Petition against Czech healthcare fees launched

Around 60 politicians and academics have launched a petition calling on the public not to pay the health fees that will be imposed as of January 2008. Patients have to pay for their healthcare under a government reform package approved in August. The opposition Social Democrats immediately filed a complaint against healthcare fees with the Constitutional Court. The new petition calls on Czech citizens not to pay the fees until the Constitutional Court rules on the matter. Signatories of the petition so far include a number of Social Democrat MPs, journalists, historians and writers. As of January next year, Czechs will pay 30 crowns each time they visit the doctor, and 60 crowns for each day that they spend in hospital. A limit of 5000 CZK per year has been put on any individual’s spending on healthcare; any amount over that will be reimbursed.