Overview
Polish healthcare is delivered through a publicly funded system, which is free for all
citizens who qualify as insured. Polish citizens can qualify in several ways, with
employment serving as the most common pathway to insurance. Young children,
pregnant women, disabled people, and the elderly are covered by the state for free.
Private insurance is also available and widely used. Larger, specialized hospitals are
typically located in Warsaw, the capital. Although the destination has no JCI accredited
hospitals, the National Health Fund awards points for providers who obtain accreditation
or meet ISO certification. There are no barriers for residents to access primary care in
Poland, and hospital care is relatively accessible. Medical tourism is steadily growing in
central and eastern Europe, and countries like Poland may be well-positioned to serve
the region.
Poland has historically been a popular place for some Scandinavians and Eastern Europeans to travel to for dental or cosmetic work; Gdansk, the largest Polish city on the Baltic Sea, has seen a significant increase in health travelers in recent years. In 2016, nearly 500,000 medical tourists came to Poland. A network of private Polish clinics has founded the Polish Association of Medical Tourism, which hopes to grow that number even more in the coming years. Government support for private sector promotion has been strong in the last few years, and investment in training, certification, and accreditation is now a priority that will assist in boosting Poland’s rankings in the future. By MTI standards, Poland is currently an average destination. It ranks nicely in Economy & Safety (16th) and Patient Experience (19th) but shows a mostly average profile beyond that.
*Based on the 2020 – 2021 Global MTI (Medical Tourism Index) Report published by the Medical Tourism Association.*
Poland has historically been a popular place for some Scandinavians and Eastern Europeans to travel to for dental or cosmetic work; Gdansk, the largest Polish city on the Baltic Sea, has seen a significant increase in health travelers in recent years. In 2016, nearly 500,000 medical tourists came to Poland. A network of private Polish clinics has founded the Polish Association of Medical Tourism, which hopes to grow that number even more in the coming years. Government support for private sector promotion has been strong in the last few years, and investment in training, certification, and accreditation is now a priority that will assist in boosting Poland’s rankings in the future. By MTI standards, Poland is currently an average destination. It ranks nicely in Economy & Safety (16th) and Patient Experience (19th) but shows a mostly average profile beyond that.
*Based on the 2020 – 2021 Global MTI (Medical Tourism Index) Report published by the Medical Tourism Association.*