In a surprising announcement just now, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, with Article 66, determines the amount of the discount for medical technology products provided by hospitals of the National Health System and its decentralized units, the Onassios Cardiac Surgery Center, Papageorgiou Hospital and government hospitals of any type.
Specifically, the decision states:
1. For each medical technology product purchased by public contract, through the National Central Health Purchasing Authority or directly, the hospitals of the National Health System and their decentralized units, the Onassios Cardiac Surgery Center, the Papageorgiou Hospital, as well as all public hospitals, starting from 1.1.2024, a scalable discount amount is established.
2. As a basis for calculating the discount amount corresponding to each supplier of the above products and per hospital, the turnover per supplier and per hospital for the previous quarter is defined, based on the sum of the invoices issued by the suppliers to the hospitals in paragraph 1 with which they are contracted, each separately. The calculation, imposition and collection of the discount amount is carried out by the respective entity that carries out the supply.
3. The entity that carried out the contract may, by decision of its competent body, offset the amounts owed by suppliers of medical technology products, resulting from the discount obligation provided for herein, with equal amounts owed to them.
4. In case of delay in payment of the deduction amount in no. 1, this will be collected in accordance with the procedure set out in the Public Revenue Collection Code (Law 4,978/2022, A΄190).
5. Medical devices for which the discount amount has not been allocated are not paid.
6. By decision of the Minister of Health, on the proposal of the Board of Directors of the National Central Health Purchasing Authority, the value of the discount, its update, the method and timing of its calculation and implementation, as well as any other more specific issue necessary for its application.