State aid for eliminating queues for treatment
In July 2002, the Council of State granted 25 million euros in state aid for
eliminating queues for examination and treatment. All hospital districts applied for the
aid in the maximum amount, and it was granted to them all.
The state aid has to be used in its entirety on costs arising from hospital
districts’ elimination of queues for examination and treatment. It cannot be used to
cover normal activities included in the hospital districts’ financial and action
plan. One fourth of the state aid received must be used for eliminating queues for
outpatient examinations and for examinations and treatment, and three quarters must be
devoted to eliminating queues for surgery and treatment. Part of the allocation to be used
for eliminating outpatient queues must be used to support community care services for
psychiatric patients and mental health care rehabilitation. The state aid must be used by
the end of 2003.
Hospital districts must agree with their constituent municipalities that they will pay
half, in respect of the services purchased or produced with the state aid, of what their
share of payment would have been under the terms of payment normally applied by the
hospital district.