Private clinics will be required to display reimbursement caps for medical tests

Private laboratories and clinics that perform medical tests under contracts with the Health Insurance House will be required to publicly display the value of their reimbursement cap. This ensures that patients know - before samples are collected - whether the tests can be performed free of charge or if they must be paid for. This measure is set to be regulated by the Ministry of Health, as announced by Minister Alexandru Rogobete in Cluj-Napoca. The official claims that some private medical facilities use the logo of the National Health Insurance House to attract patients, without providing transparent information regarding the value of their reimbursement contracts or the funds actually available.

• Patients only discover that funds have run out at the time of sample collection

According to the Minister, there are laboratories and clinics that enter into contracts with low reimbursement caps, yet promote the availability of state-reimbursed medical testing. Consequently, patients arrive at collection points only to be told that the funds allocated for that month have already been exhausted. Alexandru Rogobete cited the example of contracts with monthly caps of approximately 10,000 lei, which he claims some clinics use - among other reasons - to benefit from their association with the public health insurance system. "When patients arrive at the collection center, they are told that funds have run out. And what do you think 80% of these patients do? They stay and pay for it themselves. This will be regulated soon," the minister stated. The requirement to display the funding cap is intended to allow patients to verify in advance to what extent services offered by a clinic can be covered by the National Health Insurance House.

• Minister recommends public hospital outpatient clinics

Alexandru Rogobete encouraged the public to undergo routine medical testing at the specialized outpatient clinics of public hospitals, noting that these facilities do not operate under the same reimbursement caps applied to private providers. The minister's remarks highlight the ongoing issue of patient access to state-reimbursed medical testing, as well as the differences between services available within the public system and those provided by private laboratories under contract with the health insurance authorities. Until the new regulations are adopted and implemented, patients can ask medical providers directly about the availability of funds for their recommended tests.