WARSAW – The Polish government plans to limit the range of free healthcare services available to uninsured Ukrainian citizens as part of an amendment to the law on assistance for this group.
Poland’s Interior Ministry has prepared a new draft amendment to the law on verifying foreigners’ entitlement to family benefits and on the conditions of assistance for Ukrainian citizens in connection with the armed conflict in their country. On Thursday, the document was adopted by the government.
The ministry is making another attempt to amend the law on assistance for Ukrainian citizens, following President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of the earlier version, which would have prolonged Ukrainian refugees’ access to healthcare in Poland under the current rules.
The current rules stipulate that the treatment of Ukrainian citizens in Poland is financed from the state budget, not from health insurance contributions.
This means that Ukrainian citizens who legally arrived in Poland after February 24, 2022, are entitled to free medical care and reimbursed medicines on the same terms as insuranced Polish citizens.
The draft provides for limiting the range of benefits available to uninsured Ukrainian citizens. This concerns 11 types of services, including spa treatment, rehabilitation, and dental care.
The restrictions will not apply to children under 18 or to insured individuals. Those injured as a result of the war in Ukraine will also be entitled to healthcare services.
The government states that the changes aim to reduce the impact on insured Polish citizens and curb the costs of providing assistance.