Health insurance

Health insurance allows free (i.e. financed from public funds) use of public health care, i.e. facilities financed by the National Health Fund (NFZ). A monthly health insurance premium is paid for health insurance.

Having health insurance is MANDATORY for students, but not every student can get it from the university.

A student who:

• is over 26 years old and is not subject to any other obligation of health insurance, that is:
  • is not employed on the basis of an employment contract or contract of mandate,
  • does not conduct business activity,
  • the student’s spouse is not subject to the health insurance obligation;
• is under 26 years of age and is not subject to health insurance for any other reason, that is:
  • cannot be reported for health insurance by parents, grandparents or a spouse, e.g. they are dead or do not have health insurance themselves

and

• • is not employed under an employment contract or conducts business activity (contract of mandate is allowed).

Until the age of 26, the student should first be registered for health insurance by his parents, grandparents or spouse. Application by the university takes place only if it is not possible to apply from another source.

In the case of foreign students, the university may register for health insurance students who have been recognized as persons of Polish origin within the meaning of the repatriation regulations or who have a valid Pole’s Card and are not subject to health insurance on any other basis.

Additional information:

A student coming from outside the EU/EFTA countries may take out voluntary insurance by signing a voluntary insurance contract with the National Health Fund and pay the health insurance premium on their own.

A student who is a citizen of an EU/EFTA Member State may use public health care on the basis of an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) issued in the country of origin. If such a student is not entitled to health insurance in the country of origin, he or she may be registered for health insurance by the university.

Students with a certificate of severe disability or other treated as equal may be reported as a family member with their parent, regardless of age.

A student who is married may be insured by his spouse as long as the spouse is registered for health insurance.

The insured student may also insure his family members if the family members do not have their own entitlement to health insurance (unemployed wife, husband and / or children). For this purpose, he / she submits a completed and signed application for health insurance for a family member or a ZUS-ZCNA form to the Student Welfare and Support Office. If a student’s family member has obtained their own title to health insurance, the student should submit an application to the Office for Material Aid for deregistration of such family member by the university.

The university de-registers a student from health insurance in the case of:

• graduation (defense of the diploma) or removal from the list of students
• employment under an employment contract
• business registration
• for students aged 26 and over – also in the case of employment under a mandate contract

The student must notify the university in writing about employment or registration of business activity in order to deregister the student by universities from health insurance.

You should also submit applications to the Student Welfare and Support Office for de-registration from health insurance in connection with graduation or removal from the list of students.

If you are registered for health insurance by the University of Warsaw and completed your studies at the University of Warsaw (defense of your diploma or removal from the list of students), you should apply for de-registration from health insurance.

As the date of deregistration from health insurance, please enter the date of the day following the defense of the diploma / removal from the list of students.

Application form (declaration) for deregistering a student from health insurance

The paper application should be submitted to the Material Aid Office within 7 days from the date of defense of the diploma / removal from the list of students.

The document can:

• sent by post to the following address:

University of Warsaw
Biuro ds. Pomocy Materialnej / Student Welfare and Support Office
ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28,
00-927 Warsaw

• submit to the General Office of the University of Warsaw:

General Office of the University of Warsaw
Auditorium Maximum building at the Main Campus of the University of Warsaw
room no. 2
Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28,
00-927 Warsaw
with a note: Biuro ds. Pomocy Materialnej.

• submit to the BPM office:

University of Warsaw
Biuro ds. Pomocy Materialnej / Student Welfare and Support Office
Dobra 55 street,
00-312 Warsaw

Throughout the calendar year. The university has 7 days to register a student from the moment of submitting the application.

The Student Welfare and Support Office of the University of Warsaw should be submitted in paper form:

• Application for health insurance;
• Certificate of the status of a UW student.

Additionally, foreign students should submit in paper form:

• A copy of a valid Pole’s Card or a decision on recognition as a person of Polish origin within the meaning of the provisions on repatriation.

General description of the procedure:

Application for health insurance:

• the student submits a complete paper-based application to the Student Welfare and Support Office (BPM);
• the office prepares and sends a health insurance application to ZUS (Social Security);
• ZUS transfers data on insured persons to the National Health Fund.

For the period in which the student is registered for health insurance by the university, the university will pay contributions to the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) for the student’s health insurance.

