In Croatia health insurance is mandatory and is paid as a percentage of salary. I pay every month an amount which is same as some people in western countries pay for superior insurances.

At primary level it is okay, I can be seen by GP every time I need. It is walk in base so in worst case scenario an hour of waiting.

But everything beyond that. Thank God that me and everyone in my family are healthy.

Expect from some basic blood test, everything is months of waiting up to year and a half.

Of course alongside some major corruption there is a lot of minor corruption. I pay a decent sum every month and have to wait lets say six months for appointment. While someone unemployed who pays 0 and is a friend of a friend of a friend of a nurse in clinic goes next week. Also when I wait 6 months and the date and time of appointment comes, I have to wait few hours on top of that for my turn to come due to “urgencies aka relatives and Neighbours and friends and friends of a friends etc. of staff”. I am okay with social health care but let us both wait 3 month and not someone waiting 6 months and someone going next week”.

If something is really urgent or concerning I must go to private clinic and pay everything out of pocket on top of mandatory health insurance charges. Also we do not have real private hospitals, mainly some tests, screenings, consultations and some Minor procedures. Nothing big or an emergency.