ČTK: little interest in hospital’s above-standard care

Czech hospitals have registered little interest in “above-standard” care and services since January 2012 when new legislation allowed them to offer such options for extra fees, the news agency ČTK reported on Sunday. Few patients are willing to pay more for higher-quality contact lenses, lighter plaster casts, some vaccines or another 15 items approved by the Health Ministry. Most of those willing to pay extra do so to be able to get better rooms during their hospital stays. The ministry estimates that nationwide, between 30 and 40 million crowns was collected for “above-standard” services, a small fraction of annual health care costs that amount to around 300 billion.

Author: Jan Richter