Forgot to register your newborn with a health insurer? That's a costly oversight, leaving you responsible for steep medical bills.
Parents must register their baby within four months of birth with an insurer. Late registration is possible afterward, but it lacks retroactive coverage—no reimbursements for prior medical events.
The Ombudsman Foundation has fielded reports from ten families in the past six months hit with unexpected bills. Hospital admissions especially rack up high charges, from €1,700 to €20,000—amounts easily preventable with timely action.
To streamline this, The Ombudsman submitted a legislative proposal to Parliament: automatically notify insurers upon birth registration at the civil registry. Meanwhile, they've called on insurers to actively alert parents to late-registration risks.
