Prague, Sept 19 (CTK) – Czech dentists say their branch is underestimated and they have launched a campaign during which they want to warn of the situation, Pavel Chrz, head of the Czech Dental Chamber, said on Monday, adding that some doctors may cease offering care paid from public health insurance.
The dentists demand an increase in what health insurance companies pay to them for certain treatments or that they be covered by patients themselves.
“We have long been warning politicians, health insurance companies as well as patients that the payments for certain treatments are dramatically below the costs which we have to cover in order to provide care for our patients with a clean conscience,” Chrz said.
He said other branches always were given priority, most recently hospitals where salaries will be raised by 10 percent as of next year.
Chrz repeated the dentists’ previous demand that patients pay for fillings by themselves.
Health Minister Svatopluk Nemecek (Social Democrats, CSSD) said the dentists had already agreed on a 2.5 percent rise of the payments with health insurance companies for next year.
He said he could not understand the dentists’ protests.
The dentists are demanding either an increase in the payment from the health insurance system or the exemption of some types of dental care so that patients will have to pay for them in cash, which is opposed by the ministry.
