Health Minister Vili Beros said on Thursday that the reform of the healthcare system would be carried out in three stages until 2030.

In the first stage, the legislative framework will be changed this year. In the second stage, from 2023 to 2026, a new organisation and governance model will be established, while the third stage will focus on stabilising the system, Beros said while presenting the reform.

Work has begun on strategic infrastructure projects, including the revitalisation of the Institute of Immunology, the construction of a National Children’s Hospital in Zagreb, and the establishment of a helicopter medical service, which is expected to become operational by 2024.

Speaking of the financial viability of the healthcare system, Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) Director Lucian Vukelic said that around HRK 26 billion comes from contributions and the rest from the state budget.

Only one third of citizens work and pay their health contributions, while around 4.15 million citizens listed with the HZZO use medical services, Vukelic noted.

He said that HRK 5.2 billion would be allocated from the state budget for healthcare next year.

Charges for hospital services will be increased, and the maximum patient contribution will be increased from HRK 2,000 to 4,000, and this amount will be the income of hospitals and not of the HZZO, Vukelic said.

Beros noted that people with supplementary health insurance would not feel the increase in patient charges.

He said that the government pays 800,000 supplementary health insurance policies for indigent citizens. “Only 600,000 citizens do not pay supplementary health insurance, because they do not want to, and only they will pay increased charges,” the health minister said.