Time to save for private care? Hungarian state pulling out of healthcare
The state is gradually withdrawing from the Hungarian healthcare sector. According to Péter Álmos, President of the Hungarian Medical Chamber, the government’s moves suggest that private providers will have a very important role to play in the provision of care.
Health sector in shambles
The state is gradually withdrawing from the healthcare sector, and the government’s actions indicate that private providers will play a very important role in the provision of care, the president of the Hungarian Medical Chamber (Magyar Orvosi Kamara, MOK) told hvg360 in an interview.
According to Péter Álmos,
Hungary is among the last in the EU in terms of preventable and avoidable deaths, as well as in basic health indicators, due to lack of funding.
The quality of care has deteriorated a lot over the last 5-10 years. People’s confidence in the health system has declined. This mainly affects the public sector. It’s no use having healthcare professionals do their best if the reality is different from the professional optimum, he said.
State doesn’t spend enough on healthcare
The state spends half the EU average of EUR 1200-1300 per capita on health, according to OECD statistics. This is the main reason why waiting lists and hospital debt are on the rise, as we wrote HERE.
According to Péter Álmos, despite government communication, the state is withdrawing from the health sector. Meanwhile, the share of the private sector has increased significantly over the past four years. The MOK president agrees with Viktor Orbán, who at a press conference at the end of the year called the healthcare system a mess. However, Álmos said that they do not know exactly how the government would put things in order, 24.hu wrote, based on the interview.
Preparing for private care
According to Álmos, we must be prepared for self-care. “The current steps are a step in the direction that I think anyone who can afford it should set aside a sum for their healthcare. As well as pensions or children’s education, which many people do outside the state system,” he said.
According to the president of the chamber, a well-functioning system can include both private and public care, there are international examples of this. However, the government needs to think carefully about the direction it wants to take in developing healthcare and how it allocates scarce human resources.
“A health reform takes a long time, I don’t think we need to rush it, but it would be more fortunate if health workers were not only passengers on the boat, but knew where they were going. As would be in everyone else’s interest,” Álmos said.
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It stands to reason. A century ago people were expected to live 5-10 years after retiring and their healthcare was primarily palliative. These days it’s not uncommon for a retiree to live a quarter century while simultaneously needing very expensive treatments, discovered and perfected over the years, for all kinds of chronic and acute ailments. It’s totally unsustainable. Besides, the social security (F.I.C.A.) payments they made while in employment are nowhere near to cover them through their retirement, which represents another cost that has exponentially grown since the system was introduced in the 1930s. Something’s got to give!
If this article has a resemblance of FACT associated to it, and the “historical” track record of the Orban led Government, does “play these” under-handed games” then attempts to cover them-selves, the “veiling ” of Truth & Fact – by use of PROPAGANDA, if this is a factual article, it is not one driven by a Government of DEMOCRACY
Hungarians, can ill afford now, into the immediate short & long time FUTURE go to a Health Care system – the broadness of that word, that operates functions with greater emphasis of being privately funded by citizens/population system.
Cost to each & every Hungarian would be HORRENDOUS, that with the over-all state of our “broadsheet” current Health Care Public & “other” environments, in functionality still in numbers of cases, operating aligned to that of 3rd World country’s, would not have IMPACT of improved nor up-graded Community nor Public Health Care Services.
A cataclysmic THINKING process this “consideration” by the Orban Government – a policy introduction that AGAIN would “fracture” deeply into the evaporating quality of life we are witnessing in millions of Hungarians at this point in time, that the Nadir of those being in millions designated lessened, would GROW.
Simple – the cost factor to Hungarians – Un-affordable.
Compliance – to the Laws of European Union Membership.
Compliance – the provision to ensure a Public Health Care System be OPERATED – available provided for – the General Public or Population.
It’s a CORE of Democracy, under which NEVER forgetting membership of the European Union is PRACTICED/Exercised.
Orban “tampers” with European Union Laws AGAIN on the subject of PUBLIC Health Care Systems & Facilities – the “throwing” back on, reducing the taxes of citizens money – being already used disbursed into Public Health Services in Hungary, that are SHAMBOLIC over-all, the European Union, would rightfully “Nail” him, which should and would be inclusive of a “failing” of the Orban Government that refers to Humanity – the NEEDS of citizens/population, from “all stations in life.”
Steiner Michael – commentary AGAIN “narrow” a “smither” of Fact.
You have previously disclosed, besides your paid up full membership of the Fidesz Political Party, and adulation of its Leader and current Prime Minister of Hungary – Victor Orban, that you have held a Professorship, and “other” by self indulgence of your background, through use of this forum.
The “narrowness” of your commentary’s that capture no resemblance of deep thought and research before you put “pen to paper” just doesn’t marry, in what you transpose as you background.
My background that of Law holding a Professorship now Emeritus, the examples you write on the title of this article, could be viewed as a student, writing a paper, just flicking through papers, and writing a skeletonized paper, with no resemblance, evidence of research, to History nor FACT.
Give examples of over 14 years your POLITICAL Party they have been in Government, that through correctness of PRIORITIZATION, in a Policy of the Orban Government, they have improved across the board Health Care – general basic Health Care Services in Hungary ?
A “little bit here a Little bit there” – I will give ground but the over-all state of Public Health Cate Services in Hungary remain humongous in under funding and are in SHAMBLES, that will continue to Worsen.
The “Drain” on the Public Sector Health Services through the “moving on” of professionals from Doctors down, for lack of renumeration “fairness” has been horrendous.
