NFZ survey to give impetus to development of insurance products for hospitals?

Ten post jest także dostępny w języku: polski

NFZ has launched a survey of patients’ satisfaction after their stay in hospital. The results of the survey may be useful not only for public hospitals, but also for the private ones. Will such a move contribute to creating new insurance products? It is worth mentioning that recently Towarzystwo Ubezpieczen Wzajemnych Polski Zaklad Ubezpieczen Wzajemnych (TUW PZUW), created by PZU Group, has introduced a solution for groups of hospitals in the form of umbrella insurance which aims to increase the financial security of hospitals.

NFZ survey: scope

Adam Niedzielski, Minister of Health, announced that starting 26 October, patients who have recently been hospitalized will be asked to answer nine questions about the quality of communication, treatment and nutrition. The survey will be conducted by pollsters commissioned by the National Health Fund. The survey aims to improve the quality and availability of services.

The questions will cover nine areas related to the hospital stay:

“1. Was the medical team involved in pain relief?
2. What was the quality of food?
3. Was communication understandable?
4. Was the medical team informative enough about the risks associated with medications?
5. Did the medical team provide emotional support?
6. Was the immediate environment clean?
7. Did night curfew take place?
8. Did the medical team involve the patient in treatment decisions?
9. What is the probability of recommending the hospital further?”

These areas will be rated on a scale of 0 to 10.

It is worth noting that the National Health Fund asks patients not to provide any other information about themselves (especially personal information or information about the service they used). This is important for their safety. The interviewers will only ask these nine questions. They will not need or ask for any other patient information.

Greater financial security for hospitals

TUW PZUW, a mutual insurer founded by the PZU Group in 2016, has introduced an innovative solution for groups of hospitals in the form of umbrella insurance in the second half of 2021. This solution consists in covering groups of hospitals with additional liability insurance, not just individual units. The concept of TUW PZUW is an answer to the growing liability of hospitals as a result of the so-called adverse events. The cost of only one, taking into account the limited amount of guaranteed sums under compulsory insurance, may expose the institution to financial losses.

Hospitals save on costs by sharing insurance, and by increasing the guarantee sums, they provide themselves with protection which is disproportionally higher in relation to costs – explains the President of TUW PZUW Rafal Kilinski. This is the basis of the concept of additional liability insurance for groups of hospitals. It is worth noting that, according to the law, under the compulsory insurance of civil liability a single hospital is protected up to the amount of €100,000 in case of one so-called adverse event and €500,000 for all events.

These amounts are sometimes insufficient, when the number and value of claims against hospitals increases. In practice, this means protection for facilities which, after exhaustion of the guarantee amount resulting from the compulsory insurance, would have to bear the costs on their own. This is also protection for potential victims who will have an easier way to obtain compensation – says Aneta Zawistowska, Member of the Board of TUW PZUW. At the same time, the offer is adjusted to the business profile of individual hospitals.