The Czech population has near-universal coverage, a broad range of benefits in their statutory health insurance system, and they also enjoy a high degree of financial protection. Some important health indicators are above EU averages or even among the best in the world (such as infant mortality). On the other hand, a range of health-care utilization rates, such as outpatient contacts and average length of stay in acute care hospitals, both of which are notably high, point to a substantial potential in the Czech Republic for efficiency gains and improved health outcomes. In addition, plentiful human resources, such as the relatively high number of physicians, show regional disparities, and the ageing profile of primary care physicians represents a potential human resources problem in the near future.