Speaking of a serious blow to public health, the Piraeus Medical Association calls for the immediate withdrawal of the surprise decision issued by the Ministry of Economy and National Finance to collect reimbursement for 2021 and three months of 2023.
The ISP invites the Vice-Minister of National Economy and Finance, Thanos Petralia, increase funding for diagnostic tests in primary health care and take into account specific social conditions that were found in the country.
In this specific case, with EOPYY’s sudden decision to charge the 2021 refund in 120 installments and the months of September, October and November 2023 in nine installments, “the viability of private Primary Health Care organizations is threatened that work effectively, auxiliary and in harmony with the respective public bodies, as well as and the ability to diagnose diseases immediately, especially in remote areas, small cities and islands”, reports the ISP. It adds that even after the regulatory clarifications on the Normalization Index of Weighted Averages (IMA), the problem seems to get more complicated.
Big sustainability issue
“After the surprise caused by the announcement of the decision, there followed the fear that with the EOPYY tax collection requirement, many of the private diagnostic centers serving policyholders may face a major viability problem.
At a time when there is much talk about the functioning of the NHS and hospitals, as well as Health Centers, a process that helps to defend and promote Public Health is being disrupted.
“In the times of “Our Lady of the Midwife””
At ISP we become recipients of the reactions of both medical and nursing staff, as well as insured persons and their families. The last thing one would expect is to degrade the provision of diagnostic services, decrease the health coverage rate and be led, especially in the province, to the times of ‘Our Lady of the Midwife’, because some people think with the logic of the tax collector,” said ISP President Nikolaos Platanisiotis.
He added that “policy requires prudence, sobriety and social responsibility to maintain jobs in Primary Health Care, to serve citizens, but also to serve the State’s constitutional obligation regarding equal access for citizens to primary health diagnostic centers”.
