Introduction: The Roma is the largest ethnic minority in Europe, estimated to be over 11 million (1.35% of Europe’s total population). At the same time, it is the most vulnerable and marginalized community, facing many challenges in everyday life, such as low levels of education, unemployment, poverty, limited access to information, social and health services as well as racial discrimination. Roma people have great health needs and lack access to the European Health Insurance scheme. Efforts by governments across Europe to address these health inequities have been relatively weak and Roma suffer poorer access to health care, health insurance, education and employment in every country that they inhabit in comparison to the majority population. There are studies exploring the health situation of the Roma, but very limited information is available about the availability of the European Health Insurance for Roma and access to health care in Sweden. The general aim of this study is to explore access to the health insurance and health care for Roma staying in Sweden. Methods: A qualitative design methodology has been applied in this thesis. Four non-government organizations in Sweden were contacted and six in-depth interviews were done with professionals and volunteers from those organizations. Questions were asked about experience of working/volunteering and assisting Roma people in accessing health care in Sweden. The interviews also addressed barriers faced by Roma to obtain the European Health Insurance in Romania. The data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were developed during the data analysis. The first theme “A bureaucratic and unfriendly system makes it hard for Roma to get insured in Romania” is about the role of the Romanian government in maintaining the (disadvantaged) situation of Roma people. The second theme “Difficult to access the health care services in Sweden, without active European Health Insurance” explains the situation of Roma people, when they seek medical care in Sweden and the importance of having an active European Health Insurance. The third theme “European Union policies do not respond to the health care needs of Roma” elaborates on the governance of the whole health insurance scheme from the EU level and how it is not designed to fit the needs of the Roma. The fourth theme “The history of racism and discrimination of Roma is the root of this situation” is about how society perceives Roma people and how they have been treated for a long time as slaves, with labels including discrimination and racism. Conclusion: This study highlights that access to health care for Romanian Roma people staying in Sweden cannot be seen as a separate issue from that of the situation of access to the health insurance scheme - the National Health Insurance and the European Health Insurance - for Roma in Romania. The study highlights that access to health care and the European Health Insurance for Roma in Romania is often determined by the (dis)functionality of the health system in Romania, corruption and bureaucracy. Without an active European Health Insurance, Roma cannot access health care in Sweden. As an additional burden, they are requested to prove that they can access health care as undocumented people. European Union regulations and laws make it difficult for people who do not have official work to obtain European Health Insurance. The history of racism and discrimination is, potentially the root of the situation. Even today Roma are judged with prejudices, stereotypes and pre-existing beliefs that makes access the health insurance and health care for Roma staying in Sweden even more difficult.

Health insurance and the entry of the Czech Republic to the European Union The first of May 2004 the Czech Republic became a member state of European Union. The membership in European Union bears a change in reservation necessities on health care in the movement of persons within the countries of European Union, European Economic Area (i. e., Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) and Switzerland. Diploma thesis, which is divided into two parts (theoretical and practical ones), summarizes accessible information about health insurance problems after the entry of the Czech Republic to the European Union. The objective of theoretical part is to summarize the problems of administration of health care within the countries of the European Union and find out consequences of the entry of the Czech Republic to the European Union for the Czech health insurance system. I present briefly the European Union, coordination of social security national systems, and the Czech health insurance system. Above all, the thesis is specialized in legal form of health insurance, in basic principles in administration of health care and in the extent of health care provided within the countries of the European Union. The special account is taken of problems of cross-border workers and Czech tourists. At the end of thesis information on the European Health Insurance Card and the Centre for Interstate Refund which fulfill the function of contact authority for the sphere of health insurance in the Czech Republic are mentioned. The objective of practical part of the thesis is to find out the legal consciousness of knowledge of the Czech Republic citizens of European law for the sphere of administration of health care in the European Union. Two hypotheses were set to accomplish the research target. The quantitative research methodology {--} technique of questionnaire was used in this survey. The research was realized in the South Bohemian Region, in the towns of České Budějovice and Strakonice. The respondents of the questionnaires were selected on purpose according to their age (from 30 years to 45 years). The research set icluded 120 respondents of both the sexes (citizens of the towns of České Budějovice and Strakonice). On the basis of obtained and proportionally evaluated research data, the both hypotheses were confirmed. The results of the research show the poor knowledge about the European law for administration health care sphere in the European Union in the citizens of České Budějovice and Strakonice. The diploma thesis can serve as a full-value information source for students, staff of health insurance companies and the general public. The questions of administration health care in the European Union is not entirely known among the general public and so the subject of this thesis can certainly clarify it.