This Thursday, PCP asked the government whether it intends to withdraw the National Register of Users (RNU) order, arguing that it discriminates against Portuguese expats in accessing the National Health Service.
“We cannot treat Portuguese citizens differently or discriminate against Portuguese citizens because their tax residence is abroad,” warns the PCP panel in a question addressed to Health Minister Manuel Pizarro through the Assembly of the Republic.
We are talking about an order that defines the mechanisms for organizing and managing RNE, as well as the rules for registering citizens with the National Health Service (NHS) and admitting them to primary health care.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health assured that Portuguese residents abroad will still have “full access” to SNS without having to pay for their service, and that the changes to RNU are aimed at guaranteeing “monitoring by the family health team”. namely, access to a family doctor for those who need it most.”
Despite these guarantees provided by the government, the PCP panel adds that the order in question states that only “citizens with Portuguese citizenship and domicile in Portugal” and “citizens with foreign citizenship and domicile in Portugal” are considered active on social networks. .”
“In fact, this results in Portuguese citizens living outside the country being included in inactive registers,” emphasizes the Communist parliamentary group, for which, ultimately, “payments always fall on the citizens, whereas it should be the SNS.” provide free care to Portuguese expatriates under the same conditions as citizens living in Portugal.”
The PKP believes that this is an “unacceptable violation of the rights of the Portuguese”, since the conditions for access to social networks should be guaranteed to all citizens without any discrimination.
Among the questions sent to Minister Manuel Pizarro, the parliamentary group wants to know what “is the basis for emigrants remaining ‘inactive’ in the SNS and having to pay for the provision of health care in the SNS” if the government does not do so. believe that this constitutes “inconceivable discrimination against Portuguese citizens” and that the intention is to overturn the order.
According to the Ministry of Health, the gradual implementation of changes to the PNE has occurred over the past ten months without any reports of disruptions in access to SNS and has allowed more users to appoint a family doctor.
“It is emphasized once again that there can be no question of them paying for this assistance. What has changed is the definition of financially responsible persons in the case of citizens who do not reside in Portugal, which allows the Portuguese state to reimburse the costs incurred by the SNS for the treatment of citizens who have health insurance in another country, where applicable,” explained the statement. ministry
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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