Draft law concerning co-payment "controversial"

The draft law concerning co-payment is in the public debate.

The document can be consulted on the website of the Ministry of Health, and any comments and suggestions can be sent until August 13.

In the autumn could be introduced co-payment for medical services, be it analyses, hospital care, primary medical care or specialty ambulatory care for clinical specialties.

Vasile Cepoi, Minister of Health, argues that by introducing co-payment aims to limit excessive and unwarranted demand of medical services and avoid reporting services that were not actually incurred.

"The co-payment is low, so as not to restrict the access to medical services: 4 lei for primary medical care , up to 90 at a clinical institute ," said Minister of Health.

--fb1President of the Coalition of patients with chronic diseases organizations (COPAC), Gheorghe Tache, disagrees with the overcharging of medical services "and says that those enrolled in the national health care programs shall be exempt from any kind of payment.

"By introducing co-payment in the national programs of those who have income above 740, certainly many patients will not be able to afford the payment of these services and they will waive the investigation, will opt out of treatment.

"So, we disagree with the introduction of co-payment, at least in chronic diseases included in national health care programs," said Gheorghe Tache.

Co-payment shall not apply to emergency medical services and all citizens will pay these contributions.

It is about retirees with income only from pensions of up to 740 lei per month, children up to the age of 18, young people between 18 and 26 years without income, whether they are students, apprentices or students, if not obtain income from employment .

Exempted are also, pregnant women and after birth medical services related to pregnancy progress.

Co-payment is a moderator in accessing medical services of the basic package of services and personal contribution to medical services.

According to a document posted on the website of the Ministry of Health, co-payment and will be a tool to enhance the quality of the patients to the exigency of the services provided.

Translated by Denisse-Meda Bucura