Romania

Make an appointment with a general practitioner or a specialist who has a contract with one of the health insurance houses. At the reception, present your European Health Insurance Card and your identity card. Primary healthcare services are free of charge, but you will have to pay a co-payment for other services.

You can receive treatment from dentists who have a contract with one of the Health Insurance Houses. These dentists provide certain basic treatments free of charge. You will have to pay for other types of treatment yourself. Emergency dental care and urgent medical care are free of charge. Dental care is also free of charge for patients under the age of 18 when provided by a dentist who has a contract with a Health Insurance House.

To obtain medication from a pharmacy in Romania, you must present a valid prescription. If you need to pay for the medicine partly or in full, you can apply for reimbursement of the costs when you return to your home country. The amount of reimbursement is based on a reference list that categorizes medicines into four groups according to the level of reimbursement. More information about medicine reimbursements is available on the website of the European Commission.

Children under the age of 18, students and apprentices aged 18 to 26, and pregnant women are entitled to certain prescribed medicines free of charge.

The validity of a prescription depends on the purpose for which the medicine has been prescribed. The prescription is valid for:

• a maximum of 48 hours for medication prescribed for acute conditions.
• a maximum of 30 days for medication prescribed for chronic conditions.

When a patient is discharged after a hospital stay, the doctor can issue a prescription valid for up to one month. However, if the doctor deems it necessary, they may issue a written statement extending the validity of the prescription to a maximum of three months.

In case of an emergency, you can go directly to a hospital. Make sure that the hospital has a contract with one of the Health Insurance Houses. At the hospital, present your European Health Insurance Card and your identity card. You will need to pay a deductible for hospital care and for certain services (such as laboratory tests and imaging). If you request additional services, such as a larger room, you will need to cover these extra costs yourself.

Emergency ambulance services in Romania are provided by county ambulance services and are free of charge for the patient. Air ambulance services are only available within Romania’s land borders in extreme emergencies, such as serious traffic accidents, critically ill patients, or other acute situations. Air ambulances may also be used in critical cases where the hospital is unable to provide the necessary examinations or treatment.

Remember to ensure that your patient data is transferred between countries. You can provide those responsible for your follow-up care or your healthcare provider with the patient records related to the treatment you received abroad. If the patient records need to be translated, you will be responsible for arranging the translation yourself.

In the event of a treatment injury, the legislation and patient insurance of the country where the treatment was provided always apply. If you are not satisfied with the treatment you received, you should first try to resolve the matter directly with the healthcare provider. If you wish to file a complaint, the Romanian National Contact Point can assist you in finding the appropriate authority.

The Romanian healthcare system is public. The public healthcare sector is overseen and coordinated by the Romanian Ministry of Health. Social health insurance is mandatory. The National Health Insurance House (Casa Națională de Asigurări de Sănătate, CNAS) operates at the national level and coordinates the activities of 43 regional health insurance houses.