Biznes Fakty
National Health Fund – budget for 2024. Hospitals are still waiting for billions
The National Health Fund has finalized its budget for the year 2024. Among other obligations, PLN 1.6 billion is still owed to hospitals for exceeding performance in unlimited services. These funds will be sourced from the NFZ budget for 2025, as reported by „Rzeczpospolita” on Thursday.
The daily publication indicates that around PLN 6.1 billion is still outstanding to hospitals, including PLN 1.6 billion for excess payments in unlimited services.
According to the newspaper, following the conclusion of the year, the National Health Fund reconciles overperformance and underperformance, assessing how much more or less services hospitals provided compared to projections. For unlimited services, such as treatment for heart attacks or visits to specialists, the Fund is required to settle all dues, including for services rendered beyond expectations. In contrast, for limited services (like scheduled procedures), the National Health Fund compensates for overperformance only as much as financial resources allow. During the pandemic, when fewer patients consulted doctors, it reimbursed all expenses, but the „covid reserve” was quickly depleted.
The National Health Fund will also cover treatments exceeding the limit
As per the information provided to „Rz” by the National Health Fund, the Fund has PLN 1.6 billion remaining to finance for 2024 for excess performance in unlimited services, nearly PLN 761 million allocated for overperformance in limited services concerning medicines in drug and chemotherapy programs, and PLN 3.8 billion for overperformance in limited services excluding medications in drug and chemotherapy programs.
– The Fund is mandated to reimburse for overperformance in non-limited benefits. We also cover medications in drug and chemotherapy programs, even though these are technically classified as limited benefits – noted NFZ spokesperson Paweł Florek, as quoted by the newspaper.
This amounts to PLN 2.36 billion, which – as reported – „in line with the agreements reached last Friday at the meeting of district hospital directors with representatives of the Ministry of Health” is to be settled with medical institutions by the end of March. „The funds for this purpose will be drawn from the financial plan for 2025,” Florek stated.
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The document is still pending approval
However, as reported by „Rz”, the Finance Minister has yet to approve this document. „The financial plan of the National Health Fund for 2025 is estimated at approximately PLN 183.6 billion. The document requires signatures from the heads of the ministries of health and finance and is typically approved before the new year begins, but in this case, that has not occurred,” „Rz” remarked.
