Spanish Plan To Clear Health Care Debt

The Spanish under secretary for Health, Jose Luis Temes, has said that debt generated by the health care system in 1992 and 1993 amounted to 290.7 billion pesetas ($2.3 billion). The government official said that a plan is being implemented that will clear the debt by 1996.

In order to clear the debt, the under secretary has said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Cinco Dias, a payment will be made this year of 149.9 billion pesetas, then in 1995 a further 57.9 pesetas will be paid, and in 1996 the remaining debt of 82.9 billion pesetas will be cleared.

The budget for health care spending in 1994 is 2.8 billion pesetas, but expenditure will reach just under 3 billion pesetas, according to Mr Temes. Pharmaceutical expenditure has been rising at a rate of 15% in recent years, but last year it increased 8.5%, and this year is expected to increase 3.5%.