Competition on health services market, "necessary"

According to the future Health Bill, public health insurances will exist, being mandatory for all patients together with private health insurances, only for those who will desire such thing.

The private insurers will be able to sign contracts with hospitals, specialised clinics and every single physician as well.

The patients will be able to choose their private insurance company in order to become a member, while the insurance companies will have no right to refuse anybody, no matter their state of health.

The private health insurance system is seen by the authorities as a way of making competition a part of the health insurance market, in order to save health from being subject to consecutive budget cuts.

The Minister of Health, Ritti Ladislau, stated that the core package was unrealistic and for its new form he would make public a list of drugs and health services unsettled by the state.

Regarding health funds for 2012, the minister stated that there would be two areas which would receive more money.

"Due to the fact that the National Health Insurance House has understood our point of view, the funds directed to family medicine will be 15 percent higher than the funds it received during previous years, which is extremely important, since in the rural areas, a more effective aftercare of the pregnant women, children, new-born is needed from the community workers and health mediators in gipsy communities."

"We shall increase them by 25 percent. We have received funds for this very purpose. As for prophylaxis, we are taking the first step in order to have the countrywide screening for cervical cancer", Minister of Health Ritti Ladislau stated.

The new Health Bill shall regulate the means of granting prescription services as well as the drug settlement.

Thus, the mandatory public insurance system will exist, together with the private health insurance system, which shall be concluded only if the insured will desire.

The private insurers will be able to enter contractual relations with hospitals, specialised clinics, but also with each individual physician.

Patients will be able to choose their private insurer

The General Manager of the National School of Public Health and Health Management, Cristian Vladescu, has drawn attention to the fact that according to the new law, patients will be able to choose their private insurer, and the private insurance entities will not have the right to turn any patient down, no matter their state of health.

"The patients will be able to choose the Insurance Entity, according to a series of criteria, including possible additional offers coming from the entities. The minimum contract period is one year. After one year, they are certainly entitled to change entity, following certain procedures. The insurance companies receive money, depending on capitation, that is, in a similar way as the family physicians do.

"Those prone to illness will bring into the insurance companies more money than the young, healthy and not prone to illness individuals. The treatment their insured receive must be cost-effective", declared Cristian Vladescu, General Manager of the National School of Public Health and Health Management.

The Private Health Insurance House must have a minimum of one million insured and a fund of half a billion euro.

Speaking of the concern Romanian investors have regarding the eliminating of Romanian capital, the President of the National Health Insurance House, Lucian Duţã, mentioned that if Romanian investors did not have enough capital, they could associate in order to rmeet the standards required by the National Health Insurance House.

Translated by: Bianca Toader
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University