Value of NFZ contracts up by 3% in 2009

2010-07-20

The total value of contracts concluded by the National Health Fund (NFZ) with healthcare providers in 2009 amounted to nearly PLN 38.2bn (€9.2bn), which represented an increase of 2.9% compared with 2008, according to the NFZ’s annual report. (The figure does not include contracts for primary care and for the supply of orthopaedic and auxiliary medical devices, where capitation fees apply). The number of contracts (including these two categories) rose by 6.1% and totalled 49,943. The number of providers was more than 2% higher than in 2008 and amounted to 22,613 (the only regional NFZ branch to sign contracts with fewer providers than in the preceding year was in Pomorskie voivodship).
Contracts for hospital care were worth PLN 23.5bn (€5.7bn), down by 1.3%, and their number declined by 2.3% to 2,127. By contrast, the value of specialist outpatient care contracts increased by 5.7% to PLN 4.25bn (€1.03bn), despite a drop in the number of contracts of more than 20%, to less than 8,600. The value of contracts for dental care was 2.7% higher at PLN 1.88bn (€455m), and their number fell by 6.4% to a little over 8,800.
The value of contracts for primary care surged by 24.7% to PLN 7.39bn (€1.79bn), due to a sharp increase in fees for patients suffering from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.



Although there was an increase in the value of contracts signed by NFZ with healthcare providers in 2009, its marginal size of just 3% reflects financial problems which NFZ had to cope with during the past year. By way of comparison, in 2008, the value of contracts signed between NFZ and healthcare providers increased by close to 26%. This means that although the contracts with healthcare providers were not lowered compared with 2008 (on average), many new healthcare facilities, which were established during 2009, find it difficult to sign contracts with the Fund.

According to the NFZ’s updated plan for 2010 (from the beginning of July 2010) the value of contracts for 2010 is to increase by around 4% to PLN 39.8bn (the figure does not include contracts for primary care and for the supply of orthopaedic and auxiliary medical devices). However, only the contracts for hospital care are to significantly increase (by 14%, from PLN 23.5bn to PLN 26.7bn). In the case of other services, there will be no growth in the value of contracts or even a decrease (e.g. in case of dental care from PLN 1.88bn in 2009 to PLN 1.75bn planned for 2010).

Agnieszka Stawarska
Pharmaceutical Market Analyst
PMR Publications