Polish health fund seeks extra budget for new control staff amid spending limits
The National Health Fund (NFZ) says it needs additional financing to hire more inspectors, but the Ministry of Finance says the budget cannot accommodate the request.
According to NFZ, hiring additional inspectors is essential for enforcing new health-care oversight powers that will be granted in an upcoming reform package. However, the fund faces a budget gap because a stabilising spending rule bars any extra transfers from the state budget after 2027 from increasing the deficit. The Ministry of Finance rejected NFZ’s request for new funds, advising the health ministry to locate the money within its current budget.
It proposed that savings could be achieved by reducing spending on medical research or by eliminating planned wage hikes for staff at the State Sanitary Inspection, both of which would need changes to existing laws. The reform package, delayed but now slated for discussion, will give NFZ broader authority to detect issues such as doctor dual-practice and upcoding. Without the additional inspectors, the fund’s new enforcement capabilities may remain limited.
Why it matters
Funding gaps could hinder NFZ's ability to enforce health-care spending rules and combat fraud.
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