After Croatia’s accession to the European Union (EU), Croatian citizens will be able to use healthcare in other EU member states based on the European Health Insurance Card, it was stated at the presentation of the brochure ‘Croatia in the EU – A Guide to Rights’.
The brochure presents rights related to health and pension insurance, as well as unemployment rights in Croatia, and the rights that Croatian citizens will be able to exercise as EU citizens after July 1. Among these rights is the European Health Insurance Card, which will be issued free of charge by the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) for a period of one year. The card will serve to ensure so-called necessary medical care, i.e., emergency medical services for Croatian citizens who suddenly fall ill, get injured, or have an accident in any of the EU countries. The card does not cover services for which a referral is required in Croatia, nor can a Croatian citizen independently seek medical services that require a referral.
With Croatia’s entry into the EU, the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ) will become part of the European Network of Public Employment Services (EURES), through which Croatians will have access to employment mediation in other EU member states, announced HZZ Director Ankica Paun Jarallah. Individuals who will retire after July 1 will have certain benefits, said the director of the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute (HZMO) Srećko Vuković. For example, a pension application submitted in one member state will be considered an application submitted in all member states, and the right to a pension can be exercised in all member states where the Croatian citizen has been insured for at least one year, reports HRT.
