years old (Article 21, item 2).

Women on maternity leave and mandatory maternity leave (until a child is six months old) receive an allowance in the amount which is the average sum of the six months wages she received prior to maternity leave (but subject to a minimum being the lowest amount defined by the Law on Implementation of the State Budget).

There are three types of maternity leave:

1. Women who are on additional maternity leave (from when the child is 6 months until the child is one year of age).
2. Maternity leave as adoptive parents until the child is one year of age.
3. Part time employment (6 hours per day) until a child is one year old.

In all these cases there is a right to the wage compensation:

1. women on maternity (adoptive parent maternity) leave from one to three years of age of the child, those entitled to a part time job, and unemployed mothers on maternity leave for twins, the third and every next child are entitled to the compensation in the amount defined by the Law on Implementation of the State Budget.
2. The amount of the compensation during maternity leave is defined by the Article 57 of the Labour Law and the Law on Implementation of the State Budget.

If an employer employing not more than five employees can not ensure appropriate transfer to a less demanding job for a pregnant women (or breast-feeding mothers whose health status demands temporary transfer), such women are entitled to maternity leave with full maternity compensation.

The Law gives the right to up to six working days (12 working days for the care for a child younger than seven years) of paid leave, for the care of a spouse or a child, on the condition they live in the same household. It covers every defined illness.