The National Health Insurance Company (CNAM) is designating 2024 as “The Year of the Insured Patient”. The institution’s efforts will be aimed at reducing corruption in the health care system. Particular attention will be paid to complaints about illegal fees asked for the provision of guaranteed medical services to insured persons.

“It is not normal for the insured person to be asked or forced. This amounts to extortion as long as the respective medical service or medicine is guaranteed and covered by the CNAM”, said the CNAM director Ion Dodon during a discussion with journalists.

“By guaranteeing a higher quality and accessibility to medical services for insured persons, we will also have a greater flow of people who pay premiums on mandatory health insurance”, said the CNAM director.

CNAM officers will conduct unannounced evaluations of medical service providers to prevent and combat cases of violation of the patient’s rights and legitimate interests. “Periodically, representatives of the company in the territory will go to the medical institutions, to the pharmaceutical units to check if, for example, there are long queues or the patient is not provided with medical services or the patient is sent to another institution or their rights are otherwise violated”, explained Ion Dodon.

Patients will be encouraged to submit written complaints or call the CNAM to report alleged illegal actions. “We will better inform the population about their rights and obligations. A person who is well informed, who knows their rights, can more easily defend themselves”, said Ion Dodon

CNAM also aims to encourage the development of patient associations, to ensure a strong and representative voice of their interests within the health care system. Through the involvement of civil society in the decision-making process, transparency and responsibility will be strengthened in the administration of the mandatory health care insurance funds. This will lead to a more efficient use of the accumulated financial resources and enable a better management of the system, the CNAM director added.