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PPOZ: The sense of inequality among patients is growing!

MedExpress Team

medexpress.pl

Published Oct. 12, 2023 11:27

PPOZ: The sense of inequality among patients is growing! - Header image
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The right to free medicines for seniors 65 plus and adolescents under 18 was supposed to improve access to treatment, but most importantly, it was supposed to abolish the sense of health inequality in certain age groups. Meanwhile, as the doctors of the Healthcare Employers' Agreement emphasize, age is only one of several factors determining reimbursement. - The sense of injustice among our patients, unfortunately, is growing! - emphasizes Bożena Janicka, president of PPOZ.

Since the beginning of September, people who are at least 65 years old and children and adolescents up to the age of 18 have been eligible to receive medicines free of charge. The drug list includes more than 420 active substances for seniors and nearly 280 active substances for children.

- Everything seems simple and obvious! There is an age, there is a list! In reality, however, the matter is more complicated. Why? The patient must be diagnosed with a disease, but with specific conditions! For example: it is not enough to have diabetes mellitus, it must still be "post-diabetic". Let's imagine - which, by the way, is a "real-life" example - a husband and wife suffer from circulatory failure. Both have reached "reimbursement age." And it is she, although slightly younger, but meets the added conditions - she has the right to free medicines, and he, although older - has no such right! This is not only incomprehensible to them, but also frustrating! Reimbursement was supposed to simplify access to medicines, it was supposed to be automated and clear for both patients and doctors. Meanwhile, it is again on us doctors that all the bitterness of patients who come for discount prescriptions is focused. We are the ones who have to ex...

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