Under the bill, the National health Fund (NFZ), which finances Poland's healthcare system, would receive an additional PLN 3.6 billion (about EUR 850,000, USD 975,000) this year from the Medical Fund, a financing mechanism created in 2020 to support areas such as cancer care and treatment for rare diseases.
Health Minister Jolanta Sobierańska-Grenda said the extra money should be sufficient to cover the NFZ’s financial needs for 2025.
"The PLN 3.6 billion should meet the needs for this year," Sobierańska-Grenda told reporters after meeting with the Supreme Medical Council, which represents doctors.
The legislation now moves to the Senate, the upper house of parliament.
Sobierańska-Grenda said she hopes President Karol Nawrocki will sign the bill once it reaches his desk.
The government fast-tracked the measure amid growing financial strain on the public health system, state news agency PAP reported.
Hospitals in various parts of the country have said they are delaying planned procedures and limiting treatment programmes because NFZ settlements have been arriving late.
Seven in 10 Poles view the country’s public healthcare system negatively, according to a survey earlier this year by researcher CBOS.
Respondents most often cited poor access to specialists, staff shortages at hospitals, difficulty scheduling timely appointments and limited availability of diagnostic tests.
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Source: IAR, PAP