USR has submitted a draft law to the Parliament through which Romanians could choose their health insurer. In response, PSD claims that it is a disguised attempt to privatize the public medical system in Romania. Moreover, the social democrats accuse that the proposal is, in fact, an “attempt to drain money to the party clientele”.
PSD opposes Pillar 2 of Health proposed by USR PHOTO Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea
“After wasting 1 billion euros from the Health budget on oversized purchases of COVID-19 vaccines, USR wants to deal another heavy blow to the public health system in Romania. The so-called “Pillar II for Health” proposed with trumpets and trumpets by the USR is, in reality, a vile attempt to disguise the privatization of the social health insurance system, for the benefit of a party clientele”. transmit, on Thursday, PSD representatives, through a press release.
The social democrats accuse that the legislative proposal would aim to weaken the public health system, and most Romanians would have access to fewer medical services.
“USR's legislative proposal undermines the public health system and the possibility of those with low incomes to benefit from appropriate medical services. The so-called freedom to choose a private medical insurance company applies only to those who can afford to pay the difference between the 165 lei directed from CASS and the total value of the private insurance. For the majority of the population, the USR project means fewer medical services, as a result of the decrease in funding from the public health system”, according to the cited source.
PSD emphasizes that Romania is a “social state”, where health is a fundamental right.
“Through this legislative proposal, USR tramples on the concept of social solidarity, which implies cohesion and mutual help between members of society. Moreover, it ignores an elementary thing, which is demonstrated by the reality in state hospital units: serious cases are treated/managed by the public system. According to Art. 1 of the Constitution, Romania is a “social state”, where health is not a commodity traded for a price, but a fundamental right, guaranteed for all Romanian citizens”. conclude the social democrats.
Pillar 2 of Health proposed by USR
USR parliamentarians announced, on Monday, that they submitted a legislative proposal for the fundamental change of the health system through the “Pillar 2 of Health”, which would give Romanians the right to choose the health insurer, respectively where they want to direct 50% of the CASS on the minimum wage (165 lei) every month.
The USR project envisages giving everyone the freedom to choose their insurer.
“According to the project, every Romanian could redirect 165 lei/month (or 5% of a minimum salary) to any health insurer they want, paying only the premium difference. The insured package is the current basic package minus the pathologies covered by national programs, which remain covered by CNAS”, according to a statement sent by the USR.
Thus, according to the USR, from the contribution paid by each Romanian, part of the money goes automatically to CNAS and 50% of CASS on the minimum salary can be selected if it goes only to CNAS or another insurer, similar to the Pillar 2 model of pensions.
“CNAS is a state monopoly”
“The state takes a lot of money from us for health, but in practice the results are disastrous. Even though the number of patients keeps falling and the expenses of the system keep rising, the quality has not increased at all. On the contrary. This happens because CNAS is a state monopoly. No one there has any interest in changing anything. Time passes, the leaf goes, whatever the results. All indolence, carelessness and corruption are perfectly predictable in a state monopoly”, said Adrian Wiener, doctor and deputy in the Health Commission.
USR MP Emanuel Ungureanu, vice-president of the Health Commission in the Chamber of Deputies, stated that this project aims to “dopening up the health insurance market”, that would “allows all Romanians to take their money to any insurer they want“.
USR MP Cristina Prună argued that the emigration of doctors was due to the different health system in the countries they went to, noting that the project in question aims to improve health standards here in the country.
“We look at the hospitals in countries like France, Belgium, Germany, where Romanian doctors have emigrated, and we wonder why they can't be the same in Romania. The answer is simple: because the system is different. Through this bill we want to have health at European standards, but not with the current system through which the National Health Insurance House systematically fails to give us access to quality health. We want a system where the patient is truly at the center of the system, able to choose and be treated with respect“, said deputy Cristina Prună.
USR Deputy Claudiu Năsui stated, for his part, that the legislative proposal offers alternatives, private hospitals becoming available to everyone.
