Paying the medical bills

The government agreed upon a package of three healthcare draft bills prepared by the Health Ministry at an informal ministers' meeting last Tuesday. Meant to provide for an overhaul of Poland's ailing health system, the bills are expected to be introduced in Sejm this week. A fourth bill, listing treatments not covered by mandatory healthcare contributions, should be introduced within days.

"We are going to propose an intensive and possibly short debate on these projects through our [party] members in parliament," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a recent press conference.

The first bill allows for the transformation of hospitals into corporate entities with accountable managers and increases local governments' responsibility for public health institutions. The second introduces additional non-compulsory insurance that would enable patients quicker access to, and higher standard of, medical treatment. The third bill compiles patients' basic rights and calls for the establishment of the Office of a Plenipotentiary for Patients' Rights.

What has not been agreed upon, however, is how healthcare reform should be financed. At the ministerial meeting last week, Health Minister Kopacz suggested allocating additional funds in the state budget, but PM Tusk opted to implement the reforms first. Kopacz later explained that this was done so that the healthcare system will be "leakproof" before more money is pumped into it.

The healthcare crisis was also addressed by President Lech Kaczyński, who met with representatives of all major parties in order to work out a common solution. "We need to reach a non-partisan consensus on how to proceed," he said after the meeting. Kaczyński's mediation, however, was soon overshadowed by partisan bickering over the reform measures. The president was due to meet with the PM on Monday to further discuss the issue.