What is Croatian dodatno health insurance?
UPDATED: 30.8.2023.
In Croatia, there are three types of health insurance: obvezno, dopunsko, and dodatno. Each type of insurance covers different treatments, diagnostics, and medications and is also offered by a variety of providers, some public and some private.
To best understand what dodatno health insurance is, it’s important to understand the differences between all 3 types of insurance.
Obvezno health insurance is mandatory and prescribed by the state agency HZZO. It is required for all residents in Croatia. Learn more about obvezno here.
Dopunsko is optional supplement insurance that covers expenses related to uputnica (medical referrals), certain medicines, orthopedic aids, certain dental aids, and some hospital health care costs. Learn more about dopunsko here.
Dodatno is also optional supplement insurance focused on preventive medicine, diagnostics, and specialist treatments. To get it, you must have obvezno because this supplement is considered as an upgrade.
In this post, we cover:
The facts are these…
What is dodatno health insurance and where to get it in Croatia?
What is Croatian dodatno health insurance?
Dodatno is an optional health insurance supplement you can purchase on top of basic state health insurance. This policy is focused on the prevention and treatment of health problems and diseases.
This type of supplement gives you access to additional medical services such as:
- Sistematski pregled (general medical examination)
- Laboratorijske pretrage (laboratory examinations)
- Specijalistički pregled (specialist examinations)
- Dijagnostičke obrade (diagnostic treatments)
- Mali operativni zahvati (small surgery procedures)
- Ambulantna fizikalna terapija (ambulance physical therapy)
These medical examinations can be done at a hospital or private clinic authorized by your insurance provider. Even though you must go to a facility within the network, you will avoid waiting lists and, in most cases, receive a higher level of care.
[Read: Why you must have health insurance]
What does Croatian dodatno health insurance cover?
What is covered and/or offered all depends on the specific policy that you’ve purchased. Some policies cover only certain types of examinations. When purchasing this type of supplement, you choose what you want to be covered, which affects the price.
People insured by dodatno have more rights and privileges than those insured only by basic health insurance or a combination of basic and dopunsko.
Generally speaking, dodatno is used to:
- Avoid the necessity of uputnica for further medical treatments
- Prevent diseases
- Eliminate waiting lists for examinations, specialists, and hospital treatments
Dodatno covers one general medical examination called sistematski pregled per year or two when needed. This examination identifies abnormalities in your body before symptoms of clinical diseases appear. It is used for the prevention and early detection of diseases.
If a particular disease is detected, additional medical examinations will be needed, such as specialist examinations, diagnostic treatments, or laboratory examinations. In this case, dodatno will cover all the costs of these additional medical examinations.
In addition, you won’t need to collect dust on a waiting list with everyone else. You can take the medical examination immediately. Not having to wait alone is a major advantage because waiting lists in Croatian hospitals can last up to 2 years.
Too often people without money must wait for a certain examination for too long, giving their disease time to spread to a point where it is too late once they make it to the front of the line.
[Read: How to get travel insurance in Croatia (putno), which you can use to apply for residence]
Where can I buy dodatno health insurance in Croatia?
Dodatno can be purchased from private insurance companies and certain banks.
The following health insurance companies offer dodatno:
The following banks offer dodatno:
If you don’t see your bank on this list, ask them if they cover this supplement health insurance. Chances are they do, but it is just not listed on their web site.
[Read: Croatia’s biggest banks: Comparison of fees and services]
The price can range from 160 euros to more than 930 euros per year, depending on the services you select, your health situation, and your age. In Croatia, it is uncommon to have dodatno due to the additional cost. About 83% of Croats own dopunsko, but only about 18% own dodatno.
[Read: What is dopunsko and why you should have this health insurance]
Each type of health insurance (basic, dopunsko, dodatno) covers certain types of medical services. Having all three will offer the best health insurance coverage for the lowest cost. This combination guarantees the best possible treatment in hospitals and health coverage.
View our other health insurance posts
- Croatia’s state health care obvezno insurance, what it costs, and what is included
- Healthcare and health insurance in Croatia
- How EU/EEA citizens (and Croats) can sign up for Croatian state health insurance
- How to get travel insurance in Croatia (putno), which you can use to apply for residence
- How to sign up for state health insurance in Croatia
- HZZO list of local health insurance offices
- What is dodatno health insurance
- Why you must have health insurance
Please note: Information provided by Expat in Croatia is only for the purposes of guidance. It does not constitute legal or financial advice in any form. Croatian laws and bureaucratic rules often change, and each personal case is individual, so different rules may apply. For legal advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian lawyer. For financial advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian tax advisor or accountant.
