Health premium in the hands of MPs

The loss could be greater if there are a lot of takers for tax optimization and the scenario warned against by the Left and the Together party, among others, comes true, in which people currently employed in full-time jobs will switch to business. Voluntarily or appropriately "encouraged" by current employers. However, it is not a matter of dispute whether the loss will be 5 or 6 billion zlotys. A billion zlotys is not walking, but something much more serious is at stake.

Politicians, who support the government's proposals, explain that the shortfall will be compensated by a subsidy from the state budget, so it is a neutral solution for health care finances. However, will it really be possible to intone: "Poles, nothing has happened!" if the Diet passes the premium reduction on Friday? Experts have been stressing for months that the financial stability of the NFZ - or the public system, simply put - is threatened not only by the low level of outlays, but also by a deepening dependence on subsidies from the state budget. The system's costs are growing much faster than its natural, health premium-based revenues. Since health is only one of the public tasks - and in the current geopolitical situation, its priority is not absolute - further deepening dependence and depleting certain revenues that are not subject to political decisions is contrary to the health raison d'etre.

Most politicians seem to be deaf to the arguments of experts. What's more, there is a bidding war going on - who will go further in convincing (whom?) that health care is a field where one can "rationalize spending", that is, simply - look for savings. One can, and even should - the problem is that this is absolutely not incompatible with the need to increase health expenditures (Poland, as you know, ranks among the last in Europe in this regard). But what some candidates get away with (if only because the bar of expectations for them is hung extremely low), for others it should be a source of shame. It is difficult to understand why, just before the session of the Sejm - where the fate of the premium for entrepreneurs is to be decided - the candidate of the Civic Coalition decides to go a few bridges further and announce that he personally favors a gradual reduction in the health premium. By default - for everyone (?). - This calls for health care reform," perorated the Warsaw mayor (local government officials are well aware, by the way, of the needs of the health care system), adding a few more round sentences about the hopes of digitization.

At such moments, one is left to rejoice that the powers of the president are sliced exceedingly modestly in the Polish system.