HEALTHCARE TARIFFS GOVERNMENT AND HEALTHCARE SERVICE PROVIDERS OPINION

HEALTHCARE TARIFFS – GOVERNMENT AND HEALTHCARE SERVICE PROVIDERS OPINION AND EVALUATION 24229 Artūrs Kaļva 1, Ģirts Briģis 1 1 Riga Stradiņš University Introduction Tariffs of Latvian healthcare services are calculated based on Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers No 555. However, different regulations do not provide system for regular healthcare tariffs review. It is believed that are being reviewed separately healthcare tariffs and most tariffs are historically calculated. In result, most of these tariffs do not show real situation of healthcare expenses. Aim Research goal: to compare opinion of the government representative and healthcare service providers about actuality of healthcare tariffs in Latvia. Interviewees Government Health care providers Materials and Methods Was used a qualitative thematic analysis study design and legal literature. A total of 5 structured interviews: • healthcare service providers (n=3) • government representatives (n=2). Decision makers Executive Public sector Private sectors Figure 1. The scheme of the interviewees Results Conclusions Healthcare service providers (representatives of public and private sectors) argues that existing healthcare tariffs do not reflect real expenses of service. Public service providers declare that polity is not interested to calculate real expenses and show them in tariffs. Complementing the public sector representatives, the private sector managers claim that tariffs of healthcare revised in field that can affected negatively private sector and its services. In turn, government representatives (decisionmakers and executive) argue that problems with tariffs do not exist and all processes are regulated by rules. The public sectors representative consider that need to recalculate all healthcare tariffs in Latvia according real healthcare service expenses. The representatives of private sector agree, pointing out that is important to understand real expenses of healthcare and include in these tariffs real expenses of medical stuff salary, amortization, etc. However, all healthcare service providers acknowledge that real expenses and tariffs can result in need to increase budge of state healthcare budget or reduce health care service basket. Despite the above, government representatives do not see the problems in these processes and believes that there is calculated actual tariffs.