The Czech government approved an amendment to the Public Health Insurance Act which will allow health insurers to pay distributors directly for antigen tests. Photo credit: Freepik / For illustrative purposes.
Czech Rep., Nov 11 (BD) – Czech Health Minister Jan Blatny has ordered around ten million coronavirus antigen tests, to be used for patients, clients and employees of chosen medical facilities.
On Monday, the Czech government approved a draft amendment to the Public Health Insurance Act which regulates how the antigen tests are paid for. This will enable health insurers to pay for the tests directly to the distributor.
The Minister of Health explained in a press conference after the government meeting that this development will ensure that antigen tests used in elderly homes and similar facilities will be reimbursed. Blatny intends for the tests to be provided to general practitioners as well.
‘‘It is estimated that up to ten million of these tests will be purchased in a certain timeframe. And so that these purchases can avoid complex procedures, we are proposing an amendment to the law that will allow direct payment to the distributor who purchases the antigen tests and then distributes them. This will bring everything into line with our legal system.’’ explained Blatny.
The Czech government is continuing to buy more protective equipment, such as face masks, respirators and gloves. The government currently has 45 million protective gloves in reserve and will purchase a further 45 million to cover the next two months.
