Parliament approved a 7.27 billion euro plan for the Health Insurance Fund

The Croatian Parliament has granted consent to the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) for the Amendments to the Financial Plan for 2026, by which total revenues are set at 7,270,810,996 euros and total expenditures at 7,243,053,743 euros. The decision was made at the session on October 30, 2026, and published in the Official Gazette (Narodne novine) no. 126/2026 of November 3, 2026, under class 400-06/26-01/22.

The decision was made based on Article 46 of the Budget Act (“Official Gazette” no. 144/21) and was signed by the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Gordan Jandroković. It enters into force on the first day following the day of publication, meaning that the financing framework for compulsory health insurance is valid immediately until the end of the budget year.

The new plan is larger than the original by 202,310,408 euros on the revenue side and by 202,310,407 euros on the expenditure side, so the planned surplus of 27,757,252 euros has been increased by one euro, to 27,757,253 euros. This amount is returned in full through expenditures for financial assets and loan repayments, specifically as the repayment of an interest-free loan in the same amount of 27,757,253 euros.

Revenues are based on contributions and transfers

The largest part of the Fund’s revenues continues to be contributions for compulsory health insurance, which have increased by 135,145,454 euros.

• Contributions: 6,124,685,906 euros
• Aid from abroad and from entities within the general budget: 676,891,374 euros (increase of 91,449,924 euros)
• Revenues from administrative and management fees and charges: 459,338,686 euros (decrease of 29,215,000 euros)
• Revenues from assets: 7,896,300 euros
• Revenues from the sale of non-financial assets: 1,555,000 euros

On the other hand, total expenditures of 7,243,053,743 euros are almost entirely operating expenditures (7,234,586,228 euros), while the purchase of non-financial assets amounts to 8,467,515 euros, which is a decrease of 11,674,485 euros compared to the original plan.

Benefits for insured persons increase by more than 214 million euros

The dominant expenditure item is benefits to citizens and households based on insurance, which are increasing to 7,140,079,222 euros.

• Benefits to citizens and households: 7,140,079,222 euros (increase of 214,569,669 euros)
• Employee expenses: 69,437,391 euros (decrease of 208,609 euros)
• Material expenses: 21,449,482 euros (decrease of 581,668 euros)
• Financial expenses: 2,678,000 euros
• Expenses for donations, fines, damages, and capital grants: 885,310 euros

Within compulsory health insurance, occupational injuries, and professional diseases, which total 6,909,285,556 euros, the item for salary compensation during temporary incapacity for work is growing the most, by 64,207,229 euros.

More money for hospitals, specialists, and particularly expensive medicines

The amendments increase key healthcare programs, while voluntary health insurance also records growth.

• Hospital healthcare: 2,988,277,574 euros (no change)
• Primary healthcare: 1,050,000,000 euros (increase of 20,000,000 euros)
• Prescription drugs: 810,000,000 euros
• Especially expensive drugs: 470,000,000 euros (increase of 45,000,000 euros)
• Specialist-consultant healthcare: 250,000,000 euros (increase of 15,000,000 euros)
• Salary compensations for maternity leave: 268,000,000 euros (increase of 40,000,000 euros)
• Orthopedic and other aids: 210,000,000 euros (decrease of 10,000,000 euros)
• Treatment of foreign insured persons in the Republic of Croatia: 120,000,000 euros (increase of 9,000,000 euros)
• Administration and management of compulsory health insurance: 78,371,350 euros
• Voluntary health insurance: 361,226,500 euros (increase of 36,805,000 euros)

Additionally, the same issue published the Act on Amendments to the Act on the Execution of the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia for 2026, which was passed by Parliament on the same day and proclaimed by the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović.

State transfer to the Institute increased by 120 million euros

The amendments to the state budget follow the same trend: the transfer of budget funds to the Croatian Health Insurance Fund within the Ministry of Health is increased from 434,782,577 to 554,782,577 euros, thus by 120,000,000 euros. Furthermore, 120,967,424 euros in additional funds are planned to cover healthcare costs.

For the insured and healthcare institutions, this means that the payment framework for hospital and outpatient care, drugs, and compensations until the end of the year does not change in structure, but increases in volume, while maintaining the planned surplus. The largest part of the additional funds is directed toward compensations for the insured and programs with the highest cost growth — especially expensive drugs, specialist-consultant care, and compensations for sick leave and maternity leave.

Narodne novine no. 126/2026, November 3, 2026. — Decision on granting consent to the Amendments to the Financial Plan of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund for 2026 and the plan projection for 2027 and 2028, Class: 400-06/26-01/22, Zagreb, October 30, 2026.