Health Minister: We have a problem with NFZ finances

The topic of the NFZ's finances was "triggered" by questions from MPs, who on Wednesday had their first opportunity to hear the plans of Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda, who was appointed as Health Minister two months ago, and to learn about the intentions of the entire leadership of the ministry. In the prepared presentation, the topic of the financial crisis, the symptoms of which were exacerbated in 2024 and are only progressing in the current one, was absent. Only after nearly three hours of the meeting did the Health Minister admit that the Fund's financial situation worries her. - We have a problem with the finances of the NFZ," she said, giving the floor to the NFZ president.

- This year we have such a situation that we have financed unlimited services for the first quarter and we are now at the stage of financing unlimited services for the second quarter. It is not possible in all provinces to pay for these unlimited services without additional funds such as a budget subsidy," Filip Nowak admitted. We are talking about unlimited benefits, for which the Fund, according to the law, must pay the full rate. President Nowak assured that the payer will fulfill its obligations, but stipulated that it may take longer.

- The first step in financing excess services is balancing contracts. Today we still have 2 billion in unperformed services, which can be used for services performed above the contract value. Our ambition is that for this second quarter, first of all, we should shift funds from underperformance to overperformance and, as far as possible, pay for all unlimited services. In some provinces it may also be possible to pay for medicines, while globally, without additional funds it will be impossible," he said. "The 'drugs' mentioned by the NFZ president are drug programs (and chemotherapy). But expenditures are growing not only for this path of drug financing. - This is one of the most dynamically increasing items in the financial plan, which the NFZ has little influence over, as it is the regulation of, for example, statutory provisions on free drugs for privileged groups, in this case age groups," he added. During one of the recent discussions in the Health Committee on the adoption of the NFZ report for 2024, attention was drawn to the dynamic increase in spending on free drugs (related primarily to the decision to expand the group of senior citizens by lowering the age limit to 65 and introducing free drugs for minors). In 2026, the financial plan assumes a 14 percent increase in spending on drug reimbursement, and almost 20 percent on drug programs. There is no assurance that these funds will be sufficient.

The problem at the moment, however, is the current year and the budget available to the payer, which is increasingly dependent on the amount of the budget subsidy. - Today, this budget subsidy has increased by about PLN 9 billion. In total, after the release of our other funds, the plan has already increased by PLN 13 billion. I believe it will be able to increase further, and talks are being held with the Finance Ministry to this end," Filip Nowak said.