EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE ABROAD FREE FOR HEALTH INSURED CITIZENS OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

Health insurance beneficiaries of the Health Insurance Fund of Republika Srpska are entitled to free emergency medical care during temporary stays abroad, in countries with which Bosnia and Herzegovina has signed bilateral social security agreements.

PHOTO: Ilustracija

As the summer holiday season is in full swing, the number of applications for international health forms (INO forms) has significantly increased. These forms are issued free of charge based on a certificate provided by a family doctor.

If you are traveling to one of the countries with which BiH has a signed social security agreement, it's important to know that each insured person has the right to free emergency medical care.

The first step is visiting your family doctor.

– The family doctor reviews the patient’s health record and fills out a medical travel assessment form, which indicates whether the person suffers from any acute conditions and whether they are currently fit to travel – explained Zoran Vasilić, a family medicine doctor.

Based on this certificate, the Health Insurance Fund issues the INO form, which entitles the insured to free emergency medical care in the following countries:

Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Turkey, the Netherlands, Romania, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

For the UK, Slovakia, and Poland, the INO form is not required – only a valid Bosnian passport.

In the first six months of this year, the Health Insurance Fund issued 25,000 INO forms, mostly for Montenegro, Croatia, and Germany.

The INO form is valid for a maximum period of 60 days per calendar year.

– During their temporary stay abroad, the insured person submits the INO form to the health insurance institution in that country, which then issues confirmation that they are entitled to emergency medical care. If, however, the services are charged, they can submit a request for reimbursement of the costs – said Nataša Pejić, head of the Bijeljina branch of the Health Insurance Fund of Republika Srpska.

The Fund emphasizes that the INO form is not a substitute for travel insurance, which may cover a wider range of risks depending on the policy agreement with the insurance company.