New law introduces fees for reports obtained from family doctors

New law introduces fees for reports obtained from family doctors

ISTANBUL
New law introduces fees for reports obtained from family doctors

Certain health reports obtained from family doctors will now incur fees, as part of new measures designed to improve the delivery of healthcare services, according to a regulation published in the Official Gazette.

Haberin Devamı

These reports include those required for obtaining licenses in various sports or for driver's licenses.

The new regulation also raises healthcare copayments, increasing the fee for outpatient treatments at doctors' and dentists' offices to 20 Turkish Liras ($0.56).

Within this scope, Türkiye's Social Security Institution (SGK) will have the authority to reduce copayments by 50 percent for patients referred by a family physician, thereby promoting the referral system and guiding patients through the healthcare process.

In addition, the regulation allows family physicians to charge citizens for services provided outside of regular business hours.

The Health Ministry will determine the pricing for these services, and the funds collected will be deposited into an account within the provincial health directorates' revolving fund enterprises, specifically allocated for this purpose.

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 establish standards for allocating funds for health care services and determine the amounts to be distributed to family physicians and staff at family health centers, including funds to cover the centers' operating costs.

Family physician services will be provided according to the standards set by the Health Ministry, at the request of the designated family physician, and within the operating hours authorized by the local health administration.

Seeking to lessen some of the responsibilities of employers while simultaneously maintaining incentives in some industries, the law also modifies the premium discounts offered to employers in the private sector, lowering the 5-point premium discount to 4 points. Nevertheless, the previous 5-point support will remain in place for employers in the manufacturing industry.