Opposition blasts government for insufficient health care premium increase

Sejm opposition slammed the government's proposal to increase health care premiums from 7.5% of salaries to 7.75% next year as grossly insufficient. The increase would provide zl.800 million more for health care next year, up to a total of zl.25.7 billion. However, Izabela Sierakowska from the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) said that while patient funds would get zl.800 million more, the Health Ministry, the other source of financing for health care, would end up getting zl.600 million less. Wladyslaw Szkop from the same party said that zl.800 million translates into zl.1 million per hospital, an amount that would last a large hospital two weeks. The Freedom Union (UW) meanwhile demanded that the government limit bureaucracy in patient fund management. The government's proposals will now be sent to a Sejm commission for discussion. (Rzeczpospolita, p.A2)