Health Ministry wants proton therapy covered by public health insurance

The Health Ministry is planning to have proton therapy for cancer covered by health insurance. According to a proposed amendment to the law, all public health insurance companies would be bound to cover proton therapy if is recommended by one of the country’s 13 oncology centers. At present this form of therapy is used only marginally, despite the fact that Prague has a modern Proton Therapy Centre which takes in patients from around the world. Currently only Prague’s military hospital has an agreement on care with the center and the biggest Czech health insurer Všeobecná Pojištovna is locked in a drawn-out-dispute with it over a controversial contract signed in the past.