Deregistering from health insurance:

• the student submits an application (declaration) for de-registration to the Student Welfare and Support Office,
• the student loses the status of a UW student (graduation or being removed from the list of students) or ZUS informs the university about a different title to the student’s health insurance;
• the office prepares and sends to ZUS a notification of de-registration from health insurance.

IMPORTANT!

In the event of a change of name, surname, passport number, address, or obtaining a PESEL number, the insured student must notify the Student Welfare and Support Office in writing in order to report these changes to ZUS.

4 months – protection period after deregistration by the university from health insurance – the right to healthcare services under the National Health Fund expires 4 months after graduation (defense of the diploma) or removal from the list of students.

Does the University of Warsaw provide health insurance to all students?

Not. The University of Warsaw does not register students for health insurance “automatically”, ie due to the status of a student. UW registers students at their request in the cases described below.

In what cases does the University of Warsaw report a student to ZUS for health insurance?

The age of the student is crucial.

Students up to the age of 26:

Pursuant to Art. 67 sec. 3 of the Act of 27 August 2004 on health care services financed from public funds, persons under 26 years of age should first be reported to health insurance by their parents, grandparents or spouse (family member’s insurance, they are not is the additional premiums paid). The parent/grandfather/spouse should apply to their employer/ZUS for family member insurance.

If the student is not able to be reported by the parents/grandparents/spouse (e.g. if they are not entitled to insurance, in the event of their death) and does not have an employment contract or conducts business activity, the university shall register at the student’s request. (Such a student may be employed on the basis of a mandate/specific work contract.)

If the parents work abroad (in an EU country), they can register the student for health insurance in the EU country where they work, and then the student can use healthcare services in Poland on the basis of the EHIC.

Students aged 26 and over:

Students aged 26 and over may be registered for health insurance by the University of Warsaw if:

• are not employed on the basis of an employment contract or contract of mandate, and are not engaged in business activity;
• cannot be registered for insurance by their spouse/are not married.

What documents are required in order to register a student for health insurance by the University of Warsaw?

In order to register a student by the University of Warsaw for health insurance, the following documents should be submitted to the Student Welfare and Support Office (BPM) – in person or by post – the following documents:

Students with Polish citizenship:

• Completed and signed (on both sides) application for health insurance, form at the link.
• Students with Polish citizenship:

Students-foreigners:

• Completed and signed (on both sides) application for health insurance – the form in the link.
• Current certificate of the status of a UW student – from the dean’s office
• A copy of a valid Pole’s Card or a decision on recognition as a person of Polish origin within the meaning of the provisions on repatriation
• A copy of the signed contract with the National Health Fund (NFZ) for the use of public health care – this contract can be signed at the NFZ (the NFZ branch is located, for example, at 8 Chałubińskiego Street, Warsaw)

BPM address:
Biuro ds. Pomocy Materialnej / Student Welfare and Support Office
Dobra 55 street,
00-312 Warsaw

Can the University of Warsaw register any foreign student with health insurance?

Not. The UW reports to health insurance (at its request) only:

• students – foreigners from outside the EU/EFTA who have a valid Pole’s Card or a decision on recognition as a person of Polish origin within the meaning of the provisions on repatriation.

Pursuant to Art. 86 sec. 1 point 14) of the Act of 27 August 2004 on health care services financed from public funds:

Art. 86. [Entities obliged to collect and pay contributions]

• Health insurance premiums:
  • persons referred to in art. 3 sec. 2 points 1 and 4, if they are recognized as persons of Polish origin within the meaning of the provisions on repatriation or have a valid Pole’s Card, they are paid by the university or the entity running the doctoral school in which these persons are or will be receiving education;
  • students who are citizens of an EU/EFTA Member State – if they are not entitled to insurance in their country of origin.

If a student-citizen of an EU/EFTA Member State is entitled to health insurance, he or she may use public health care on the basis of an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) issued in the country of origin.

How can a foreign student without Polish origin obtain health insurance in Poland?

If the student-foreigner does not have Polish origin (confirmed by a valid Pole’s Card or a decision on recognition as a person of Polish origin within the meaning of the repatriation regulations), then he should go to the National Health Fund (NFZ) and sign an agreement on using public health care (agreement for voluntary insurance from the National Health Fund). The student will have to pay a monthly premium for such insurance.

