Anniversary of fees in health care

By June 1, 2013 is it 10 years after the introduction of “20 and 50 crown” fees in health care, so-called „zajacovky“. Anniversary commemorated at a press conference former members of the reform team of Minister Rudolf Zajac, who now operate in Health Policy Institute (HPI). According to Director of HPI Peter Pažitný, the main reasons for introducing of fees a decade ago were: to limit excessive demand for health care, to increase patient co-responsibility for own health, to reduce corruption. Although the objectives of the introduction of fees were fulfilled, unpopularity made them the subject of political struggle. After elections in 2006, the government runs down the most of the fees. If the fees were reintroduced at the same rate today, it could bring overall more than € 115 million per year into the health care sector. Nowadays, outpatient doctors who charges fees, do not use cash registers and how much they earn by fees no one knows.