Croatia’s Health Minister on Healthcare Reform

Minister Milinovic voiced satisfaction with the stability of the health system and announced new reforms.

VIROVITICA, CROATIA – Croatia’s Healthcare and Social Welfare Minister Darko Milinovic announced a news conference in Virovitica at which he will present the first results of the healthcare reform about which it can already be said are great, he said. 

We have rationalised resources, the availability of medicines has increased, we have decreased bureaucracy in doctors’ offices, we have decreased waiting lists by 30 to 50 percent, we have halved the debt of the Croatian Health Insurance Institute, we introduced prescriptions that are valid for six months and have increased the availability of expensive medicine with 210 million kuna.

The reform is being carried out in full force and 96 percent of health workers support it, Milinovic said, stressing that with the new referent prices, the health reform has already saved the government budget 370 million kuna.

Milinovic voiced his satisfaction with the stability of the healthcare system, stressing that, contrary to some claims, “the bonus health insurance has a surplus”.

- There are some 180 million kuna in the account and currently we have 800,000 insured people in the bonus health insurance system – he said.