DESTINATION OF PUBLIC FUNDS FOR HEALTH PROTECTION PURPOSES

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the functioning of the Polish health care system in comparison with other EU countries. The aspects discussed will concern: health care expenditure by financing scheme, government schemes and compulsory contributory health care financing schemes, government schemes, health care expenditure by provider.One of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Poland is the right to health protection. Every citizen, regardless of the financial situation, public authorities are obliged to ensure equal access to healthcare services, which is financed from public funds. In addition, in accordance with the law, the state is obliged to create conditions for the functioning of the entire health care system and to assess the health needs of society, promote health, prevent and finance these activities along with health care benefits.Demand for healthcare services can be defined as the demand for a specific number and quality of health services that result from the consumer's striving to meet needs at the prevailing level of prices in a given periodand other socio-economic factors. The growing demand for health services makes the health sector strive to meet the needs of society.A characteristic feature of health needs is their unlimitedness, which results from the observed process of population aging tendencies, technology development, changes in the quality of health services, increased awareness or patient expectations. As a consequence, the management staff of medical facilities is constantly struggling with a constant increase in costs and insufficient possibilities of their financing. Health care systems are undergoing constant transformation, which is why health care financing is becoming more and more complex. It is a kind of combination of public and private expenditure in various areas and methods of payment. However, it is impossible to fully meet the needs, to the full extent, for each insured, because it collides with the economic situation of their satisfaction. Equal access to benefits is not possible due to the limited finances of public finances. The system of organization and financing of the health care sector itself is one of the most complicated.The methods of statistical analysis were used in the research. There were used data conducted by the Central Statistical Office in Warsaw and Eurostat data and from a representative Polish Household Budget Survey. The research methods are: critical analysis and meta analysis of Polish and foreign literature on the subject.