Romanian healthcare co-payment system likely to be introduced in first half of 2011

Romania will probably introduce the co-payment system for healthcare services in the first half of 2011, following debates in Parliament, said Romanian Health Minister Cseke Attila on Monday, after talks with Jeffrey Franks, head of the International Monetary Fund mission to Bucharest. Cseke said that, once approved by the Government, the law regulating the co-payment system for healthcare services will be submitted to Parliament for debates. The minister added talks also focused on the measures Romania has implemented lately, stressing the most important measure targets the introduction of the national healthcare card, which was approved in September through Government Decision. Cseke and Franks also touched the issue of state's overdue debts towards hospitals and pharmacies. The Romanian Government pledged that it will introduce the co-payment system for healthcare services and that exemptions from co-payment will not exceed 40 percent of patients, according to Romania's loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission. A draft law regulating the healthcare co-payment system was submitted to the Government by Health Ministry officials at the end of April 2010. Finance Ministry officials asked at that time the law be revised, arguing some of its provisions still put pressure on the state budget. Mediafax