"A new concept for health insurance has been drafted and the cabinet will debate it shortly, Mihály Kökény, Socialist chairman of Parliament’s health committee, said.Declaring that the document proposes a moderate reform policy, he said regional health insurance companies will have greater autonomy in concluding funding contracts, but health insurance as a whole will not be transformed into a business. Kökény cited a World Bank report stating that the model of competing insurance companies will not provide protection against soaring costs.
He noted, however, that there is a role for the private sector in health services.
The bill would introduce seven regional health funds. Hospitals and clinics could then choose which funds to sign contracts with. The capacity of the institutes would be set according to local needs.
Fidesz spokesman Péter Szíjjártó said his party can only support a health insurance system based on solidarity and shared risks. He said Fidesz called on the government two months ago to give an account of how much the health care reform had cost, as it estimates that the damage can be in the billions of forints."
Source: Hungary Around the Clock.
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09.07.2008