National Health Fund to disappear in 2018: Radziwiłł

In an interview with Gazeta Polska, the Minister of Health Konstanty Radziwiłł said that the National Health Fund (NFZ) will disappear in 2018, along with “the costly bureaucracy of the Fund.” The Ministry of Health and provincial health authorities will directly fund the health service.

Asked why it is necessary to wait until 2018, given that in the opinion of many patients, doctors, and politicians, the NF is responsible for problems in the health service, Radziwiłł responded: “The NFZ is a huge structure, managing funds of PLN 70 billion. That's why reform must be carried out extremely carefully. We cannot afford to tear down this structure and build a new one in its place. We need to provide health services and pay for them without a single day off. Changes cannot come overnight. We will have all of next year to prepare the structural changes.”