If nothing changes, then from the new year, hospitals and clinics in Poland operating under a contract with the National Health Fund will be closed, something that has not happened since 2003, when the fund was established, writes Salon24.
The National Health Fund’s budget should have been approved months ago, but this still has not happened. As the primary payer in Polish healthcare, its budget gives the heads of medical facilities information on how much money they can count on. Without it, they do not know whether they can afford to admit patients, thus the risk of closed hospitals and clinics after the new year.
Planned funds for covering the costs of financing healthcare services for insured persons by the provincial branches are divided between these branches. The funds must take into account the number of insured persons registered in the provincial branch of the National Health Fund, separate groups (by age and sex) of insured persons, separate groups of healthcare services (including highly specialized services), and the health risk corresponding to a given group of insured persons.
Forecasted revenues and costs of the National Health Fund for the following year is prepared by the Fund president in agreement with the minister of finance and the minister of health, as well as the draft financial plans of individual provincial branches of the National Health Fund, prepared by the directors of these branches. The final financial plan for the National Health Fund is presented by the fund president for review and feedback to: the fund council, the public finance committee and the health committee of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland.
The president, after considering these opinions, prepares the final budget and submits it together with the collected opinions to the health minister, who in consultation with the finance minister, approves the National Health Fund budget. The president may also make changes for situations that could not have been foreseen at the time of its establishment or approval.
This entire process and final approval is supposed to be completed by July 31. However, this year the Ministry of Finance blocked the plan because it believes that more money will be needed, while it is also asking the Ministry of Health how it will make its spending more efficient, especially in light of the act for minimum wage increases in the healthcare sector. The Ministry of Finance says that the law “has fulfilled its fundamental function, which was to improve the financial situation of healthcare workers,” according to Salon24.
While the two ministries go back and forth discussing increased funding needs and cost-efficiency initiatives, January is right around the corner, and patients may have no place to go.
