Parliament amends Health Care Act, Mandatory Health Insurance Act

Zagreb - The Croatian parliament on Friday unanimously adopted amendments to the Health Care Act and the Mandatory Health Insurance Act, which form part of the health reform.

All 77 members of the ruling coalition present voted in favour while the opposition MPs had walked out of the chamber before the vote.

Under the amendments, the maximum amount of patient contribution to the cost of health care is increased from HRK 2,000 (€265) to HRK 4,000 (€530), and the scope of services provided by outpatient clinics is expanded.

Each county will have one outpatient clinic and they will be able to have their branches on islands. Clinics would provide psychology, speech therapy and other specialist services.

The focus of the health reform is on prevention and early detection of diseases. 

The founding rights of general hospitals are transferred from local government units to the central government. Centralised procurement and a new classification of hospitals are being introduced.

The government adopted an amendment to the Mandatory Health Insurance Act tabled by minority MP Veljko Kajtazi, under which persons with permanent or long-term residence in Croatia who are indigent or unfit to live on their own will have the cost of mandatory health insurance covered by the state.