Social Democrats slam plan to introduce health care fees

The opposition Social Democratic Party has slammed the health minister's plan to introduce health care fees for patients as of 2008, calling it anti-social and saying that it would make health care inaccessible to hundreds of thousands of elderly people. The plan envisages a 30 crown payment for every visit to one's GP, dentist or specialist, another 30 per each item on prescription, 60 crowns per day in hospital and 90 crowns for emergency care. Shadow health minister David Rath said on Tuesday that the plan goes beyond his darkest expectations of what the Civic Democrats would do in the health sector. He said chronic patients and elderly people would be especially hard hit and many would not be able to afford the medical care they need. The health minister said he hoped the plan would prevent what he called "unnecessary health care" and stop Czechs squandering medicine.