The academic year is about to begin. Young people and their parents, in the flurry of things, fail to remember a very important issue: health insurance. Its absence comes to light at the time of illness, when the clinic or hospital bills for treatment. The National Health Service reminds what conditions students must meet to be entitled to benefits.
NFZ reminds: Students, take care of your health insurance
Published Sept. 29, 2023 11:21
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Students are entitled to National Health Insurance benefits when they meet one of the conditions:
- have their own title to insurance (e.g., employment contract, pension)
- have been enrolled as a family member
- Are reported for insurance by the university.
If a student is insured by his parents or university, and took a job during the vacation, he must be reported by his parents or university again upon his return!
If the student's employer paid health premiums for the student (e.g., when the student was employed under an employment contract), then the student automatically ceased to be insured as a family member, and had his own insurance status. Once the student finishes work and returns to the university, when the premiums are no longer paid, the student is no longer insured. For this to change, the parent/university must re-notify the student for insurance.
Of course, not every student's job triggers the need to re-register for health insurance. This applies to situations where the contract that the young person entered into required notification of social insurance.
EXAMPLE 1.
The student worked in a pub during the summer vacation on a contract of employment. He was automatically de-registered from his parents' insurance (as a family member), and gained insured status from his own work. Once his employment is terminated and his contributions cease, he ceases to be an insured person. If he falls ill, he will have to pay for a visit to a clinic, a stay in the hospital, and medication. On the other hand, in order for him to be eligible for free health care, his parent must re-register him for insurance.
If the parent cannot do this - then the university applies for insurance.
EXAMPLE 2
The student worked in a pub on a contract basis during the summer vacation. The employer did not make contributions for him and did not report him for health insurance. Nothing changes in the student's status, he is insured as a family member all the time: both while working and when returning to the university. Without any changes, he is entitled to free medical treatment.
Worth knowing
Notification for health insurance
A student under the age of 26, who is still studying and has no other title to insurance, should be reported for health insurance by a parent, as a family member. If the parent is uninsured or the student is over 26 and unmarried, the university should report the student for health insurance, at the parent's request. There is one exception to this rule: a student who has a severe disability certificate can be insured as a family member even when he or she turns 26.
For health insurance as a member of the child/student can report:
- parents or spouses of parents
- grandparents, if the parents are not covered by mandatory health insurance
- A spouse, if he or she has his or her own title to insurance.
A student's health insurance terminates on the date of graduation or removal from the student list. However, he/she retains the right to health care benefits for 4 months after graduation or removal from the list of students.
How do I report a family member for health insurance?
The application for enrolling a family member in health insurance is submitted by the parent to his or her payer, e.g. employer, principal, Social Security. He or she has 7 days to do so from the date on which the family member can be covered. Self-employed persons submit the application on the ZUS ZCNA form directly to ZUS via the Electronic Services Platform, by mail or in person.
Notification for insurance by the university
If a student does not have his own title to health insurance, and a parent or other authorized person cannot report him for health insurance (for example, parents or grandparents do not work and are not insured), the university can do so. What is important: the university will not automatically report the student for insurance after the beginning of the year, but only upon his application to the dean's office.
Read more about health insurance in Patient's Guide
