WARSAW – The Polish government is set to limit the availability of free healthcare services for uninsured Ukrainian citizens as part of a newly drafted amendment to the law on assistance for this demographic, reports 24brussels.
The Polish Interior Ministry has prepared this amendment to regulations concerning family benefits for foreigners and the assistance provided to Ukrainian citizens due to the ongoing armed conflict in their homeland. The government adopted the document on Thursday.
This marks another effort by the ministry to reform the provisions for Ukrainian citizens after President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a previous iteration that would have extended the existing healthcare access for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.
Presently, Ukrainian citizens who legally entered Poland post-February 24, 2022, have access to free medical care funded by the state budget rather than by health insurance contributions. They receive treatment on par with insured Polish citizens.
The new draft amendment seeks to restrict the range of healthcare benefits available to uninsured Ukrainian citizens, affecting 11 specific service types such as spa treatments, rehabilitation, and dental care.
However, exemptions will be made for individuals under 18 years of age, those with insurance, and individuals injured due to the war in Ukraine, who will still be entitled to necessary healthcare services.
The government justifies these changes as a means to alleviate the financial burden on insured Polish citizens and to control the escalating costs associated with providing assistance.
