Even after accession to the EU on May 1, 2004, the process of approximation in health care shall not affect the substance of present healthcare systems. In the enlarged EU there shall be formed conditions for deepening of collaboration at all levels of the healthcare system. In the EU countries there are marked differences in financial sources and in the mode of financing health care. The Czech Republic allots to health care per capita approximately a half of that in the former E-15. In regard of the technological level, staffing and a number of other parameters Czechmedicine is able to compete successfully with care provided in theEUcountries of western Europe. In the 1990s there came about an improvement on the indicators of population health in the Czech Republic; a further potential in improving those indicators and their convergence with the level in the E-15 lies first of all in the realm of primary prevention. As regards the indicator of infant mortality the Czech Republic ranks among the most developed countries of Europe even today already. The common task for all EU countries lies in the establishing of a healthcare policy based on a profound analysis of health needs, i.e. an evidence-based health policy, and on evidence-based medicine in the field of clinicalmedicine.More attention should be paid to the cost and effectivity of the healthcare system.

        Key words: healthcare in the Czech Republic - potential of health - comparative analysis.