Polish Hospitals Strain Under NFZ’s Financial Deficit

The news in Polish

1. zadłużenie (n.)
   Stan posiadania długów, zobowiązań finansowych. ↩︎
2. ograniczać
   Zmniejszyć ilość lub zakres czegoś. ↩︎
3. procedura (f.)
   Określony sposób przeprowadzania działań, szczególnie medycznych lub administracyjnych. ↩︎
4. przyjęcie (n.)
   Przyjęcie pacjentów do szpitala w celu leczenia. ↩︎
5. wydłużać
   Zwiększyć długość czegoś w czasie lub przestrzeni. ↩︎
6. kolejka (f.)
   Grupa ludzi czekających w ustalonym porządku. ↩︎

Translation

Text Comprehension

Question: What is the total debt of Polish hospitals mentioned in the summary?

Question: What promise has the government made regarding hospital payments?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
zadłużenie (n.)	indebtedness
ograniczać	limit
procedura (f.)	procedure
przyjęcie (n.)	admission
wydłużać	lengthen
kolejka (f.)	queue

Read the full story

According to recent reports, hospitals are owed between 3 to 3.5 billion PLN for non-limited services such as childbirth, heart attack treatment, and rehabilitation, where no strict cap on quantity exists under NFZ contracts. These payments are typically reconciled quarterly, but delays have exacerbated financial strains, impacting hospitals in 11 out of 16 Polish provinces.

Moreover, hospitals are awaiting approximately 10 billion PLN for exceeding contractual limits on services like joint replacement surgeries and psychiatric consultations. These services have strict caps, and exceeding them often leaves hospitals waiting for payments.

The financial woes are part of a broader budgetary shortfall, with the NFZ concluding 2023 with a deficit of 16.4 billion PLN. Hospital representatives express concerns that continued payment delays might force further service reductions. Notably, hospitals in regions such as Lubaczów and Rzeszów have already cut back on scheduled medical procedures and patient admissions.

Izabela Leszczyna, the Minister of Health, has attributed the financial shortfall to the actions of the previous administration. She assured that hospitals should receive payments for non-limited services by mid-October, noting that contract amendments were promptly sent out to hospitals except those in Silesia. Once returned along with invoices, NFZ is expected to process payments within seven days.

Such financial challenges have led to reduced medical services. For instance, hospitals in Konin and Szamotuły have already decreased the number of patients accepted into treatment programmes, while the waiting time for psychiatric care has extended significantly, with some services postponed until 2025.

The situation has compelled hospitals to consider further action. For example, public healthcare facilities in Rawicz and Strzelin have also reported a shortfall in funding affecting their ability to maintain staff and infrastructure.

Despite these constraints, some hospitals, like the one in Piotrków, have chosen to continue service delivery despite accruing excess costs. However, this is not a sustainable long-term solution, as highlighted by the combined national hospital administrators.

NFZ has noted its commitment to meeting its contractual obligations but emphasized that any services exceeding limits might not be reimbursed in full. As the healthcare providers await solutions, the strain on Poland’s healthcare system continues to demand urgent attention.

Info: “Polish Learner News” is a service from “Let’s Learn Polish,” a language school dedicated to teaching Polish. We offer various types of online Polish courses, providing comprehensive resources on how to learn Polish effectively.