A former minister with serious accusations about the additional payment in hospitals

In our country, the production price and the markup that is placed on the sale of medical devices remain a mystery, and all this burdens the patient. The finding was made in an interview for Nova TV by the former Minister of Health, Dr. Mimi Vitkova.

“The question of why health insured persons pay thousands extra for an emergency operation should be addressed to the authorities at last. This is a tragedy. Europe’s poorest country makes its citizens pay the most when they are sick. 50% of the total costs are out of the patient’s pocket. We make noise regarding the overpricing of food products, but not regarding this. Absolute negligence on the part of the state”, explained Vitkova.

According to her, the health insurance contribution should be increased. “There should be clear rules and regulations on what it costs and how much it costs. The same medical device costs differently in hospitals. The reason is that medical facilities are supplied with products from many places.

When asked who decides what part of the costs of a given operation is covered by the NHIF and what part by the patient, Mimi Vitkova said the following: “The fund has estimated that it can pay this much with the money it has. From there, it is up to the medical team whether they will be able to perform the operation with what the NHIF provides. A co-payment is almost always required from the patient”.

According to her, it is very important what laws the new parliament will adopt so that such expenses can be covered with public funds.

“Yes, there will be a surcharge, but it should be within reason. The most seriously ill should not pay the most. In Western countries, less than 10% of the total costs are paid out of the patient’s pocket. In each clinical pathway, it should be written down what the fund covers”, concluded the former health minister.