We pay he alth insurance contributions, so we have the right to expect free he alth care and free treatment when we use the services of institutions that have signed contracts with the National He alth Fund. However, we accept the fact that the hospital or clinic expects us to pay greater or lesser fees related to the treatment process or hospital stay. Wrong.
The he althcare facility operating under a contract with the National He alth Fundmay charge us the costs only if:
- The only and direct cause of indisposition requiring the intervention of medical services was the state of intoxication. In other words: when we injure ourselves while drunk. Article 33 of the He althcare Institutions Act clearly states that a public he althcare institution charges a fee for he althcare services provided to a drunk person, regardless of whether the person is insured or not.A doctor , who suspects that a patient seeking help is intoxicated, has the right to refer him for a blood alcohol test. Refusal to submit to such an examination will be an aggravating circumstance.
- After hospital treatment is completedpatientwill stay in hospital longer than required by medical procedures. We will deal with such a case when someone who is "discharged" from the hospital will not be picked up and will not be able to leave it. The hospital will notify the commune where the patient lives and arrange transport to the place of residence at its expense. If the municipality does not find valid reasons to cover this expense, the patient will be charged with it.
- The patient stays in a care and treatment facility or a nursing and care facility. In such a case, he bears the costs of food and accommodation. The monthly fee is 250% of the lowest pension, but at the same time it cannot be higher than 70% of the monthly income (net) of the person residing in this institution.
Only in these cases, a medical facility that has a contract withNational He alth Fundand provides us with benefits based on he alth insurance, has the right to expect fees from us.
Free he althcare: the facts
Doubts may be raised by fees commonly charged by medical institutions related to the care of a close person.Hospitals are eager to reach out for money in connection with a family childbirth, or the care of a patient's family member and his stay in the ward. Meanwhile, in the light of the Act on Patient Rights, we have the right to additional nursing care provided by a close person. Of course, the costs of this care cannot be borne by the hospital. Therefore, the hospital may demand payment for protective footwear, an apron or an additional meal delivered to the caregiver. However, its amount should only be a reimbursement of actual costs, and not arbitrarily shaped fees for the mere fact of consenting to care.
The controversy around fees for the so-called anesthesia on request during childbirth. Both the spokesman for Patients' Rights and the Ministry of He alth took the position that although there is no possibility of providing he alth services "on request" in Poland, because all procedures are ordered by a doctor, but if he considers anesthesia appropriate, the patient pays for them.
It's also important to know that the hospital does not have the right to charge patients for the use of electricity. It often happens that institutions expect small fees for charging cells, laptops, and the use of kettles. If they do so, they do it illegally, because hospitals are not institutions authorized to trade in energy, they have neither the authority nor the capacity to do so (for example, they would have to install special meters that would indicate the amount of electricity consumed). The matter was recently de alt with by the Patient's Rights Ombudsman and her position in this matter is unambiguous.
Doubts may arise on the border of hospital and dental treatment, which is financed by the National He alth Fund only to a limited extent. For example: taking a pantomographic picture of the teeth in connection with dental treatment is not a guaranteed service, therefore it is payable. However, if the doctor orders such a photo before the operation to rule out inflammatory foci in the body, like any service ordered in connection with hospital treatment, it will be free of charge.
In contacts with the he alth service, more such doubts may arise. If it is not possible to clarify them by negotiating with a medical facility, it is worth applying for a verdict to the provincial branch of the National He alth Fund or contacting the Office of the Patient's Rights Ombudsman (phone: 22 833-08-85; helpline: 800-190-590; e- e-mail: [email protected]; www.bpp.gov.pl; Aleja Unia 25, 01-829 Warsaw.
Treatment away from home
If we suddenly fall ill or our he alth condition while away from home - on vacation, on a business trip or with our familyworsens unexpectedly, we are en titled to primary he alth care. But planned treatment must take place in the facility where we have declared the choice of a general practitioner (also a nurse and midwife). However, if you go on vacation, for example with a standing order to administer an injection, and ask for help from a nurse in an outpatient clinic, the clinic may charge you. Because in this case, the rule is that if the administration of the drug by injection was ordered by a doctor during a scheduled visit, the treatment is also scheduled and the injections are performed by the community and family nurse to whom we have submitted a declaration. If a doctor from another city provides emergency advice, the injections ordered by this doctor are also considered emergency services - they can be performed free of charge by any nurse working under a contract with the National He alth Fund.