Romanian Healthcare Co-Payment Law Sent For Parliament Approval

If the Parliament passes the law, staring July 1, Romanians will personally contribute via health vouchers to paying for healthcare services, medicines and other medical equipment used.

Health vouchers will be set at affordable prices and people facing real financial problems will be exempt from co-paying for the healthcare services they benefit from. Contributions in this case will be covered from public funds.

In July 2009, Prime Minister Emil Boc was calling on local authorities and hospital managers to help inform people on the government's plan to introduce health vouchers and reform Romania's healthcare system.

At the beginning of July, the Government approved the introduction of health vouchers, setting a maximum yearly cap of 600 lei (EUR1=RON4.0716). The health voucher represents co-payment of the taxpayer to the medical services provided, the medication and the medical equipment utilized. The voucher will be used for outgoing procedures, services provided by hospitals (excepting emergencies) and for paraclinic investigations.

Former health minister Ion Bzac said at that time the draft law would be under public debate until September 2009 and would become effective in the last quarter of the year.

According to the ministry's estimates, the personal contribution via health vouchers would amount to some RON350 per year for an "average patient." The calculation considers two hospitalizations for more than 24 hours, two hospitalizations for 24 hours or less, six to eight visits to the family physician, four visits to a specialized doctor, one house call, ten lab tests, one radiological investigation and one high-performance investigation. Also, the minister said at that time health vouchers would be free for underprivileged social categories.

Unions last year opposed the introduction of the co-payment system for healthcare, arguing the use of health vouchers considering this is a way to increase by at least 42% taxation for medical services Romanians already pay for by contributing to the Health Fund.

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