In theory, everyone knows that extra attention should be paid to eye and skin protection in the hot sun, especially for children, but we often realize it too late at the beginning of the summer, because we are not yet used to continuous protection, we have not replaced our stocks that ran out last year, our broken sunglasses. The good news is that certain sunglasses and many sunscreens can also be purchased from health fund savingsso we can save on these expenses.
How can we save with the health fund?
The health fund is more than a savings for health purposes. Fund members can reclaim 20 percent of their contributions, a maximum of HUF 150,000, from their paid personal income tax every year. Every year, the tax refund goes to the health account, from where it can be spent again, the coverage of health expenses is thus helped by a state grant, with which fund members can save in a way that exceeds the rate of inflation.
The health fund can be used very widely, products, services, and expenses can be paid from it, which many members do not even know about. Sunscreens and some sunglasses are also included in this range, so especially at the beginning of summer, when preparing for a holiday or just a weekend break, we can save a lot with this.
When can the sunglasses be accounted for?
Vision-improving devices, such as glasses, contact lenses and their accessories, can be widely paid for by the health fund, provided that it is prescribed by a doctor. This condition must also be met in the case of sunglasses, so we can buy sunglasses from our health fund balance if there is also a doctor’s recommendation, i.e. for dioptric or light-sensitive eyes.
If you have this, you can buy sunglasses of any value, there is no upper limit, so you can also buy fashionable, branded frames. It is enough to send the medical recommendation to the health fund or upload it to the fund’s system once, and it is valid from then on. It is not necessary to update, it is enough to prove once that the fund member needs a vision correction device.
Sunscreens for the health fund
Summer is one of the best times of the year, and spending time outdoors is both healthy and great fun. However, the skin and eyes must be protected, as persistent UV radiation can cause serious skin problems in the long term. This is especially true for children, whose skin is much more sensitive and for whom adequate skin protection cannot be neglected. Sunglasses and sunscreen are therefore basic summer essentials.
However, skin protection does not stop at sunscreen, it is also worth going to a dermatological screening once every n-years, as regular inspection of moles is particularly important. Early detection matters a lot, and this examination can also be financed from the balance of the health fund.
A wide range of sun lotions and sun protection creams available in pharmacies and drugstores can be purchased from the health fund account, including sunscreens specifically intended for children and after-sun care creams. Preparations for the treatment of sunburn that can be bought in pharmacies are also available, but in the case of medicines, accountability extends to products with an OGYI number.
How to pay?
Shopping with a health card is simple and fast. In drugstores, the cash register indicates whether or not a particular product can be accounted for by the health fund, and pharmacies can always provide information about this.
Health fund accounting has developed a lot in recent years, and today several funds offer solutions that are really convenient for everyday use.
The OTP Health Fund is so modern offers a health fund cardwhich can be linked directly to our normal bank card. This way, we can pay with a health card even if there is not enough money in our health fund account for the purchase. When purchasing the card, the missing amount is automatically transferred from the bank card. The process takes place so quickly at the cash register that you don’t even notice it, since the transaction only takes about 4 seconds.
OTP will also reward connection with a bank card in 2026. If the value of card-linked purchases exceeds HUF 100,000, the cashier will credit 2 percent of purchases above this amount to the member’s account.
Patika Egészségpénztár also offers a very convenient card solution, but it works on a slightly different principle. The fund member can set the amount below which he does not want his balance to fall, and he can specify the amount with which the card is automatically topped up from the bank card connected to him. This way, we never end up in a situation where we are faced with a lack of funds when paying at the cash desk.
The IZYS Health Fund also offers its members a modern health card that can be connected to a bank card. After card purchases, the cash desk gives a 2 percent credit. The same goes for tax refunds
Payment with a health card linked to a bank card is considered a one-off cash deposit, and if the cash card is topped up immediately, the amount increased by the cost of the cash register is transferred from the bank card. The 20 percent tax refund for the amount paid in this way is the same as if we paid into the fund as part of the monthly membership fee.
If the member decides not to purchase with a health card, he can request an invoice for the purchase, which he can later send to the cashier. Most cash registers already offer this option in the framework of electronic administration, where all we have to do is upload the invoices to the cash register’s website.
Sunglasses and sunscreen are just two examples of the many items that can be accounted for. The experts of BiztosDöntés.hu draw attention to the fact that a wide range of medicines and medical expenses can be purchased from health fund savings, including, for example, dental procedures. But even the housing mortgage loan it can also be used for repayment or for the child’s schooling.
Even those who are already members of such a fund should find out more about its usability, as they may come across many new, useful options. As well as for those who now want to enter one of the cash registers whose offers are available on BiztosDöntés.hu with the health fund calculator can also be compared.
The article is part of a sponsored content collaboration between Telex and Biztos Döntés.
