In the project on reducing health insurance premiums, proposed by Polska 2050 and prepared by Ryszard Petru, there were incorrect calculations.
The proposal from Szymon Hołownia’s party, submitted by Ryszard Petru, envisages the introduction of fixed contributions of PLN 300, PLN 525 and PLN 700 per month, replacing the current contributions calculated as a percentage of remuneration. The new contributions would apply not only to business activities, but also to most other insured persons.
According to the project authors, the new contribution system would generate PLN 144 billion in revenue annually, which would increase the deficit of the National Health Fund by about PLN 15 billion.
A much bigger hole in the money
These calculations were carefully examined by Sławomir Dudek, chief economist at the Institute of Public Finance and assistant professor at the Institute of Economic Development of the Warsaw School of Economics. As he calculated, according to the fund’s forecasts, the revenue from contributions to the National Health Fund in 2025 is expected to amount to PLN 173 billion. Thus, the deficit will immediately double to PLN 29 billion per year, and not just PLN 15 billion. Moreover, the economist indicates that the revenue from the new contribution will not amount to PLN 144 billion annually.
Dudek explains that according to Petru’s project, the premium for health insurance should increase to PLN 525 when the total income of the insured person exceeds PLN 85,000. PLN, and then to PLN 700 per month if the total income exceeds PLN 300,000. zlotys. However, there will be no annual settlement in the system, i.e. payment at the end of the year. This means that most insured persons will pay a premium slightly higher than the minimum of PLN 300. Up to the threshold of PLN 85 thousand, even those who earn more pay only PLN 300, and only above this threshold PLN 525, and then PLN 700 if they exceed PLN 300,000. The Polish law 2050 calculated the costs as if those earning between PLN 85,000 and PLN 300,000 and those above the threshold of 300,000 PLN they paid a higher rate all year round, and yet before they reached the threshold of PLN 85,000 PLN they pay, according to the law, PLN 300 per month.
According to the economist, even if an “extremely optimistic” scenario is assumed – when the average contribution is PLN 350 per month – the income of the National Health Fund will not exceed PLN 110 billion. It means that The actual gap in the National Health Fund resulting from this project amounts to over PLN 63 billion, which is PLN 48 billion more than stated in the Poland 2050 project.
Source: Do Rzeczy
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
