Insureds of the General Health Insurance Company (VZP) are applying for contributions from the prevention fund more than last year. In the first half of the year, the amount was over CZK 400 million, up 45 percent year-on-year. The number of applications increased by a fifth, with the highest number of applications for dental hygiene. The information was presented today at a press conference after a meeting of the VZP management board. From September, people over 60 will be able to apply for a CZK 2,000 contribution for a new vaccine against RS viruses, but the contribution will not cover the entire cost. Other health insurance companies also contribute up to CZK 2,000 for various vaccinations.
The RS virus causes respiratory infections, often bronchitis. It is most often contracted by young children, and most deaths occur among the elderly. Until now, no vaccination has been available against these diseases; a new one was approved by the European Medicines Agency this spring. It is intended for people over 60 and costs around CZK 5 000. “We always work with what the budget is. It’s a contribution, it’s not full reimbursement,” VZP director Zdeněk Kabátek told reporters. He expects interest could be similar to that for tick-borne encephalitis vaccinations. There, however, the insurance company pays for the entire vaccine directly at the doctor’s office. The vaccination against the RS virus must be paid for and the insurance company must be asked for CZK 2,000 in return against a receipt.
Last autumn, the Czech Republic and other European countries faced an exceptionally strong epidemic of RS viruses, which mainly affect young children. The virus spreads among them every year before the flu epidemic, but in previous years the epidemic was weak due to anti-epidemic measures related to the covid-19 epidemic.
“Patients with chronic heart or kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma or diabetes mellitus are at risk of a serious course accompanied by necessary hospitalisation,” said the chairman of the VZP board of directors, MP Tom Philipp (KDU-ČSL).
According to the VZP, the oldest contributions were the most popular for physical activity contributions for children, which were used by over 102,000 insured persons, but also for adults or seniors. More than 73,000 people applied for the dental hygiene allowance, which the insurer gives to people who do not neglect preventive check-ups at the general practitioner.
VZP is the largest of the seven Czech health insurance companies, with about 60 percent of the population insured. All insurance companies set up prevention funds by law, and they mostly contribute to sports, children’s camps, vaccinations or preventive examinations. The amount of the contributions varies, from CZK 700 to CZK 2 000 for vaccinations.
Source: VZP and CTK
