The Polish National Health Fund is predicting significantly higher revenues next year. This is to happen at the expense of, among others, pensioners, reports Do Rzeczy, based on information from the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna news portal.
Minister of Health Izabela Leszczyna has accused the United Right government of leaving Poland’s Ministry of Health in a poor state. “It is true that this year we have had to add 21 billion zlotys (almost €5 billion) to the financial plan of the National Health Fund to finance services. What does that mean? Unfortunately, it means that my predecessors, the PiS government, did not secure the health care system for 2024, said Leszczyna in TVP Info’s “Gość Poranka” program.
PiS politicians have countered simply by accusing the government of mismanagement and calling Leszczyna one of the most incompetent health ministers in history.
At issue is a huge hole in the National Health Fund budget, with hospitals not receiving funds needed for services across the board.
Next year, the National Health Fund is expecting to get some PLN 20 billion more into its coffers from among other things, an increase in the minimum wage and indexation of pensions.
The annual indexation of pensions, which takes place in March, is intended to protect seniors from losing the real value of their benefits. However, as the pension increases, the amount of the health insurance contribution also increases. Currently, the rate is 9 percent, but if retirees receive a higher benefit, they will automatically pay a higher rate.
DGP assessed that a person receiving a pension of PLN 2,500 gross will pay PLN 213 more in health insurance contributions annually, with the health insurance tax also due for any additional benefits received, such as the 13th- and 14th-month pensions.
