The National Health Fund has no money for medicines and healthcare. He owes hospitals millions of zlotys for reimbursed benefits, but explains that he has no free funds. Clinics suffer huge losses and run into financial problems. Medical expenses are rising, but the fund is reluctant to increase the contract for drug programs. As a result, hospitals are unable to provide adequate care and services to all those in need.
The health fund is in arrears with reimbursement for the current treatment. Hospitals receive the money they deserve with a huge delay, only partially or not at all – we read on the website Wybcza.pl In addition, the amounts written in the contract are too small and not even enough to help current patients – points out Krzysztof Skubis, deputy director of Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin. In such a situation, there is no possibility of accepting new ones, and the number of patients is constantly growing. New, expensive preparations have been added to the reimbursement list, which significantly improve the quality of treatment. Hospitals use them to best help their patients. The problem arises when they ask the National Health Fund for reimbursement.
Hospitals regularly exceed the amount of medication stipulated in the contract to ensure assistance to all those in need. Unfortunately, the National Health Fund does not want to increase benefits, although there is clearly such a need. “The fund fully fulfills its obligations under the contract with the hospital,” assures Karol Tarkowski, director of the Lublin National Health Fund. He also adds that the National Health Fund does not currently have free funds to finance health services exceeding the amounts specified in the contract.
Last year, medical expenses increased by PLN 4 billion. How is it possible that money is running out all the time? It turns out that the greater part of this sum was spent on pay rises for health workers. A lot of expensive drugs appeared on the reimbursement list and many of them were not available. Better and more effective methods of treatment are appearing, but there is no one to pay for them.
Already in the spring of last year, services such as mechanical thrombectomy, sacral neuromodulation and robotic prostate surgery were to be reimbursed. So far, the National Health Fund has not signed any contracts with hospitals. “You can see an increasing disproportion between the ministry’s promises and how much money is actually available for health” – commented Adam Kozierkiewicz, an expert in the field of health economics.
Source: Wybcza.pl