Confederation wants healthcare reform. Krzysztof Bosak: Not just throw money at it
The Confederation has just presented its program of changes in healthcare, which is to be an alternative to the current system. Krzysztof Bosak, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, emphasizes that the current system does not only require more funding, but also a thorough reconstruction.
Krzysztof Bosak emphasized that the Confederation is the only political formation that openly talks about the need for changes in the health care system.
- Not only should we pour money into it, but we also need to introduce elements of economic rationality and competition into it - he said in the Sejm.
According to the Confederation, whose presidential candidate was Sławomir Mentzen , the best solution would be to create a system of competing health insurance funds , similar to the one in the Netherlands.
Krzysztof Bosak also recalled that a similar system already existed in Poland under the name of health insurance funds , but was abolished by the left.
- The left has plowed under the attempt to build a system of competing health insurance - he said.
According to the Confederation, returning to such a model would allow for better quality of medical services and greater financial efficiency, as funds would compete with each other for patients.
Krzysztof Bosak was joined by Dariusz Wasilewski, former director of the Podlasie Health Fund and an expert in healthcare system management. According to Krzysztof Bosak, he would have a key role in implementing the Confederation's plans to reform the health insurance system.
Dariusz Wasilewski noted that the key goal of the Confederation is to "break the monopoly of the National Health Fund" and create a system free from bureaucracy and centralization. He emphasized that the biggest problem of the current health care is long queues for specialists and limited access to medical services.
- Everyone agrees with this diagnosis - he said, adding that both experts and politicians have no doubts about the scale of the problem.
However, as he noted, simply admitting that the system is not working is not enough . What is needed are concrete solutions, not more micro-reforms that only deepen the chaos.
- If a doctor did not know how to write a prescription after making a diagnosis, it would be medical malpractice - said Dariusz Wasilewski.
In his opinion, politicians have been ignoring the basic problem of the system for years, avoiding fundamental changes. The Confederation wants to change this by introducing a model based on competing health funds , which would provide patients with quick and reliable access to treatment.
Dariusz Wasilewski pointed out that the centralization of the health system results from political interests.
- Politicians like centralism . They can demonstrate their authority - he emphasized.
In his opinion, one of the biggest problems is the fact that the huge healthcare budget is managed by a single person – the president of the National Health Fund.
- Few people pay attention to the fact that currently in Poland one person, the president of the National Health Fund , manages a budget of approximately PLN 200 billion - said Dariusz Wasilewski , pointing out that this is an unacceptable situation.
Decisions on the financing of treatment are made by one person , without management or actual supervision, and the only controlling institution is the Ministry of Health.
- So we have a monopoly that is not only centralist, but also political – added Dariusz Wasilewski.
According to the Confederation, politicians do not solve the real problems of patients , they only create the illusion of change.
- They are deceiving us. We will pour in some funds here, create a branch here, cut the ribbon there - he said, pointing out that instead of building an efficient system, the government is focusing on the propaganda of success.
The Confederation emphasizes that the current healthcare system is the result of 22 years of political play by three main forces – the Left, the Civic Platform and PiS. As Dariusz Wasilewski recalled, it all started with the liquidation of health insurance funds by the Left , which in his opinion was contrary to the Constitution. Then the Civic Platform, a "purely socialist party", as he called it , centralized the system even more, and under the government of Minister Bartosz Arłukowicz, centralization reached new levels.
PiS, on the other hand, promised to liquidate the National Health Fund , but – as Wasilewski said – “broke his word”. On the contrary, centralization continued and reached its peak under Minister Adam Niedzielski .
- We even have information that the National Health Fund manages information centrally from Warsaw - he revealed.
The biggest test for the system was the time of the COVID-19 pandemic , which, according to the Confederation , proved its inefficiency .
- It has shown that this system is ineffective. It is sluggish and does not provide health security for the patient - Wasilewski summed up.
According to the Confederation, the current healthcare system is the result of political ignorance and endless budget experiments . That is why the group calls for a "bold, yet civilized and analytical proposal" - the creation of a modern system based on the patient's freedom of choice.
- Let's not experiment with these dead ends of budget systems – emphasizes Dariusz Wasilewski .
The key change would be to abandon the current structure of the National Health Fund in favour of competing health funds.
- It is the patient who would decide which health fund his contribution would go to - explains the politician.
In his opinion, these funds would compete with each other not only in terms of the scope of benefits but also in the amount of contributions, which would force them to be more efficient.
Although the Confederation advocates for greater freedom for patients and medical facilities , it stresses that the state's role should remain strong – "but where it should be, i.e. in supervision and control ."
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