The implementation of the new regulation regarding
\nhealth cards in Romania has been accompanied by reactions ranging from
\nreassuring statements from state officials to scenes verging on hysteria.
\nAnyway, the issue of the health card has been making headlines for days now. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
According to the law, starting May 1st, in
\norder for Romanian citizens to benefit from medical care, be it a check-up, a
\nblood test or a simple medical prescription, they must use the compulsory
\nhealth card. However, a week since its implementation, physicians have been
\ncomplaining that the card readers have not been functioning properly, and
\ndiscontent among patients has been growing, not to mention that some have not
\neven received the cards in question, without which they cannot benefit from any
\ntype of medical care. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
On the one hand, the authorities say that 5 million
\ncards have been activated so far. Moreover, the National Health Insurance House
\nsays the programme is fully operational and the problems reported have occurred
\nbecause some of the providers of medical services, despite a preparation
\nperiod, are now using the card for the first time. The Health Minister Nicolae
\nBanicioiu has stated that in the past two days no more problems have been
\nreported regarding the software that ensures the functioning of the card and
\nmost physicians and providers have done their job properly. As a result of
\nthat, the number of medical services provided on the basis of the card has been
\nconstantly growing. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\nOn
\nthe other hand, TV stations have been busy reporting numerous cases in which
\nlocal offices of the Health Insurance House have been crowded with people
\ndesperate to get hold of their cards, which their fellow citizens received by
\nregular post months ago. In Bucharest alone, in the first 6 days of this month,
\nover 7,000 card applications were made online and 3,000 in writing. To prevent
\nqueues, people are recommended to check on the website of the National Health
\nInsurance House if their cards have been issued. Also, the people who have
\nalready sent their applications, are recommended to wait and be informed by
\nphone exactly when to go and pick up their cards. Anyway, for now physicians
\nare obliged to treat patients, if they are insured, even if they do not have
\nthe health cards on them, while the Health Insurance House has promised to
\nreimburse the value of these services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Starting May 1st, Romanian citizens can only receive medical care based on their new health insurance cards.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":59700,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[38069],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-63799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-health-insurance-cards"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n