The settlement of hospitals affected by the flood has been extended. They have until the end of 2026

• The amendment to the regulation of the Ministry of Health regarding contracts for the provision of medical care services has been published in the Journal of Laws
• The changes included in the regulation apply to facilities that were affected by the flood in 2024.
• The regulations will enter into force after 14 days from the date of announcement, i.e. on June 26.

The Journal of Laws has published an amendment to the regulation of the Ministry of Health on the general terms and conditions of contracts for the provision of health care services . The regulation will enter into force after 14 days from the date of publication, i.e. on June 26.

The changes introduced in the amendment are related to the extraordinary situation caused by the flood in September 2024 , which resulted in the temporary exclusion of some hospitals from operations. For this reason, there may be difficulties in the full implementation of the agreement concluded with the National Health Fund and thus in the settlement of the received lump sum of the basic hospital health care system.

At the same time, most healthcare providers operating under the PSZ lump sum reported a higher number of settlement units for 2024 than the number of units that were the basis for determining the PSZ lump sum for that period, which was related to the continued coverage of the increased demand for healthcare services resulting from the ongoing "health debt" incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic - it was reported in the OSR.

In order to avoid financial destabilization of medical facilities in flood-affected areas, the amendment includes a provision that extends the settlement period until December 31, 2026, and modifies the existing mechanism for settling reporting units for 2025, as well as introduces an additional mechanism for settling these units for 2026.

In addition, a provision has been added containing a solution enabling the payment in 2025 of special supplements to the PSZ lump sum to institutions that showed so-called overperformance of the PSZ lump sum for the previous settlement period. The supplements will be paid in the amount of 27% of the overperformance generated, while taking into account the amounts of supplements paid in 2024.

The amendment also includes a change to the final date for the exclusion of the application of contractual penalties by the National Health Fund in the event of failure to provide a physician from the State Emergency Medical Services system in specialist emergency medical teams (SEM). The abolition has been extended until 31 December 2025 and is of a temporary nature - until the entry into force of new regulations on the number and types of teams (introduced by the last amendment to the Act on the SEM). The National Health Fund will not impose contractual penalties in the event of providing three people authorized to perform medical rescue activities in the SEM, including a paramedic or a nurse from the State Emergency Medical Services system.

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