Participation of Foreigners in Public Health Insurance in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Foreigners from third countries are not entitled to participate in the Czech public health insurance system unless they have either permanent residence in the Czech Republic or a Czech employer. This article aims to analyse the economic impact of the possible inclusion of such foreigners into the public health insurance system in the Czech Republic. First, we estimate the size of the group of foreigners concerned and follow with the estimation of contributions paid and the cost involved. The analysis is based on publicly available data that entail simplifications. The conducted research shows that the inclusion of foreigners from third countries into the public health system of the Czech Republic would positively impact the economic balance of the system in that the estimated contributions would surpass the estimated costs.