Author
According to the Hungarian Health Act,[1] beneficiaries of international protection fall under the same category as Hungarian nationals. However, for the first 6 months after granting of status, they are entitled to health services under the same conditions as asylum seekers. Therefore, the asylum authority funds the health care expenses of the beneficiaries for 6 months, if they are in need and cannot establish other health insurance format. However, as per the Menedék Association’s experience, in practice this is not always accepted by the health care service providers. Menedék Association points out that the fact that beneficiaries of international protection cannot obtain their social security cards within 6 months after receiving their statuses still posed a difficulty in accessing health care services as providers were not aware of the relating legislation and of the fact that these beneficiaries are entitled to be provided.[2] The Evangelical Lutheran Church (Diakonia) also reported of such difficulties occurring in 2023.[3] Diakonia did not provide such information for 2024.
Since 2018 the card is delivered by post which makes it longer than receiving it in person and thus extends the duration of the procedure and delays the start of the employment. As per the Evangelical Lutheran Church, since the issuance of the health insurance card lasts so long, it is not requested immediately upon the granting of the status in Vámosszabadi, but only after the person establishes their domicile out of the reception facility. The possibility to obtain the health insurance card is further hindered by the difficulties arising with regard to the issuance of the identification and address card (see section above on Residence permit), as without those the application for the health insurance card cannot be initiated.
The recent amendments of the Social Insurance Act have unfavourable effects on beneficiaries of international protection who left the country and were later returned by another EU Member State. According to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the health insurance eligibility of these people is terminated upon their departure. Consequently, if they are returned with poor health conditions necessitating immediate medical intervention, the costs of that are later billed to the patient. For instance, in 2020, even though a returned person with subsidiary protection managed to arrange his health insurance in December, the system officially still denied him access to health care services. Thanks to the generosity of the health care staff, he was provided with the necessary chemotherapy treatment. The Evangelical Lutheran Church is aware of a person whose subsidiary protection status had been withdrawn by the time they returned to Hungary in a very poor health condition in 2021. They were granted a temporary residence permit, thereby they were not eligible for health care services. The Evangelical Lutheran Church also reported for 2021 that the tax authority mailed a check about the debt stemming from the non-payment of health insurance contribution to several beneficiaries who had meanwhile left the country. The Evangelical Lutheran Church submitted no such reports concerning 2022.
In practice, similarly to asylum seekers (see Health Care), beneficiaries of international protection face significant barriers regarding access to health care. Barriers mainly stem from language difficulties, i.e. the lack of interpreters or the lack of basic English spoken by the doctor. NGOs’ assistance is the only available solution for that. The obstacles, furthermore, might stem from administrative difficulties or simply from lack of awareness of the law.[4] According to research from 2017, based on interviews carried out with 18 refugees and 4 social workers, refugees generally feel marginalised regarding the healthcare system.[5] The research highlights the importance of social workers and volunteers who ‘act as links between health care system and refugees’ helping with interpretation and as an information point for the health care institute’s personnel..
The Cordelia Foundation is the only organisation that specifically focuses on bio-psycho-social support provision among people with international status (see above under Reception Conditions). Next Step reported in 2021 that people with international protection status and other vulnerable migrants with traumatic experiences might have more significant difficulties concentrating on and fully committing to long-term and more complex courses organised by the NGO. Therefore, Next Step offered mental health assistance to its community members throughout 2022 too.[6] No similar activity was reported for 2023 or 2024.
JRS reports that their beneficiaries reported limited and inconsistent access to health services. For example, what constitutes “emergency care” often appears to be fluid and largely depends on the discretion or judgement of individual health providers. Financial burdens and long waiting times are particularly severe for those seeking treatment for chronic conditions such as cancer. Language barriers remain a challenge for many, with many refugees relying on interpreters for medical consultations, but telephone translation services are often inadequate or unavailable. Another difficulty during medical consultations is that many doctors, despite the fact that them and the patient speak excellent English, are unwilling to communicate with the patient in this common language during a treatment or examination.[7]
[1] Section 3(s) Act CLIV of 1997 on Health Care.
[2] Information received from Menedék Association by the HHC on 28 February 2023.
[3] Information received from the Evangelical Lutheran Diakonia by the HHC on 24 February 2024.
[4] Practice-informed observation by the HHC, January 2024.
[5] Mangeni Akileo, Marginalization of refugees and asylum seekers in the healthcare system: A Hungarian case study, Central European University, 2017.
[6] Information received from Next Step Hungary Association by the HHC on 6 February 2023.
[7] Information received from the Jesuit Refugee Service by the HHC on 28 February 2025.