13th and 14th pensions to be liquidated. A voucher would be given instead

• The issue of replacing the 13th and 14th pension with a treatment voucher for seniors has returned
• This would be a targeted benefit that seniors could use solely for health needs.
• The petition submitted on this matter in 2023 was rejected - Info reminds

Seniors have become accustomed to two additional benefits paid annually – the 13th and 14th pensions. For many, these provide real financial support.

However, it is increasingly argued that they do not solve the problems of older people, especially in the area of health.

- Instead of cash, it is proposed to introduce a treatment voucher - writes Infor.

The treatment voucher would be a targeted benefit that seniors could use exclusively for health needs.

The funds accumulated on the voucher would be used by, for example:

• pay for a visit to a specialist,
• perform diagnostic tests,
• buy medicines or medical equipment.

- The voucher would be dedicated - its value would be "frozen" in the health care system - points out the portal's journalist.

He also points out that allocating funds from the 13th and 14th pensions for health purposes could bring greater social and economic returns .

Supporters of the solution point out that the voucher could be a signal for the development of medical services for seniors, both public and private . If some services were provided outside the National Health Fund, it could also reduce the burden on hospitals and clinics. However, there are also concerns that this would merely be state funding for so-called private providers at the expense of senior services.

Infor discussed the idea with, among others, Mr. Stanisław, a 74-year-old retiree from the Krakow area, who wasn't thrilled with the solution. "I'd rather have the money in my hand or deposited into my account. I know what I'm going to spend it on. A voucher means someone else deciding what's important to me, and I don't want that, " he said.

Although the senior admits that health is paramount, he's quick to point out that he already sees doctors, has his medications covered, and additional benefits, such as his 13th and 14th pensions, allow him to pay bills or buy gifts for his grandchildren that he wouldn't normally be able to afford. He also agrees that healthcare should be improved, but not at the expense of pensions.

"For many of us, it's the only extra money we have all year. And we really don't want anyone telling us how to spend it," he emphasizes.

Fewer hospitalizations, more supervision, new positions. There's a lot to be said for the voucher.

Infor also lists several arguments in favor of introducing a treatment voucher for seniors.

• He points out that it would be allocated exclusively to health and care services, such as rehabilitation, nursing assistance, and the purchase of medicines and medical equipment.
• In an ageing society, a treatment voucher could be an element of the state's social policy. Regular care and preventive care could reduce the number of hospitalizations and costly medical interventions, which would translate into long-term savings for the healthcare system.
• Instead of cash payments that seniors can spend on any purpose, a voucher would allow the state to better control how the funds are used.
• It would support local care services - it could stimulate the development of local health services, creating new jobs and increasing the availability of assistance in the senior's place of residence.

Importantly, however, there are currently no concrete announcements regarding the complete elimination of the 13th and 14th pensions. In response to a petition, the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, at the end of 2023, negatively assessed the idea of replacing additional benefits with a treatment voucher. At the time, it stated that: (...) this proposal contradicts the essence of the laws in question, which aim to improve the financial situation of retirees and pensioners, especially those in the most difficult financial situation.

There was no other position from the government or specifically the Ministry of Labour in this regard.

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