IKA and NHS in the unified health fund

Commissions and Primary Health Care, the two chronic and for many incurable «diseases» of the NHS, come together under a «therapeutic model» estimated to cure the entire system.

The relevant bill submitted to parliament by minister of Health Andreas Locerdos, is radically changing the supply system and attempting the complete reconstruction of fund health services.

New «unified» fund for the insured

Accordingly, a new unified fund will provide health services, especially primary (off-hospital) ones, to all Greeks from next June.

All the directly and indirectly insured, as well as pensioners of IKA-ETAM, OGA, OAEE and OPAD, will come under the umbrella of this new fund, the National Organization for Health Services (EOPYY). Its aim is equal access of all insured citizens to a unified system of health services.

Central competitions and supplies

Meanwhile, the NHS supply system is changing, with competitions for medical supplies being carried out only centrally so as to have major reductions from suppliers and avoid excesses in hospital budgets.

The bill also provides for the assignment of responsibility for carrying out competitions to a contracted authority, such as for example a private company, and sets up the Coordinating Committee on Health Supplies that will be overseeing the competitions.

Integration of IKA in NHS

The bill triggers the long-awaited consolidation of the health sector of IKA with the NHS. As protothema.gr revealed on 22/10/2010, large IKA health units will open their doors to all Greek citizens, as they will enter the NHS, mainly aiming at serving primary health care.

In practice, this means that every IKA hospital will be attached to a public one and operate under its umbrella. It will be on duty for example, when the NHS hospital is, while its medical equipment will be available for the operating needs of the NHS.

Characteristically, the 1st IKA Clinic in Melissia with Sismanogleio and the 7th IKA Clinic in Patisia with the General Hospital of Patisia, are mentioned as pilot pairs.

Other provisions

Moreover, the bill will include series of provisions regarding private clinics, large family allowances and EKAB recruitment. So among other things, the bill regulates:

* changes in legislation to allow for the modernization of private clinics and the creation of new departments in them
* introduction of permanent 10yr residence in Greece for allowance payments to large families
* acceleration of recruitment in EKAB and Social Care units
* the possibility of a hospital manager being responsible for two hospitals for cost efficiency
* the oncological and orthopedic hospitals and departments of hospitals are under the supreme authority of the Director of the 1st Attica Health Region, Aris Mousionis.
* the opportunity for NHS hospitals Onaseio and «Papageorgiou» to collect medical expences by credit card (Visa-Mastercard)
* an electronic prescription system that eliminates prescriptions over 150 euros but also prescriptions from IKA with a duration of over 2 months.