The Centre for International Reimbursements (CMU) is the liaison body of the Czech Republic in the sphere of public health insurance. The CMU currently represents Czech system of health care in relation to 34 European states.

The CMU was constituted in 2001 as a necessary precondition of the institutional, administrative and legal preparation for the EU-law and international agreements on social security application.

From the legal point of view, the CMU is an association of legal entities (all Czech public health insurance companies). General task of the CMU is to solve all horizontal issues concerning health insurance and health care in the framework of international law´ s application and coordinate the activities of health insurance funds (9 Health insurance funds with more than 4000 employees) and health care providers.

The supreme body of the CMU is the Board of directors composed of general directors of the health insurance funds and representatives of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and Ministry of Finance. The CMU itself is represented by it´ s director.

The CMU fundamental task before EU accession was to prepare Czech institutions and their staff to new provisions applied after joining EU. The process of preparation was including studying of EU law and specification of it´ s implications for Czech legal situation and administrative practice, preparation of studying materials and methodics (Manual of EU law application) , training of approx. 2000 employees of Health insurance funds and health care providers in all regions of Czech Republic, preparation and publishing of informational leaflets and brochures for Czech insurees (all together nearly 1 mil. of brochures and leaflets).  This phase of the CMU activities successfully finished with joining  EU in May 2004.

Currently the most important tasks of CMU as a liaison body are as following:

Information Service

The CMU is gathering and providing all information on the EC-law and international agreements application as for the health insurance benefits and generally as for the health care sector. It informs the Czech and foreign insurees about their entitlements arising from the international law and about the administrative procedures necessary for claiming of rights through the web-site www.cmu.cz , information materials, press, telephone and e-mail service. The same service is also provided to Czech and foreign institutions, health care providers and employers. The CMU web site contents also an electronic mailbox for requests, complaints or questions. Further interesting functionality of the CMU web site is a possibility to fulfil some important documents (like the certificate of health care provided to foreign insuree) directly on web sites. In 2005 the CMU web sites reached the number of 3 084 728  accesses.

Consultancy

The CMU offers consultancy for

• Czech and foreign health insurance companies
• Liaison bodies of other states
• Czech and foreign social security institutions
• Czech and foreign insurees
• Czech and foreign employers
• Czech and foreign health care providers

in legal, administrative and technical matters regarding the participation in Czech health insurance system or regarding the entitlements to health benefits during the stay or residence of Czech insurees abroad or during the stay or residence of foreign insurees in the territory of the Czech Republic, above all as for the institutions, legislation, way how to set up a claim, conditions for participation in health insurance system, collection of premiums and it´s amount, forms, documents and other concrete questions resulting from the international law,

Methodology

To ensure coordinated and effective way of international law´s application in the territory of the Czech Republic the CMU prepares and issues the methodics for Health insurance companies, and partially also for health care providers.

As a liaison body of the Czech republic the CMU is also responsible for preparation and designing of the documents necessary for EU and bilateral law application. The example of these activities was a coordination of European health insurance cardś introduction in the Czech Republic in 2004.

Determination of applicable legislation

As a representative of health insurance system the CMU is cooperating with Czech Social Security Administration (CSSA) in the process of considering of the requests on exemption from applicable legislation. In cooperation  with CSSA also considers the problematic cases of applicable legislation determination, e.g. in case of doubts on personś residence in the territory of the Czech Republic.

Reimbursement

Costs of benefits in kind obtained by the Czech insurees in EU and contracting countries as well as the costs of benefits in kind provided to the insurees from EU and contracting countries in the territory of the Czech Republic are internationally reimbursed through the CMU.

The Centre deals on the conditions of these costs settlements with the competent liaison offices of particular countries.

All the claims of Czech health insurance companies relating to particular treatments of foreign insurees in Czech territory are regularly electronically collected and than managed by CMU. For this purpose the CMU built up a specific software. With some states there have already been introduced  regular electronic exchange of all particular invoices. Reimbursement agenda is first fully electronised international agenda in the sphere of EU coordination rules in the Czech Republic.

Statistics

The CMU is the most important statistic data provider for purposes of state administration bodies and health insurance companies planning of income and expenses, connected with the EU law and bilateral agreements application. Collected statistic data serves the state administration for example during the process of negotiating the new EU law provisions. On the basis of them advantages or disadvantages of particular proposals can be estimated.

Agreements

The Centre for International Reimbursements concludes agreements with foreign liaison bodies making the practical and effective application of the EU-law and international treaties easier. They regard for example the frequency of mutual payments, advance payments, interpretation of particular EU law provisions, use of documents, electronic data exchange and all other practical questions.

Administrative Support

The CMU offers the administrative help to Czech and foreign insured people, to health insurance providers, health institutions and employers in concrete cases. The administrative support concerns for example mediation of owing insurance premiums collection or damage compensation in some of partner states. The same activity including moreover collecting of demanded documents or information the CMU offers for itś partnerś foreign liaison bodies. For Czech and foreign providers of health care the CMU ensures the delivery of the documents on entitlements of treated persons.

Cooperation with State Administration Bodies

The CMU participates in the preparation of new international agreements on social security in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The Centre also closely participates in the preparation of new European legislation in this field. The Centre further participates in the preparation of national legislative changes regarding the health insurance.

Participation in twinning projects

The representatives of CMU participated on expert level in past twinning projects in Romania, resp. Bulgaria organised by French, resp. Dutch institutions.

Cooperation with European Bodies

The representatives of the CMU are the members of Audit Board, Technical Commission and particular ad hoc working groups dealing with the EU coordination of social security schemes.