1) The right to stay close.
A parent or another family member may stay with a child in hospital free of charge throughout treatment. This does not depend on the child’s age and applies until adulthood. Part 3 of Article 51 of Federal Law No. 323-FZ of 21 November 2011.
2) Meals and a bed.
Free meals and a bed in hospital are available to parents of children under four; older children when there are medical indications; and children with disabilities with second- or third-degree limitations in the main categories of daily living, regardless of age.
3) Which medical indications are meant?
If a child is older than four and has no disability, the treating doctor decides whether there are medical indications for a parent to stay nearby. If there are, the parent is entitled to free meals and a bed; otherwise, they must pay. There are no precise criteria because every case is individual. The decision can be challenged by contacting the chief doctor.
4) If a hospital breaks the law.
You may contact the insurance company that issued your compulsory medical insurance policy, the Ministry of Health including its regional department or committee, or the prosecutor’s office.