EUR 2.9bn will be collected through health care contributions, an increase of EUR 168.6m or 6.1% over last year.

EUR 2.14bn will go for health care services, 5.6% more than this year. The financial plan entails an expansion of the primary health care network, providing funds for more GPs and paediatric surgeries as access to these is not equally good in all parts of the country.

The plan earmarks EUR 366.6m for sick leave compensations (+7.5% over 2018), while EUR 54.2m are to be spent for health care provided abroad (+2.4% y/y).

The financial plan adopted today also earmarks EUR 20m to cut waiting times in hospitals. What is more, there is still EUR 35m available for this purpose from 2018.

Moreover, the insurer wants to preserve the same level of accessibility to innovative drugs. In total, EUR 444.5m will be available for drugs, medical aids and vaccines next year, 7% more than in 2018.

While the document still needs to be approved by the government, the insurer was already tasked today with drafting a supplementary budget to accommodate the pay rises agreed by the government and public sector trade unions, and to secure more funds to cut waiting times for health services.