Overview
- The reform, published in the state gazette on Wednesday, updates what patients pay for prescription medicines based on income and starts on Thursday.
- Active workers move from three to six income bands, with new monthly caps for those under €35,000 a year that limit out-of-pocket costs to €8.23, €18.52, or €61.75 depending on income.
- Pensioners who receive minimum top‑up benefits are now exempt from paying for prescriptions, a change that covers about 2.1 million people, while existing exemptions for other vulnerable groups remain in place.
- Pensioner copays keep a general 10% rate but add a new €13.37 monthly cap for incomes between €18,000 and €60,000, with other caps set at €8.23 for lower incomes and €18.52 or €61.75 for higher brackets.
- The government estimates a €265.63 million budget impact and says tighter caps should cut treatment breaks for people with long‑term conditions, which could lessen costly complications.