Health fees not longer apply in regional hospitals

Patients in region-owned hospitals and other health care facilities no longer have to pay health fees. As of Monday, the regional governments, formed by the opposition Social Democrats following their landslide victory in October’s regional elections, will cover the cost of the fees for patients. The health fees for a visit to the doctor, emergency treatment and drug prescriptions were introduced by the centre-right government of PM Mirek Topolánek at the beginning of last year within a broader health care reform plan. They have caused tremendous controversy. The opposition managed to cancel the fees in Parliament’s lower house in December. The Senate has now come up with an amendment to the law which respects some of the objections to the fees from within the ruling coalition.

Author: Jan Richter