Adult intensive therapy services contracted by the National Health Fund in 2012

Background
Limited financial resources of the National Health Fund (NHF) affect the extent of funding allocated for intensive therapy services. The objective of the study was to analyse the levels of funding the departments of anaesthesiology and intensive therapy are provided with by NHF regional branches in 2012.

Methods
Websites of NHF regional branches were surveyed to obtain the data about the therapeutic entities containing departments of anaesthesiology and intensive therapy, whose services were contracted by NHF in 2012. The contract value, number of contracted points and price of a point were determined for each department. Moreover, based on preliminary survey of the National Official Register of Economic Entities (REGON), the number of intensive therapy beds in the departments in question was calculated.

Results
The highest expenditure on adult intensive therapy per one citizen was found in the West Pomeranian, Podlasie and Lesser Poland provinces whereas the lowest one in Swietokrzyskie, Pomeranian and Lublin provinces.

Conclusion
Funds allocated by NHF for services of departments of anaesthesiology and intensive therapy are insufficient.