Health fund members should start applying for tax refunds at the beginning of the year

By: Trademagazin Date: 2026. 01. 28. 11:13

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Typically, most health fund payments are made at the end of the year, as many people maximize their available personal income tax refunds at this time. If you don’t want to leave this to the last minute this year, it may be worth starting to top up your account at the beginning of the year, according to the BiztosDöntés.hu expert. If only because we spend significantly more on medicines and vitamins in the winter months, so the money paid into the health fund can be used quickly and does not sit in the account for a long time.

The annual amount of contributions to health and mutual funds has been increasing continuously since 2019: In 2024, members and employers paid in 104.8 billion forints, which is an increase of more than 20 percent compared to the previous year. The year 2025 may bring another peak, at least as indicated by the fact that 59.7 billion forints were paid in in the first six months of last year, which is 17 percent more than the same period of the previous year. And since the second half of the year is always stronger for health insurance funds, according to Attila Fülöp Norbert, financial expert at BiztosDöntés.hu, it can be assumed that the 2024 peak was surpassed last year.

It is not worth postponing payments until the end of the year

Typically, at the end of the year, especially in December, the activity of members increases, and many people only realize that their existing payments are not enough for the szja-vissäterítés to maximize its use. 20 percent of the annual contributions, a maximum of 150,000 forints, can be reclaimed from the personal income tax paid, which can be used in full with a payment of 750,000 forints.

However, if you do not want or are unable to pay a larger amount in December, it is advisable to plan your membership fees at the beginning of the year, as 750,000 forints divided into equal installments will only mean a monthly expenditure of 62,500 forints.

According to the BiztosDöntés.hu expert, however, it is not necessarily necessary to calculate with pre-fixed amounts, as by linking the health fund card issued by the fund and the bank card, only the actual spending “flows” through the health fund account. In this case, the member pays with his health fund card, and if there is not enough money available in the account, the remaining amount – plus the operating costs charged by the given fund – is automatically deducted from his bank account.

According to Attila Fülöp, linking can also be done with companion cards, which further increases the chance that the amount necessary to fully utilize the tax refund will be collected by the end of the year.

Since Hungarians typically spend more on medicines and dietary supplements during the winter period – see this year’s strong flu season – it is worth paying for as many products and services as possible through a health fund at the beginning of the year. Moreover, according to the European Commission’s 2025 country report on Hungary, Hungarians pay an average of 30 percent of their healthcare expenses out of pocket, so taking advantage of tax refunds could reduce their burden.

Health funds start 2026 with promotions

The health funds themselves are also encouraging account opening, payments and the use of health cards with numerous promotions and discounts at the beginning of the year.

At OTP Health Fund, for example, the first health card is free for new entrants if they use the BIZTOSDONT coupon code when joining. The fund also announced a card linking campaign for 2026: if the member links the OTP Health Card to their bank card,