This “moving on” out and away of the SHAMBOLIC Hungarian Health Care Sector continues and with the newly qualified, it will remain a Trend, that careers and future career opportunities the renumeration benefits do not exist in Hungary but in “other” country’s.
History never Lies.
The failings of PRIORIZATION by Victor Orban, in 14 plus years into Public Health Care Services – this Orban led Government, instead of IMPROVEMENT being seen occurring in a Public Service, your Political Party of Paid up Membership, have in FACT been “feeding” it, that see’s the cataclysmic SHAMBLES it is to-day.
Education – in it’s CORE teaches us to THINK.
Steiner Michael, and it’s not the first occasion your pen has “run” amuck, through emotion and your Political affiliation, commentaries you have submitted to this newspaper D.N.H. through this forum, that displays AGAIN the dismissiveness, of a THINKING process.
Michael Steiner “It Stands To Reason” that you don’t want to blame the leader and the party who has been in charge of Hungary for almost 14 years now for anything. Where I live in Canada should a rock fall from the sky the PM and his government is blamed. In Hungary there is a massive “Book Of Excuses And Malign Outside Forces” that accounts for every problem that ever exists in Hungary. Fidesz is blamed for nothing and ignorant Hungarians like ostriches stick their heads in the sand. Fidesz bears responsibility for the crap health care system that exists in Hungary – period.
The priorities of the Viktator are building new sports stediums and stealing public money, not healthcare.
Michael Steiner – what’s HAPPENED to the state of the art, HUGH public hospital Orban and his “mob” mouthed off about going back 4 years ?
What’s happened to all that CRAP propaganda from Orbans mouth about this addition to Public Health and “other” related Medical Service to Hungarians ?
Orbans Government is moneyless all his DOINGS.
Look at his RECORD of relationship destructions starting from the EU then right throughout the world country’s that are Democracy’s.
Don’t THINK the “blood brothers” in Moscow nor Beijing are going to FUND the Public Health Care System in Hungary.
In all this time (14) fourteen years Public Health Services have continued to be urinated upon by Orban and his mob, that see’s Hungary still with a system a Public Health Care System that operates like in the past century, a growing deepening Disaster.
For 26 years 1/3 of my salary has gone for health care, unemployment and retirement. And yet if I lose my job, I’ll get very little support, when I retire, there ll likely be no money and now it seems there won’t be any medical either. So glad the government was there to collect the money so I didn’t save it when I was earning better.
Goodness – how do the Hungarians sleep at night? They vote Fidesz in every time – and Orban’s Teflon© coating slips the slime off. Oleaginous Orban smirks and no one sends an atom of blame his way.
Year after year, Orban kisses the back of geriatric country bumkins’ womens’ hands (a slime ball for sure. At EU meetings all the woman are wary, and are ready ….to snatch their hands away) – and he gets voted in again by buying them a sack of potatoes, or reducing – temporarily – fuel prices.
And Fidesz are in again – Vas county villages vote as high as 93% for Orban. Yet when they attend hospital they have to take AA and AAA batteries or they don’t get their blood pressure taken, or other vital measurements.
And they don’t make the connection with all of Orban’s oligarchs and family’s corruption – he just smiles benignly and deflects the blame (well said Larry).
Full private care will be a disaster in Hungary – he’s already stolen the pensions. And any residual health funds will just disappear – if they haven’t already.
Wooden planks for ensuring patients don’t fall out of bed, lack of equipment (and batteries!), filthy dialysis machines, unlit loos with sqidgy floors, nurse’ blackmail for clean sheets (Hálapénz), top dollar for Aspirin and pricey drugs. And that’s just how it is today!
Insulin typically costs 40% of monthly income in the US for diabetics – when Orban gets his hands on the drug list – he’ll cream off much more. It’s another area for his family’s corruption.
Watch out Hungary – your hospitals are already s***holes. Make sure you escape into other European countries when you feel ill – at least while you are still part of the EU. Your lives are in peril.
I don’t know who Steiner Michael is but Hungarians on average are not living way pass retirement age, in fact Hungary has one on the shortest life expectancies in Europe. 77 years is certainly not alot. For Hungarian men, it’s 70 years, which is not way pass retirement at 65. Hungary is right BEHIND Algeria, the North African juggernaut of social services.
@michaelsteiner – foremost, thank you for voicing your opinion, which I very much appreciate.
Agree with the base analysis that, with aging population (this “Families!” business still not boosting the fertility rate, sufficiently) and increasing life expectancy (less so in Hungary, unfortunately), the healthcare system needs to adapt, including but not limited to funding. However, it should still be accessible and affordable to the masses. Just abandoning everyone over a certain arbitrary age is not an option in a civilized society. Our government encouraging healthier lifestyles would also be a boost to said system.
Lastly – it would be interesting to see where all the funds @longterm mentions go / went. I suspect our Politicians may have tactically reallocated some of this money, however this is speculation, and I am conscious this may be fueled by my bias.
The Orbán mob is destroying the whole country. The latest step towards a dangerous, life-threatening healthcare situation is the destruction of many emergency rooms and doctors all around the countryside. Emergency care was arranged by the local government till the Orbán mob took it away from them. Now there is hardly medical emergency help in huge area’s. Next on the list is Pest country. Communities with more than 10,000 inhabitants plus surrounding villages will lose their emergency doctors. Ambulance services (which are rare too) will be overburdened, leaving all those communities without ambulances too.
It is a crime against the Hungarian people, but almost no one speaks out against it. It is mind-blowing, there is hardly resistance against this irresponsible madness.
Real nationalist and patriots must come to power who really care about the people. We must rebuild the country, but first we have to get rid of this hostile political elite and their friends.