Rise in prices of medical services does not affect private individuals, health minister

The healthcare institutions encounter financial problems and thus the prices of medical services will be increased by 200% and over within a month. This does not yet apply to private individuals, but to the National Health Insurance Company, Minister of Health Andrei Usatyi has told Info-Prim Neo. According to the minister, the prices have not been adjusted since 2007, but a number of components of the medical services have increased meanwhile. “Until 2007, the prices were unreal as the Communists wanted to show that everything is cheap and in sufficient quantities. Therefore, the hospitals are now unable to pay their debts to the economic entities,” said Andrei Usatyi. The minister stated that now the prices will be increased by 200%, 300% or even 1,000%. “The prices will be adjusted within a month. It is a necessity as the medical institutions cannot work at such tariffs,” he said, adding the hospitals do not have modern equipment and qualified specialists and cannot modernize. Asked if the price of the health insurance policy will go up, the minister said the ordinary people will not be affected. “The employees pay 3% of the monthly salary. The move applies to the economic relations between the buyer and the provider of medical services,” said Andrei Usatyi. The head of the National Health Insurance Company's press office Lilia Onea stated for Info-Prim Neo that the health insurance premium for 2011, according to the draft compulsory health insurance funds law, is proportional to the projected rise in the yearly average salary, but in percentage will remain at the same level as in 2010 – by 3.5% for the employee and the employer.