THE POLISH HEALTH CARE SYSTEM'S ENDLESS JOURNEY TO PERFECTION - A NEVER ENDING STORY

Abstract

Purpose: The main aim of this paper is to show the Polish health care system’s transformation process in recent years and to answer the question whether is there a simple path from centralization to decentralization or another form of centralization. The transformation process has changed the health care system’s financing from budget planning to compulsory health insurance deducted from workers’ and employers’ premiums. In addition, the transformation has strengthened the autonomy of the health care at a local level and made it less dependent from the public sector. Different health care system corresponds to each period respectively. It is believed that the main change in Polish health care took place in 1999 when the function of the payer which formerly belonged to the government administration was overtaken by an independent institution (Health Care Fund). The article not only describes and explains functioning of each health care model existing in Poland in the past but also puts them in the international context. In addition, the article shows difficulties each model had to face and cope with and indicates the underlying reasons for changes in the Polish health care and theirs consequences. Design/methodology/approach: A range of recently published (1990-2012) works, which aim to provide both theoretical and practical view on the health care system in Poland, has been analyzed. Findings: The final thesis stated in this article presents a way of interpretation changes that the Polish health care system has been undergoing in recent years. This paper challenges a thesis according to which the polish health care system is decentralized. Research limitations/implications: The scope of this article is limited and does not allow to perform further research. Additionally, the research was based on the very scare literature on the issue of health care system in transition. Practical implications: This paper reveals several practical applications worthy of future