The president will veto a health premium? PiS president: I hope so

PiS president Jarosław Kaczyński expressed the hope on Monday that President Andrzej Duda would veto the act lowering the health premium for entrepreneurs. Kaczyński described this amendment as “complete absurdity”.

Last week, the Senate supported the amendment to the Act on healthcare services financed from public funds and some other acts that reduce the health contribution for entrepreneurs from 2026. The amendment is associated with a loss of revenues from contributions to the National Health Fund in the amount of approx. PLN 4.6 billion, which the government declares coverage from the state budget.

On Monday, at a press conference, the president of Law and Justice was asked what decision on the amendment he expected from President Duda. “I hope – although this is of course the president's decision – that it will be a veto. Simply veto, because what makes sense in a situation where the president of a company earns a modest 50,000 a month, and his secretary, let's give it, seven (thousands), only that she pays a large larger premium than him” – said Kaczyński. “This is complete absurdity. These are degressive taxes, this is nowhere in the world,” he said.

The amendment assumes the introduction of a two -element health contribution basis for entrepreneurs – to a certain level it would be a flat -rate, and from the surplus of income – percentage. The changes apply to about 2.5 million business activity.

The new regulations do not change the amount of health contribution paid by employees full -time and it will still be 9 percent. There will also be no changes when it comes to the premium in the case of emetery benefits – it will continue to be 9 percent.

The change is to apply from the beginning of 2026 and will cost the state budget PLN 4.6 billion (as long as health revenues are to be reduced).

The Sejm was reduced to the health contribution for entrepreneurs on April 4 with the voices of KO, Poland 2050-TD and PSL-TD. Against former PiS, left and circle deputies. The confederation abstained.

They appealed to the president for vetos to the president, among others Left candidate for President Magdalena Biejat, Party candidate Adam Zandberg, OZZL Residents Agreement and the Supreme Medical Chamber. They argue that lowering the premium will worsen the situation of patients and deepen the health care crisis.

Andrzej Duda announced that he would ask the Social Dialogue Council for an opinion on the act reducing the health premium for entrepreneurs. He emphasized that the voice of trade unionists would be “fundamentally important to him.

Last week, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that if the president vetoed changes in the health premium, he would take steps as the prime minister to return to this topic after the presidential election. (PAP)

Nl/ ITM/