Turkish government is considering raising limits of reimbursement for private hospitals

Private hospitals in Turkey may soon be allowed to increase the rates that they charge the health department for treating publicly insured patients because they are facing severe financial problems.

All Turks can use state national health insurance to pay for part of the cost of treatment in the private sector with a Ministry of Health tariff paying set amounts for defined procedures. But in July 2008 the Ministry of Health introduced regulations that limited the private sector to charging individuals no more than an extra 30% above this level. The Ministry of Health is now considering raising that ceiling to 70%.

The private hospital sector in Turkey is labouring under $3bn (£2.1bn; €2.1bn) of debt …