NHIH president accused physicians of blackmail

The President of the National Health Insurance House accused physicians of blackmail, because they have been threatening for a long time that they will not sign the new framework contracts for the state funding.

With less than two weeks before the expiry of the existing contracts, according to the data provided by the labour organisations, nearly 70 percent of the physicians announced their refusal, having been dissatisfied with the new rules that imposed additional benefits and new interdictions in their activity.

The NHIH chief however assured that he had solutions even if a large number of offices would no longer provide free primary health care services.

The NHIH President, Lucian Duţă, relied on the fact that there were other physicians who wanted to enter the health insurance system.

He accused physicians that they were wrong, given that the budget for physicians had not changed, while the one for hospitals had decreased by 10 percent.

‘They did not contest the rules of the framework contract, but the framework contract disputes and the computerization of the health care system, the framework contract which, in fact, increased the funding for physicians who provided health care services, and the computerization that they complained about every time, while they only have to buy a card reader and an Internet connection’, Lucian Duţă said.

He said that the card reader cost 100 euros and that it could be used for many years, and the Internet connection cost eight euros per month.
‘The main problem of family physicians: they want more money and less system rules. Their way of action, blackmail, pressure put on the National House, from my point of view, is incorrect.

‘Those who refuse to sign will not be included in the contract with the National House and we will seek alternative solutions’, the NHIH President, Lucian Duţă, said.

NHIH introduces electronic health care record and electronic prescription
At the same time, NHIH went ahead with the introduction of two EU funded projects, namely the electronic health care record and the electronic prescription.

The electronic health care records will include all the data collected from all the insured health care service providers with whom they have come into contact.

These data will be gathered in real time, at the request of the patient and physician and electronic prescription will replace the classic prescriptions signed and sealed on paper.

‘Ordinary people will only have to show the present card, the physician will prescribe medication in the system, the prescription will instantly appear in all pharmacies in Romania, the patient goes to whatever pharmacy he wants, shows the card and when the prescription is released, the application is closed’, the NHIH president, Lucian Duţă, said.

The NHIH President added that with the introduction of the two projects, namely within one year for electronic prescription and two years for electronic records, there would be no frauds in the health care system.

Translated by: Iulia Florescu,
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University