Minister of Health: Private health insurance should be encouraged

Private health insurance should be encouraged in Romania, as it can represent additional funds in the system, says the Minister of Health, who notes that few people benefit from the tax deduction provided by law, up to 400 euros per year.

Dr. Alexandru Rafila emphasizes that it is important to identify new resources for financing the medical system, especially since the recent price increases have led to costs that often exceed the amounts allocated for their settlement.

Alexandru Rafila: Obviously, the level of settlement does not always take into account the real cost of health services, especially since lately the costs have increased for various services, starting with utilities, ending with medical products, devices and so on. We have a system, settlement on a case-by-case basis. It remains to be seen if we will continue with the same system in the future, we will modify it, but it is a process that takes time. Budget is a limited thing and you should always keep that in mind. What I think is that we need to bring new money into the health system, to encourage private health insurance. There is a deductible amount for each employee of 400 euros, which can be deducted if someone ends an additional health insurance. Very few people access this system and I believe that it could bring new resources into the structure.

Translated by: Radu Matei