"Hungary's Ministry of Health is to reintroduce the fee drug companies were obliged to pay for their medical sales representatives and the charge payable on doctor's visits is also to be implemented again, only in a different “packaging".While the Constitutional Court ruled in June this year that the HUF 5 million annual lump sum pharma companies were required to pay for medical sales representatives employed would be scrapped, business daily Napi Gazdaság said on Thursday, the fee would probably be put back into the system. Even after the CC ruling it was suspected that it could somehow find it way back.
The companies affected are not surprised to hear about the cabinet's intention, the paper said. Moreover, the ministry claims it was the companies themselves that raised the subject at talks with the minister.
The paper also said the doctor visit fee (HUF 300 per visitation), which was abolished in a referendum, is not gone for good either, as the ministry would bring it back, only in a different wrapping. The Health Ministry refused the speculation, saying that there are no political or professional arguments for the reintroduction of the fee.
The doctor visit fee was scrapped as of 1 April after people voted against it in a referendum in March. This and the daily fee on hospitalisation were expected to bring the health care fund HUF 7 billion this year."
Source: Portfolio Online Financial Journal
03.10.2008