People could have their health insurance cover one preventive PCR test a month. Health Minister Vlastimil Válek (TOP 09) wants to discuss this with health insurance companies. However, he makes this conditional on the approval of the pandemic law. The House of Commons should vote on it on Friday.
The ministry announced that reimbursement for preventive tests would end on March 1. Currently, they are free with a request from a doctor or a hygienist. Up to five extras a month are available to vaccinated people and children.
“I would like us to agree with insurance companies on maybe one test a month that would be reimbursed in some way,” said Válek. Tests that a doctor or health department sends for will continue to be free.
According to Válek, the justification for the free preventive tests is the difficult epidemiological situation, but this will end at the same time as the measure is lifted, probably in mid-March. The minister also pointed out that the actual price of the PCR test has decreased compared to the CZK 800 currently paid by insurance companies.
Last year, according to the minister, testing cost health insurers CZK 55 billion.