You want to take out blood? Pay! Health Center in Gorski Kotar: ‘Well, it’s cheaper than going to Rijeka!’

The Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Health Center responded to 24 hours, which is why patients from smaller environments are charged two and a half euros for some specialist blood or urinopreges, despite having basic and supplementary health insurance.

Recall that we were complained to us by patients from Gorski Kotar, who often need specialist blood and urological laboratory tests due to various diseases and conditions, such as thyroid, then markers, some more precise urinoprements, blood tests for heart disease and the like, in the local health center in their place of housing, as well as in the closest, dowry of the Delnice. Samples in Rijeka, since their local laboratories do not work.

– It is not only a matter of money, even if these little ones are big for some, but I feel discriminated against in relation to patients in Rijeka, who do not have to pay for it …, a resident of Gorski Kotar told us. He lives in a small place, and whenever he has to do some blood, or urine test on the referral, pay for a special fee. The bill, he says, has not received so far.

The PGZ Health Center responds that they actually come out to meet patients, so that they would not have to have special searches in several different laboratories, including Rijeka. This, they explain, is cheaper than traveling to Rijeka. They do not consider patients in Gorski Kotar to be discriminated against. Patients should get a service account printed when they come to the infirmary next time.

-The medical-biochemical laboratory at the level of primary health care has a clearly established list of searches contracted with the CIHI. Specialist and high-demised tests that patients were referred to by their selected doctors, who were not contracted with the CIHI at the level of primary health care, are carried out in laboratories with which the CIHI has contracted specialist tests, for example at KBC Rijeka, corresponds to the PGZ Health Center on a 24-hour request. In order to spare patients with multiple blood extraction in different laboratories, as well as traveling to Rijeka, they are allowed to extract blood throughout the offices and laboratories in the branch office. This service includes consumption costs, sampling and processing of samples, storage to transport and transportation, which is unable to charge from the HZZO PGZ Health Center. The price of transport is two euros plus VAT, means a total of two and a half euros per referral.

– The amount is charged directly to the patient, to whom the invoice is issued. All laboratories in the branches have a prominent notice of the price of the service on the counter, noting that this service can be made in collaborative institutions if patients are so suited to patients.

In translation, patients are « encountered » by having health services enabled in their infirmary, instead of traveling to Rijeka, which they must then be charged. The state did not make sure that every patient gets an equal service for his basic and supplementary insurance without having to « pull » and 50 kilometers away.