The National Health Fund is changing the rules: selected treatments only in departments with appropriate staff on site

Treatments only with appropriate staff on site

Draft regulations on this matter were submitted for public consultation in August 2026.

"From January 2027, selected orthopedic, urological and spine surgery procedures will be performed only in specialist departments that have appropriate equipment and medical staff on site, which gives patients greater safety, especially in the event of complications," the National Health Fund said in a statement on its website.

Currently, such procedures are often performed by district hospitals, using the so-called suitcase doctors, i.e. specialists who come only to perform a procedure and settle accounts with the hospital, and then leave without a guarantee of further patient care.

The change will include, among others: arthroscopy, selected lower limb procedures, spine surgeries, selected urological procedures (ureter and bladder). These services will be financed and provided in departments appropriate for a given specialty.

The National Health Fund also reminded that from October 2026 it will increase financing for simultaneous treatment of bilateral inguinal hernia. The valuation will increase by 40%. The funds will go primarily to surgical departments. "The patient will also benefit because he will undergo one procedure and one convalescence, which will reduce the number of additional hospitalizations," it said.

Money linked to the quality of services and prevention

The National Health Fund will also link the system of financing services with their quality, introducing payment modifications both in primary health care and in hospital treatment.

In the case of primary health care facilities, from May 2027, the capitation rate will be reduced for the lack of home visits (by 10%), the lack of teleconsultations or their excessive percentage exceeding 50%. (by 10%), as well as for the abnormally low reporting of patients for preventive mammographic and cytological examinations (by 5%).

It is clearly visible that the lower remuneration will only apply to those primary health care facilities whose patients use a specific preventive program to a small extent or not at all - emphasized Paweł Florek, director of the Office of Social Communication and Promotion at the National Health Fund Headquarters, quoted in the release.

In hospitals, the amount of contracts is to depend on 20 quality indicators - however, in 2027, more lenient transitional thresholds will be applied, giving the facilities time to adapt to the target, more stringent requirements that will come into force in 2028.