Poland looks to introduce fast-track health care

WARSAW, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Poland's ruling party is set to overhaul the state healthcare system later this week, giving Poles the option to buy additional insurance to gain quicker access to services, officials said on Tuesday.

The reform bill would also limit the list of treatments covered by Poland's current cradle-to-grave healthcare system, which is currently plagued by long waiting times and corruption.

"I want to introduce additional money (into the system), though additional health insurance," Health Minister Ewa Kopacz told a news conference.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the bill would not raise mandatory healthcare contributions and would not introduce a fees for patients.

Poland's health service been beset by scandals -- stories abound of doctors taking bribes in exchange for better treatment and of hospitals running up huge debts only to demand bailouts by threatening to shutdown.

"Out of 18,000 types of treatment, 3,000 will be excluded from the guaranteed basket of treatments," Kopacz said. "For example wart removal will not be on the guaranteed list."

Kopacz added the government had already moved to significantly raise wages for young doctors, those most likely to join fellow Polish healthcare workers who have left to take higher paying jobs in other parts of the European Union.

In October nearly 2,000 doctors resigned in a protest over pay and better funding of the health sector.

The bill also includes legislation which would transform hospitals into legal corporate entities with accountable managers who would be required to balance their businesses' budgets.
Source: By Marynia Kruk, reuters.com