In late March 2025, Parliament approved the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) budget for 2025 alongside the state and social security budgets. The NHIF budget, set at €4.7 billion, reflects a 16% increase compared to 2024, though its expenditure structure remains largely unchanged. The largest allocation (€2.1 billion, or 46.8% of total spending on services and goods) is directed toward inpatient care, followed by pharmaceuticals and medical devices at €1.2 billion (26.7%). Primary outpatient care and specialized outpatient care each receive slightly over 7% of the total expenditure.
The 2025 budget also introduces new measures, including full reimbursement for prescribed antibiotics and antiviral medications for children up to seven years of age (see also the policy analysis “Introduction of public coverage for antiviral drugs and antibiotics for children”); coverage of biomarker testing costs for cancer diagnosis and financial support for pharmacies operating in remote or underserved areas.