K.S. was officially employed, thus she was entitled to a public health insurance and had one with VZP. Unfortunately, her baby girl was born several months early and stayed in Motol hospital NICU from 6/8/2009 till 2/10/2009. K.S. didn’t have permanent residence permit yet (which foreigners from non-EU countries obtain after 5 years of residing in Czech Republic) so her daughter wasn’t automatically eligible for public health insurance with VZP and all private health insurance companies refused to insure the preemie.
K.S. applied for all possible residence permits for her kid on 26/08/2009 – long-term residence, permanent residence for reasons worth special consideration and international protection. Her daughter has been granted asylum and with it public health insurance, but the Motol hospital still sent her the bill of 223 161 czk for neonatal care for the period 6/8/2009 – 25/8/2009 as the public health insurance company VZP refused to pay the costs for the timeframe before K.S. applied for international protection.
It took 7 long years till High Court of Justice finally declared, that as long as K.S. applied for permanent residence permit for her daughter, although she was declined it in 15/4/2011 under reasons of being granted asylum, her daughter should have been publicly insured from the moment of birth till 15/4/2011 and the bill goes to VZP.