SPAS ACCEPTED PART OF HEALTH-CARE IN CZECH-REPUBLIC

Although the days are gone when a spa holiday was offered as a reward to Communist Party leaders and factory workers who exceeded their quotas, spas are still popular in the former Czechoslovakia. Government health care coverage relating to spas extends to fewer medical conditions and may not cover the expense of room and board, but more patients are footing the bill themselves, even though a 3-week stay costs more than the average monthly earnings. Officials predict spas will prosper under new private health insurance plans and expanding consumer spending power.