PAYMENTS IN GESY IN 3 MONTHS

 Filenews 7 October 2020 - by  Marilena Panagi

A total of 20,619 beneficiaries of the General Health System received inpatient care services in just three months with the cost amounting to €36,361,531.

At the same time, during the first six months of application of the System, i.e. from June 2019 until December of the same year, the Health Insurance Agency (YAC) paid a total of €222,120,517 to personal and specialist doctors, clinical laboratories and pharmacies, while, from the start of the GHS until the end of August 2020, as shown by the software of the System , one in three beneficiaries underwent diagnostic tests and almost seven out of ten secured their medicines from the pharmacies of the GHS.

The official data obtained by the "F" from the OAC show the size of the GHS's offer to Cypriot citizens during the first year and a half of its implementation and, at the same time, demonstrate the fact that the vast majority of the beneficiaries of the System have made use of the health services offered, at least once to date.

In detail, from 1 June 2019 to 31 August 2020:

- 834,547 beneficiaries were registered in the GHS software.

- 734,210 beneficiaries visited their personal doctor (or paediatrician)

- 523,288 visited a specialist doctor.

- 281,581 beneficiaries visited specialist doctors for diagnostic tests.

- 563,928 secured medicines through the System.

- 475,938 beneficiaries were subjected to laboratory tests.

- From 1 June 2019 to 31 August 2020 2019 20,619 beneficiaries of the System received inpatient care services.

These figures show that one in three beneficiaries (33.7%) have undergone diagnostic tests, almost seven out of ten (67.5%) have secured their medicines through the GHS and almost six out of ten (57%) have undergone laboratory tests.

In addition, it is found that 88% of beneficiaries, i.e. around nine out of ten have visited their personal doctor and received his services.

In order to ensure these services, THE OA has paid over the same period (June 2019 – August 2020) to doctors, laboratories, diagnostic centres and hospitals in excess of €575 million.

Specifically, during the first six months of implementation of the GHS (June - December 2019), the OAC paid a total of €222,120,517.

- €45,308,109 to personal doctors.

- €90,488,832 to specialist doctors.

- €56,199,780 in workshops.

- €56,199,780 to secure medicines.

A total of €353,700,357 was paid to health service providers for the year 2020 and up to 31 August by the 2020 and until 31 August.

- €36,361,531 for inpatient care.

- €56,172,562 to personal doctors.

-    €145.985.848 σε ειδικούς γιατρούς.

-    €33.560.125 σε εργαστήρια.

- €81,620,291 to secure medicines.

With regard to the finances of the System and the current situation of the GHS Fund, following the crisis caused by the pandemic in the economy of Cyprus in general, the OAC has proceeded to a three-year plan in which the surpluses recorded in the first year of implementation of the General Health System have been allocated.

According to the OSA "the non-payment of contributions in the three months prior to the implementation of the second phase resulted in a reduction in revenues in the Fund of around €120 million. Furthermore, the general reduction in citizens' incomes, brought about by the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, results in an additional reduction in the Fund's revenue by €30 million".

At €250m( surplus

In order to address the reduced revenues, the OSU points out in its note to 'F', 'the Agency will use the surplus of the Fund incurred in 2019 and has already made specific arrangements at the level of the providers' remuneration'. At the same time, the Agency "monitors the Revenue of the Fund and the state of the economy on the basis of the real data and forecasts of the Ministry of Finance and will review the measures accordingly". The implementation of the measures 'aims to ensure the sustainability and stability of the System and to avoid excessive impact on the remuneration of health service providers'.

As OA Director Andreas Papakonstantinou said in a statement yesterday, the surplus "reaches €250 million. which will be used to be able to meet our contractual obligations and to manage to keep the GHS Fund in a marginal but good condition over the next three years. The latest forecasts of the Ministry of Finance are better than the original ones and this will also help us to "breathe" somewhat".

The Minister of Health is awaiting an update on the roadmap

His participation in the next meeting of the OA's board of directors was confirmed yesterday in statements by Health Minister Konstantinos Ioannou, saying that he would ask to be informed "of the state of the proceedings that are pending and should be included in the roadmap that was agreed to be prepared, at our previous meeting a month ago".

At the same time, referring to the possibility of a transfer to a later stage of the 19 October 2020 timetable for the integration of health professionals into the GHS, Mr Ioannou stated that his view "is that it should be possible since the process has already been delayed, since normally professionals would be in the System from 1 September, and that is what I had put in my previous presence on the Board of Directors of the Agency. , think about it and if they are ready to start on 19 October well, but if they are not ready in terms of all the details, rather than start with problems, get the postponement they need and start later."