The first proposal reckons with the complete abolition of health care fees, while the other, compromise proposal, would exempt from fees only children and youth under 18, old-age pensioners who have no other income, those receiving disabled pension and people whose income is under double subsistence level. Rath added that the other proposal is close to the views of some government coalition deputies so they might support it. "This is a step accommodating some Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and the Greens (SZ) who have claimed they are willing to support such changes," said Rath. He added that the Chamber of Deputies should first vote about the first proposal and if it failed, deputies would vote on Minister says Czech state should hold two health insurers ...
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This measure is to protect chronically ill patients and the elderly who must often see doctors. Czech patients paid over one billion crowns in regulatory fees during the first three months. Health Minister Tomas Julinek (senior ruling Civic Democrats, ODS) said the fees had lowered the number of unnecessary visits to surgeries and enabled doctors to have more time for patients. Moreover, health insurers' expenditures on cheap medicines have decreased as people buy them themselves due to the prescription fees. The measure has so far saved some 2.6 billion crowns. Julinek noted that the 5000-crown limit had also proved successful. Health insurance companies register some 200 clients who have already reached the limit. Rath, on his part, says Julinek has taken one billion crowns from citizens' pockets without giving them anything in exchange. Julinek said last week he would not consider a revision of the fees system, demanded by the Christian Democrats and the Greens, reasonable. Apart from the Social Democrats, patients' fees are criticised by the junior opposition Communists (KSCM). The Constitutional Court is to issue a stance on the fees soon. ($1=16.221 crowns)
(Ceske Noviny)
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