Healthcare in Hungary

Funding

Hungary is considered a high-income country with developed medicine. The Hungarian healthcare system is funded by taxpayers and managed by the National Health Insurance Fund. Over the past 10 years the country has spent on average about 7% of GDP on healthcare. For comparison: in Russia the federal budget's share for healthcare is less than 5% of GDP, significantly lower.

Hungary's medical budget is made up of several components: the Health Insurance Fund, state funding, and local budgets. State funding makes up the largest share (around 70%). Insurance contributions are deducted from citizens' income - 11% from employers and 3% from employees.

There are also private sources of funding for Hungarian healthcare, though their contribution is very small.

Medical tourism brings in substantial income. Dental treatment alone draws up to 70,000 visitors a year, generating up to USD 350 million in revenue.

Thanks to this funding system, public healthcare is free for all officially employed people, as well as for minors, students, refugees, and unemployed people receiving a special benefit.

Doctors

The country has a well-developed institution of family doctors - essentially local general practitioners who see patients living in their assigned area on set days and hours. After an initial examination, the doctor decides whether a referral for further testing or treatment at a specialized hospital is needed. The wait to see a general practitioner is on average about a week, and for another specialist - two weeks or more: there is a shortage of doctors at public institutions, and this figure is one of the lowest in the EU.

The main reason is low pay. Compared with other OECD countries, doctors' salaries in Hungary are modest - regular doctors earn about 140% of the average salary, and hospital specialists about 160%.

As for private medicine, there are no such problems, and you can access paid treatment in Hungary without a long wait. The combination of quality and price of the services offered makes medical tourism such a sought-after direction among foreigners.

Pharmaceutical market and pharmacies

Hungary's pharmaceutical market is one of the largest in Central Europe. Over recent decades the pharmaceutical industry has been one of the defining sectors of the country's economy. There are a large number of pharmaceutical companies operating in the country, mostly specializing in generics - copy drugs. Most of the products manufactured are exported, generating significant revenue for the budget.

Alongside the development of the pharmaceutical industry, the pharmacy business has also been reformed. Whereas previously only pharmacists could open a pharmacy, today anyone can do so - this approach has had a positive effect on the number of pharmacies and their availability to the population. In addition, as part of the ongoing reforms, restrictions on selling over-the-counter medicines were lifted, making it possible to sell them online and through delivery services.

Advantages of treatment in Hungary

Hungarian healthcare is well known and in demand around the world, which is confirmed by statistics. For example, the country is a leader in dental tourism, holding a 42% share in Europe and 21% worldwide.

This popularity is due to the fact that treatment in Hungary has a number of significant advantages. The main ones are:

• High qualification level of local specialists - doctors have good education, extensive experience, and regularly complete internships at foreign clinics.
• European medical standards at low prices. Hungarian medicine is quite reasonably considered inexpensive - the cost of services is 40 to 70% of what the same services cost in the UK, USA, or Scandinavian countries.
• Convenient location - the country is in the center of Europe, so it's very easy to reach. There are also no accommodation problems in the cities - tourists have various options to fit any budget.

The combination of the factors listed makes treatment in Hungary a highly successful choice.

Treatment at resorts in Hungary

Treatment and recovery in Hungary can be pursued not only in clinics but also at local resorts. The country has many developed hot springs that are popular with tourists.

The most famous and visited are:

• Lake Heviz - the healing waters contain calcium, potassium and bicarbonates. The average water temperature in summer is +33...+34 °C, and in winter it does not drop below +26 °C. The lake is used to treat a large number of conditions, including those of the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, respiratory organs, and others.
• Szechenyi Baths - the largest bathing complex in Budapest and Europe. The thermal water contains sodium and is rich in calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate sulfate substances, as well as fluoride and metaboric acid. The therapeutic water is used to treat joint diseases, in orthopedic therapy, and in post-traumatic rehabilitation.
• Hajduszoboszlo - a year-round resort with thermal alkaline water. The water treatment facilities offer more than 40 different procedures, from massage and mud therapy to various inhalations. The resort treats diseases of the spine and joints, chronic skin conditions, and others.

Hungary has a large number of open, operating resorts, so anyone can find the treatment that suits them best.

Clinics in Hungary

Hungarian clinics can offer services of any kind. Among tourists, the most in-demand areas are dentistry, orthopedics, rehabilitation for cardiovascular patients, infertility treatment, dermatology, rejuvenation, vision correction, and treatment for obesity and alcohol or drug dependency. Plastic surgery is an extremely important sector - because prices in the country are 40-80% lower, a large number of foreigners travel to Hungary for these specialists' services.

How to get a visa for treatment

To undergo treatment in Budapest or any other city in the country, you need to obtain a Schengen visa of category C or D6. The documents needed include:

• An international passport whose validity does not expire earlier than six months after the end of the trip.
• A color or black-and-white photograph, 3x4 cm or 4x4 cm.
• A completed application form.
• A referral from the receiving medical institution.
• A document confirming your place of residence for the period of stay in the country. This is required if hospitalization is not planned.
• Proof of savings and official income - a bank account statement, a certificate from your place of employment.
• Other documents for an accompanying person.

The completed document package must be submitted to a Hungarian consulate or embassy, after which the visa processing fee must be paid. The decision on issuing the visa is made within 10 calendar days.