Can people afford to pay for health care? New evidence on financial protection in Poland. Summary (2020)

This review assesses the extent to which people in Poland experience financial hardship when they use health services, including medicines. The analysis draws on household budget survey data collected annually by the Central Statistical Office of Poland (Główny Urząd Statystyczny, GUS) between 2005 and 2014. It focuses on two indicators of financial protection: catastrophic health spending and impoverishing health spending. It also considers the presence of access barriers leading to unmet need for health care.