NFZ address in Warsaw:

Masovian Provincial Branch of the National Health Fund in Warsaw
Chałubińskiego 8
00-613 Warsaw

www.nfz-warszawa.pl/kontakt/dane-teleadresowe

How to deregister from health insurance if the UW has registered for this insurance?

In order to deregister a student from health insurance, the Student Welfare and Support Office should be delivered – in person or by mail – a completed and signed declaration, the form in the link.

What should I do if I am registered for health insurance by the University of Warsaw, but in the meantime I have obtained a different title for health insurance (e.g. starting a job, getting married, registering a business) or I graduated from university or was deleted / a from the list of students?

A student who has been reported for health insurance by the University of Warsaw, and then:

• started work on the basis of:
  • employment contracts or mandate contracts (students over 26)
  • employment contracts (students under 26)
• registered a business
• graduated from the University of Warsaw (they defended their diploma)
• was removed from the list of students at the University of Warsaw
• got married and the spouse is entitled to health insurance

should submit a declaration of de-registration from health insurance to the Student Welfare and Support Office – the form in the link.

As a UW student, can I register a family member (e.g. a child, parent) for health insurance?

A student who is registered for health insurance by the University of Warsaw may submit an application for the application for health insurance of his family member, i.e.:

• Child (own, spouse, adopted, grandson, foreign child for whom custody has been established, foreign child within a foster family or family orphanage):
  • without age limit – if the child has a certificate of significant disability (or otherwise treated equally);
  • until the age of 18 – if he or she does not continue education;
  • until the age of 26 – if he continues education;
• Spouse (husband, wife);
• Ascendants who stay in the same household with the insured person (parents, grandparents).

In order to register or de-register a family member, please submit to the Student Welfare and Support Office – in person or by mail – a completed and signed form (indicating, for example, whether it concerns the application or de-registration of a family member and the date on which it is to take place).

In the event of graduation/removal from the list of students, am I still entitled to healthcare benefits?

If the university enrolled a student for health insurance, the student is entitled to healthcare services for 4 months after graduation or removal from the list of students. This means that the student will be deregistered from health insurance due to graduation or removal from the student list, but will still be entitled to 4-month entitlement to health care benefits.

Basis: art. 67 sec. 5 point 2) of the Act of 27 August 2004 on health care services financed from public funds.

Is it possible to apply for health insurance retrospectively?

Yes, if a student has not been registered for health insurance, although he/she had the right to do so and benefited from health care services from the National Health Fund, he/she may be registered for health insurance retrospectively.

However, you should keep an eye on the deadlines. You can apply for health insurance retrospectively:

• for 30 days from using healthcare services,
• for 30 days from the moment when the National Health Fund notifies the student that it has started an investigation of the costs of these benefits.

If during this time the student reports retrospectively to health insurance, he will not incur the costs of treatment under the National Health Fund.

For application for health insurance:

• health insurance application – completed and signed,
• certificate of the status of a UW student (from the dean’s office),
• students-foreigners additionally: a copy of a valid Pole’s Card or a decision on recognition as a person of Polish origin within the meaning of the provisions on repatriation.

To deregister from health insurance:

• application for deregistration

For the application for health insurance of a student’s family member:

• application for insurance for a student’s family member or the ZUS-ZCNA form

DOCUMENTS ARE RECEIVED ONLY IN PAPER FORM!

• Application for the student to be covered by health insurance by the University of Warsaw (duplex printing)
• Application for health insurance for a student’s family member
• Application for deregistering a student from health insurance

Art. 66 sec. 1 paragraph 20, art. 67. Art. 68, art. 69, art. 73 points 4), art. 75 sec. 4, art. 76, art. 76a, art. 77, art. 86 sec. 1 point 6 and 14 of the Act of August 27, 2004. on healthcare services financed from public funds (Journal of Laws of 2017, item 1938, as amended)

ZUS – Social Insurance Institution; it is to ZUS that the university reports students for health insurance, to ZUS the university pays health insurance contributions

NFZ – National Health Fund; the entity financing health services provided to the insured reimburses drugs.