The Małopolska Branch of the National Health Fund is forcing the signing of unfavorable financial annexes, which in practice paralyzes the activities of facilities and hits patients. Already a third facility in Małopolska has reported that it is being forced to return previously allocated and paid funds for coordinated care services, the Federation Porozumienie Zielonogórskie (Federation of Zielonogórskie Agreement) is warning.
Coordinated care in POZ: Małopolska NFZ forces providers to reimburse funds
Published Jan. 14, 2025 08:02
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Coordinated care, considered by many to be one of the key changes in primary care, is on the brink of crisis. As reported by the Federation Porozumienie Zielonogórskie, on December 30, 2024, the Małopolska branch of the National Health Fund (NFZ) forced one facility to sign a financial annex that retroactively reduced the limits of coordinated care services. As a result, the facility had to reimburse PLN 9449.12 and issue a corrective invoice for services already provided. In addition, 89 patients were left without paid services, and the reduction in limits made it impossible to continue their treatment.
- These are actions that resemble the theft of funds already used to treat patients," says Leslaw Szot, president of the Malopolska Association of Healthcare Employers Porozumienie Zielonogórskie. - This undermines trust in the NFZ and harms patients who have been able to count on integrated health care until now.
The result is the suspension of coordinated care at the clinic. Patients have been individually informed of the decision and its reasons, which lie with the National Health Service.
What is coordinated care?
The coordinated care model was introduced to integrate the activities of various specialists and medical facilities, especially for patients with chronic diseases. As a result, patients were able to benefit from faster diagnosis, comprehensive care and better monitoring of their condition.
However, the decisions of the Małopolska NFZ threaten this concept. The president of the Federation of Zielonogórski Agreement, Jacek Krajewski, notes, -The NFZ's actions are destroying this model before it has had time to fully demonstrate its benefits. Patients who began to feel the positive effects of this change are now being deprived of needed support.
Appeal for change
- I have asked the NFZ to return the seized funds and to set realistic limits on OK services, taking into account the needs of patients and the capabilities of medical staff," stresses Leslaw Szot, president of the Malopolska Union of Healthcare Employers Porozumienie Zielonogórskie.
Source: Federation Zielonogórskie Porozumienie Zielonogórskie
