My wife (European) and I (non-European) live in the Czech Republic.
She was working till this month, when she quit since she was accepted to continue studying her degree in Prague, starting in September.
Since the Czech laws says that an unemployed person can a) ask to the State to pay for their insurance or b) keep paying a minimum fixed amount on their own, we went today to the VZP (national health insurance) office to ask how to pay for this month and later the next month to change her status to student (by the way, I pay my own insurance in that way, as unemployed person).
She explained to the clerk that she'll start studying since the next month and for this month she is unemployed.
But contrary to our expectations, the clerk took my wife's Czech EHIC card, checked the number in their system, and then destroyed it on the spot, in front of us, and said "since you quit your job you can't have insurance in Czech Republic anymore".
Later, she said that they don't give insurance to students, so my wife has to go to get insurance to her own country and to take the EHIC here. Furthermore, since my insurance was as "family member of worker", she said that my insurance is not valid either.
As far as I know, she could remain her right of "unemployed resident" for at least 6 months. But since in the CR is mandatory to possess insurance and it's a requirement for her registration/my residence card (I know, against the Directive, but what can I do? It's the law here), I imagine that not having insurance might be a cause for revoking our "permits" here?
Now, if she gets a Slovak EHIC, I know that will be valid just for "emergencies" abroad, so she couldn't be visiting a doctor as a resident but only in special cases, am I wrong? and I guess I can't get insurance in Slovakia since I don't have residence there, and can't get insurance in the CR since I don't work here, and my wife is not working here either, but it's mandatory to have it… does it make sense?
Getting a private health insurance is not my favorite option, since it's not widely accepted here, and also companies here accept only long-term payments (paying per year, not on a monthly basis).
So, is there an European rule about health insurance for ex-workers/students? Can we get back our public health insurance or we need to find some other way? Would this affect our residence status in the CR?
Thanks in advance
