Is PLN 217 billion not enough? Ministry of Health: The financial situation is very difficult
Deputy Minister of Health Tomasz Maciejewski said in the Sejm on Thursday that the financial situation of the health care system is very difficult. He mentioned the reasons, among others: the cost of the minimum wage act and a lower share of health insurance premiums in financing treatment than in previous years.
PiS MPs asked the Ministry of Health about the National Health Fund's announcement to limit the financing of four diagnostic tests: colonoscopy, gastroscopy, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging performed above the limit. The National Health Fund's announcement shows that similar changes could also cover outpatient specialist care, but the National Health Fund headquarters has not yet published a draft order of the President of the National Health Fund on this matter.
– We are currently dealing with a very difficult financial situation of the entire health care system. Although expenditures have reached a historically high level of over PLN 217 billion, the rate of increase in costs significantly exceeds the rate of increase in revenues, noted the Deputy Minister of Health.
Maciejewski mentioned the reasons for the National Health Fund's problems as the United Right government transferred the financing of services worth over PLN 7 billion to the National Health Fund without providing the money for it. – Currently, the cost of this decision is over PLN 12 billion – said Maciejewski.
He informed that the cumulative cost of the so-called the increase act on the minimum wage in health care will amount to over PLN 71 billion in 2026. He emphasized that the structure of financing the activities of the National Health Fund has also changed – the share of health insurance contributions has dropped to 80%. in 2025, and the share of state budget funds in financing treatment is increasing. He noted that the subsidy from the state budget for the National Health Fund in 2024 amounted to nearly PLN 15 billion, in 2025 – PLN 33 billion, and the initial assumption for 2026 is PLN 30 billion.
The deputy head of the Ministry of Health assured that “patients are and will be safe.” He emphasized that the changes proposed by the National Health Fund do not apply to children and adolescents under 18 years of age, oncology patients both at the stage of diagnosis and treatment with a DILO card and people covered by the colorectal cancer prevention program. According to Maciejewski, the changes may facilitate earlier referral of patients to appropriate oncological paths, also when diagnostics began outside the rapid oncological therapy system.
According to Czesław Hoc (PiS), de facto limits are being introduced for outpatient specialist care (AOS). – There were long queues to specialist doctors. Now they will be endless, he said.
He noted that the Ministry of Health also limits access to diagnostic imaging. – This is playing with the health and lives of patients – he said. He emphasized that the limits would limit the financial liquidity of hospitals and translate into a lack of health security. – You are probably already preparing a safety guide entitled: “Save yourself who can”, because in this guide you will provide the addresses of private clinics and private medical entities. This is the path to privatization. This is a scandal, Hoc said.
PiS MP Wioletta Maria Kulpa said that from Monday's statement by the head of the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers, Maciej Berek, on Radio ZET, it follows that “Poles are supposed to be sick within the limit.” – And if he gets sick too late, when the limit expires, what will happen? – Kulpa asked.
PiS MP Barbara Bartuś, in turn, said that maternity wards are being closed down en masse and the government does not want to increase the valuation of childbirth services so that their operation does not put hospitals in debt.
On Monday, the head of the Standing Committee of the Council of Ministers, Maciej Berek, said on Radio ZET that overperformance means that the hospital provides more services than agreed. – The question is whether we should pay 100 percent for the implementation of what was above the contract, or whether we should say: “it's not fair. It's not fair that we agreed with you for x and you do x twice and say: 'please pay me for everything'.” Because in essence, what is this contract then? – noted the minister. He added that the mechanism that would involve reducing the price for overperformance, i.e. “reducing the incentive of hospitals to overwork”, is a mechanism that “has its own rationality”.
Data from the Ministry of Health show that over the last 15 years, a quarter of maternity wards have been closed: from 406 in 2010 to 305 in November 2025. In 2020, 12 gynecology and obstetrics wards were closed, in 2021 – 10, and in 2022 – 11. Maternity wards were closed in the following years: In 2023 – 7, in 2024 – 11, and in 2025 – 27.
Data from the Ministry of Health show that in January 2026, three maternity wards were closed and 12 were suspended. Since January, two gynecological and obstetrics departments in Podkarpacie have stopped operating – in Lesko and Leżajsk.
On Tuesday, government spokesman Adam Szłapka apologized at a press conference “under the authorization” of Prime Minister Donald Tusk for misleading public opinion regarding the maternity ward in Lesko.
On Friday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, asked on TVN24 about the “attempt” to close the maternity ward in Lesko (Podkarpackie Voivodeship), stated that the maternity ward had not been closed.
– I have direct authorization from the Prime Minister to apologize very sincerely for misleading the public opinion in the matter related to the maternity ward in Lesko. In fact, this maternity ward is not functioning, said the government spokesman. Szłapka noted that the maternity ward was closed at the request of the district government.
Over 15 years (from 2010 to 2025), the number of births decreased from 413,000. up to 238 thousand annually – according to data from the Central Statistical Office. (PAP)
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