Health care reform

PASOK will soon take action to address what it describes as "exorbitant increases" in health and hospital coverage premiums imposed by insurance companies, opposition leader Nikos Androulakis has announced. The initiative will begin as soon as Parliament resumes its work after the holiday break.

Areti Tsoukalas, daughter of Lefteris Tsoukalas, a professor of Nuclear Engineering at Purdue University in the United States, was diagnosed with leukemia three years ago at the age of just 23.

A new bill proposes charging foreign nationals for primary health care services and requiring all citizens to pay for specific reports from family physicians, such as those needed for driver's licenses.

The Regional Health Inspectorate (RHI) in Varna conducted an investigation following reports that Dr. Zdravko Damyanov, a physician at a medical center in the "Central" hotel in the "Golden Sands" resort near Varna, charged nearly 1,500 leva (750 euros) for an examination.

A family from Lithuania paid nearly 1,500 leva (750 euros) for an examination and treatment for their 9-year-old daughter at a private medical practice in the "Golden Sands" resort near Varna. While not illegal, as these are commercial entities that can set their own prices, the fees must be advertised so patients are aware. The Lithuanian family claims they were unaware of the cost.

Greeks spent 5.9 billion euros out of pocket for medical services in 2022, when the public spending was €10.9 billion.

This puts Greece at the bottom of the EU rankings, with state healthcare expenditure at 61.8% of total health spending, but at the top of the rankings in private health expenditure at 33.4%.

Expenditure through private insurance was limited to €712.4 million.

The Ministerial Decision defining the terms, conditions and procedure for the possibility of private practice for doctors, dentists and medical specialists of the National Health Service signed by the Minister of Health , Adonis Georgiades and the Deputy Minister of Health, Marios Themistocleous.

Medical laboratory scientists working in the private sector will be walking off the job on Wednesday, the first day of what may turn out to be a protracted strike that will affect diagnostic clinics and labs, but is not expected to have a significant impact on public hospitals.

The Minister of Health emphasised growth in public expenditure in healthcare

Two medical diagnostic clinics in the northern port city of Thessaloniki charged insured clients unauthorized extra fees for tests prescribed by their doctors, an investigation revealed on Thursday.