Romanian investments in the healthcare system, much lower than the region’s level: Only 901.5 USD/year per capita invested in the healthcare system- MediHelp International Press Release- 10.03.2014
Healthcare financing is a challenge in many countries, but especially in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. As documented by the World Health Organization (WHO), of the three neighbouring countries, Romania has the smallest amount invested by the public and private sector in health. The latest studies show that Hungary had a total expenditure on health per capita of 1669.3 USD/year, Bulgaria 1064 USD/year, while Romania only spent 901.5 USD/year.
Taking into account the investments made in the last years in Romania, 2011 shows an increase of 2% compared to 2010, namely an addition of approximately 20 USD per head/year .
“It is not acceptable that people who pay taxes cannot receive the medical care they deserve, and a well-known fact in Romania is that the public health system is very poorly developed. Levels of Public investment are very low and the annual growth isn’t enough to provide quality healthcare for all citizens. This is why everyone needs to understand that their health is their own responsibility and they should look for alternatives. Private health insurance is the best solution for a better and worry-free life by offering access to the best medical treatment available throughout the world, including prevention, specialised consultations and hospitalisation.“ says Zahal Levy, the President of MediHelp International.
The WHO reports also show the amount of money invested in the healthcare system by national governments: in Romania only 723.2 USD are spent per year for each citizen. At the same time, this figure in Hungary exceeded 1000 USD per year.
Another very big difference registered between the three neighbouring countries when it comes to healthcare investments are the private prepaid plans as a percentage of private expenditure on health. Romania is at the bottom of the list with only 0.4, compared with Bulgaria at 1% of the total and Hungary, where 7%/ of the total expenditure is private.
“We can see that the most recent figures from Hungary show that the private health expenditure is growing and we can expect further growth, as new taxes and health legislations have been adopted during the last year. Encouraging private expenditure on health helps national governments spare part of the money and even increases revenue from taxes paid by private players acting on the market: clinics, hospitals, and health insurance providers. We hope that the Romanian health system will also develop in this manner and the government will understand the importance of private investments in the healthcare system, both from a social and economic point of view”, adds Zahal Levy.