The Czech Health Ministry prepared an amendment to the decree on preventive examinations to better tailor check-ups to patients’ age and risk profile. The aim is to detect or prevent diseases earlier while keeping the service fully covered by public health insurance.
Czech Health Minister Vlastimil Válek (TOP 09, EPP) says the overhaul of preventive check-ups comes “after decades”.
“The check-ups will have a different content, more targeted to sex, the age of the patient and his comorbidities; they will focus far more on cardiovascular and other diseases,” he said.
The ministry says the revision responds to feedback from the professional community and to the changing health status of the population. Preventive visits should be useful to patients, motivate them to take greater interest in their health and attend regularly.
The amendment follows the Czech National Cardiovascular Plan, whose recommendations underpin the broader scope and frequency of examinations and the tighter focus on cardiovascular-metabolic-renal risks.
Age and risk-based checks
Under the new rules, general practitioners would conduct more comprehensive blood work for new patients to establish a baseline focused on diabetes, cardiovascular risk, kidney disease and anaemia.
Selected testing will then be repeated at an advanced age to track potential changes.
For example, cholesterol will be checked more often, including in younger adults, with liver tests prioritised from age 45 as the risk of liver disease rises with age.
“Preventive check-ups will be more reflective of the individual’s risk profile, will more frequently examine, for example, blood cholesterol, and will include testing for lipoprotein(a), an important risk factor that is not routinely examined,” Kristýna Čillíková from the Czech Alliance for Cardiovascular Diseases (ČAKO), a leading patient organisation, told Euractiv.
“So it is definitely a step forward and in the right direction,” she added.
Lipid testing will follow a clear timetable: a lipidogram at 25 and 30, then every four years; from 40 onwards, every two years. Lipoprotein(a) will be measured once at the first general preventive exam unless a result is already known, with a repeat for women after menopause. This follows European Atherosclerosis Society guidance, which notes that lipoprotein(a) levels in women rise around age 50 and may warrant re-testing after menopause.
Mental health and family history will be taken systematically into account.
A baseline ECG (electrocardiogram) will be performed during preventive visits so that future results can be compared. More frequent ECGs are envisaged for patients with cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle or chronic stress.
Costs now, savings later
The expanded laboratory package would come with additional costs for the public budget, as the check-ups are covered by insurance. However, the ministry argues that an earlier diagnosis will pay off.
“Early-diagnosed diseases can usually be treated by less aggressive, less costly and shorter procedures. This includes, for example, outpatient treatment instead of hospitalisation, less complicated surgical procedures and lower use of medicines,” the ministry noted.
“Early intervention can prevent progression to advanced stages and serious complications associated with intensive and expensive treatment,” the ministry said. A shared repository of laboratory results is slated to go live next year, which could in turn curb duplications and reduce testing costs.
If the process proceeds as planned, the amended decree would take effect from January 2026.
(VA, BM)