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Healthcare in Hungary: cost & waiting times

Statutory health insurance

Compulsory social insurance (NEAK) funds the public system. Years of underfunding and informal 'gratitude payments' pushed patients toward a fast-growing private sector. Western Hungary and Budapest are Europe's leading destination for dental treatment.

Emergency number: 112

How residents get care

  1. Register with a 'háziorvos' (GP) — Assigned by address; the GP gatekeeps specialist and hospital care in the public system.
  2. Public appointments via EESZT — The national e-health system; specialist care needs a GP referral ('beutaló').
  3. Private clinics book directly — Clinics in Budapest, Sopron and Mosonmagyaróvár quote fixed prices and are used to foreign self-pay patients, especially for dentistry.

Official waiting-time source

Hungary publishes hospital-level waiting lists. Public waits for cataract and joint replacement commonly run several months to over a year; private treatment is within weeks.

NEAK 'várólista' — official planned-procedure waiting lists by hospital ↗

MilestoneReference
Cataract surgery (public, typical)200 days (~29w)
Hip / knee replacement (public, typical)300 days (~43w)

Typical private costs

Typical self-pay prices — for an exact figure use the official links above or ask a clinic for a written quote.

ItemTypical range
Private GP visit€25–€50
Private specialist consultation€40–€90
Private MRI€120–€250
Cataract surgery, per eye (private)€1,200–€1,800
Hip replacement (private, total)€7,000–€11,000

Prescriptions

NEAK reimburses medicines at 0 / 25 / 55 / 80% by category, with higher condition-based rates for chronic illness.

Visiting Hungary?

EHIC covers medically necessary state care. The private clinics that market to tourists do not accept EHIC.

Emergencies Call 112 or 104 (ambulance). State emergency departments treat emergencies.

Official links

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