Additional health insurance - proposed changes

Demographic changes and the aging of the society make it necessary to look for additional sources of influence that would strengthen the financing of the health care system. An idea that has been appearing in discussions on this topic for several years is the possibility of paying contributions for additional health insurance. However, is this a beneficial solution?

Additional health insurance will improve the quality of services?

According to the national consultant for public health, Prof. Bolesław Samoliński, additional health insurance will make potential beneficiaries more attractive in the eyes of the health service. This, in turn, should increase the quality of the services provided. Additionally, it is estimated that the queues for benefits financed exclusively from the National Health Fund will be reduced. This is because the part of patients who will receive advice under additional insurance will leave.

What about the principle of equal access to benefits?

This is one of the main concerns in discussions about introducing premiums for additional health insurance. Hence, despite the fact that the discussion on this topic has been going on for years, no statutory solution has been developed so far. The possibility of purchasing additional insurance may divide society into one that is wealthy enough to buy it and one that cannot afford to pay for additional benefits. This, in turn, would break the principle of equal access to social health services.

According to experts, the health service is prepared to admit more patients. This means that we have a sufficient number of specialists ready to admit patients, but the financial limits of the National Health Fund constitute a barrier.

A public debate would be needed to develop the best possible form of supplementary health insurance. The discussion would therefore not be organized to give the green light to putting the idea into practice, but to work out its principles. Polish society is aging, which seems inevitable. The reason is the numerous emigration of young Poles abroad and a lower population growth.

Universal supplementary health insurance

Supplementary health insurance can help finance the health care system, but only if they are popular. However, in order for them to be spread on a mass scale, they must first of all be cheap and provide quick access to better quality services. A comprehensive education and information campaign will also be needed.

It is the mass scale of the project that determines whether the option of additional health insurance will meet its main goal.