The health insurance funds will cover testing for coronavirus
The Council of the Compulsory Health Insurance approved the transfer of COVID-19 diagnosis to health care institutions. These services will be covered from the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (CHIF).
Following the cancellation of the emergency situation due to COVID-19 on 1 May, the strategy for the diagnosis of this disease changes as well. Coronavirus testing has been transferred from mobile testing points to health care institutions. After the closure of the testing points, patients will not be able to register for testing themselves – this will be done by health care institutions.
What should be noted is that coronavirus testing will only be done with patients that experience symptoms specific to an acute respiratory infection or influenza, while the decision to perform the test will be made by the doctor consulted. Therefore, residents with COVID-19 symptoms should contact their general physician. In addition to that, asymptomatic patients that are or were hospitalised, may be tested at health care institutions, offering inpatient treatment services, based on the procedure, established by the head of the institution. All of these testing services will be covered from the CHIF.
Primary health care institutions will be able to offer CHIF-covered fast antigen testing. Secondary or third level health care institutions will be able to prescribe fast SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing or SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing for their patients by the decision of an emergency room doctor, a doctor, providing outpatient consulting on infectious diseases or a pulmonologist. Then patients that were or currently are hospitalised will be prescribed a fast antigen testing or a PCR testing according to the procedure, established by the head of the health care institution.
Considering the predictions of the epidemiologists, working for the Ministry of Health, preliminary estimates suggest that 23.5 million euro may be needed to cover diagnostic services for COVID-19 this year alone. Since these costs have not been included into the budget, the CHI Council approved their coverage from the CHIF risk management reserve.
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Last updated: 31-05-2022
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