Health Minister Alexandru Rafila says “it’s a lie” that a health surcharge will be proposed, saying the national health strategy for 2023-2030 includes a pilot project for ambulatory care. services are paid, outside the doctor’s schedule. More precisely, patients who want to receive a consultation from a certain doctor in the hospital can pay extra, outside of his working hours.

Rafila made these statements on Monday at a press conference in Tirgu Mures, noting that the draft of Romania’s national health strategy for the period 2022-2030, which began with a public debate, was fully developed by independent experts outside the Ministry of Health .

According to him, the strategic plan with measures envisages, as a pilot project, the provision of certain outpatient services in health care institutions with the possibility of choosing a doctor who provides medical services “on the basis of a legally regulated fee borne by the doctor.” beneficiary, as well as the possibility of planning the transparency of the corresponding service in the electronic planning system”: “It is indicated that it is outside the planned basic norm.”

• “There is no additional charge. This is a lie. We are not talking about double taxation of Romanian patients.
• It was presented unprofessionally. This is only a pilot project, which should be implemented in 2026-2028. This strategy is subject to public consultation and if the Government deems it inappropriate, this pilot may disappear from this action plan.
• The problem is pilot – let’s see if in a public health care institution, after the end of the working day, a doctor can carry out certain medical activities privately, and the patient pays the hospital, which he wants to consult, operate or examine. a certain doctor, but this does not mean that the patient is deprived of access to regular services.
• It is about an option. At the moment, this possibility is available only in the area of ​​private units.
• The pilot proposal is only for one or two or three medical facilities in 2026, where you can try to have the doctors in that hospital, if they want to work overtime, do it privately if there is demand for certain doctors overtime. It is about the fact that the hospital keeps a certain amount of money, and with another amount he receives a reward for additional activity,” said Rafila.

Familiarize yourself with the draft of the National Health Care Strategy, which was submitted for public discussion by the Ministry of Health