Government to establish central fund under health care reform program

Health Minister Mariusz Lapinski, presenting a plan designed to reverse the major health reform begun by the previous Cabinet, yesterday announced that as of the beginning of 2003 Kasa Chorych sick funds would cease to exist. "It is time to reinstate the constitutional responsibility of the government for the health service," said Lapinski. In its election manifesto the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) proposed that instead of 17 regional sick funds, a National Health Protection Fund (NFOZ) would be established as a central entity overseen by the Health Minister and executing a unified health care funding policy. Lapinski promised that all competent employees of the existing funds will find work in the new system. He rejected claims that the new system would be too centralized, and insisted that local governments would have a significant role to play. The Ministry was supposed to present its health service program by the end of November last year. According to Lapinski the delay was caused by the need to sort out the mess left by the previous government. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, A3; Gazeta Wyborcza, pp. 1, 4) P.J.