New rules for referrals to sanatoriums. More doctors can issue referrals.

• A new referral template for spa treatment is in force
• Referrals to the sanatorium can be approved by new specialists. The list has been expanded to include internists, family physicians, rheumatologists, and orthopedists.

This summer, the way patients are referred for spa treatment financed by the National Health Fund changed. Fakt.pl reports on the implemented changes. The aim of the amendment was to simplify bureaucracy and improve access to spa rehabilitation.

A key change was the introduction of a new spa treatment referral form in July of this year. The form, as Fakt points out, includes a list of justifications for the patient's referral, such as continued hospital treatment, improved mobility, or weight loss, which is intended to simplify the verification process and shorten waiting times.

The new regulation also expanded the group of specialists authorized to approve referrals for spa treatment at regional branches of the National Health Fund. Previously, this task rested exclusively with balneologists and specialists in physical medicine or medical rehabilitation.

Currently , internal medicine specialists, family medicine specialists, rheumatologists , and orthopedists can also perform this service, provided they have completed a course in the basics of balneology. This solution allows more patients, especially seniors and people with disabilities, to obtain referrals more quickly.

The regulations also introduce the obligation to indicate in the referral whether the service is to be provided in inpatient conditions (stay in a sanatorium) or outpatient conditions (treatment without accommodation).

Importantly, referrals issued before July 1, 2025, remain valid. Patients do not need to reconfirm them.

National Health Fund-funded stays typically last 21 or 28 days and begin midweek, most often on Wednesdays. For example, some health resorts schedule stays for January 8–29, January 29–February 19, February 19–March 12, and so on. Detailed information can be found on the website of the selected facility or on the Patient's Online Account (IKP).

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