New bill proposes charging primary health care fees for foreigners

ISTANBUL

A new bill proposes charging foreign nationals for primary health care services and requiring all citizens to pay for specific reports from family physicians, such as those needed for driver’s licenses.

Submitted to the Turkish parliamentary speaker’s office, this new legislative proposal will also allow family physicians to charge citizens for services rendered outside of regular business hours.

The Health Ministry will determine the pricing for the services, and the funds that will be collected from such services will be transformed into an account in the provincial health directorates' revolving fund enterprises that will be formed especially for this objective.

The Treasury and Finance Ministry will review the procedures and guidelines regarding the allocation and use of the funds collected in this account.

Following this process, the Health Ministry will set the standards for allocating the funds for healthcare services and determine the amounts to be provided to family physicians and family health center staff, including funds to cover the costs of family health centers.

Family physician services will be rendered in accordance with the standards established by the Health Ministry, at the request of the appropriate family physician, and within the hours of operation authorized by the local health administration, the regulation stated.

Within this scope, with the exception of emergencies, family physicians will work at least 40 hours a week.