• 07/05/2022
• By wizewebsite
• 679 Views

The number of foreigners and self-payers is increasing, but the spa does not save<

The new indication list and reimbursement decree for spa treatment have been in force for more than half a year. The spa caused financial problems due to regulatory changes. What condition is Lázně Poděbrady in now?

You are right about most spa indication lists and the reimbursement decree has brought big problems because they are largely dependent on reimbursements from health insurance companies. The exception remains several entities that have long been established in foreign clients. The indication list is valid from 1 October and we have felt the biggest drop in revenue since the new year.

How many clients did the decree deprive you of, I mean the limitation of the number of proposals, the length of stay and the impossibility of extending the treatment based on the decision of the spa doctor?

We have information that from a national point of view, there has been a significant decrease, a 50 to 60 percent reduction in spa clients compared to previous years. We are a little better at Poděbrady, but we have also seen a drop of tens of percent.

Did you have to reduce the number of employees?

We prepared for the mentioned decline at the end of last year, so some jobs were gradually reduced or eliminated. However, there is no dramatic reduction in the number of spa staff. We are closely monitoring the whole situation and if there were an even greater decrease in spa patients, we would have to deal with the situation in terms of cost savings.

Minister of Health Leoš Heger insists on the correctness of the trend. As he said some time ago, spa care must respond to the development of medicine. In other words, really, thanks to modern treatments, there may not be so much care mentioned?

To some extent, the Minister is right, the list of indications was in force for about fifteen years and did not correspond to the rapid development of medicine. Many treatments really deserve to be adjusted. We were assured by the ministry that the list would not change so much, but the reality was significantly different.

Let's go back to your spa. What is the interest in the newly opened May rehabilitation center?

Our long-term strategy remains to develop classic postoperative care in Poděbrady. This includes people who have undergone heart surgery, followed by early rehabilitation, which will allow patients to adapt and return to normal life relatively quickly. We have introduced a similar model for cases of hip and joint replacements. The construction of the center from the May spa center required extensive construction modifications, as patients have limited mobility. Many years of experience from the Early Rehabilitation Program after cardiac surgery are used in the provision of this specialized care. The admission of patients is realized by direct translation from orthopedic workplaces and is in the regime of comprehensive spa treatment, that is, fully covered from public health insurance funds. During the few weeks of operation, the center has had dozens of satisfied clients and we believe that interest in rehabilitation in May will increase.

In addition to domestic clients, those interested come from abroad, where mainly?

For several years now, we have been seeing increasing interest from Russian clients, which was not typical for Podebrady, but we must respond to this fact. Previously, more people from Germany came to us, so we try in many ways to ensure their return. In smaller quantities, people come from, for example, Israel, Sweden and other countries.

Are foreign health insurance companies also interested in cooperating with your spa?

That's not how it works. If a foreign patient undergoes comprehensive spa care with us, which we will pay for, we will issue a confirmation. On this basis, it is usually possible to request partial reimbursement in the country concerned.

Are more and more clients paying for their stay, or are they just white crows? I mean clients who are interested in rehabilitation, various relaxing wellness stays and the like?

Interest in such services has stabilized, we may see a slight upward trend, but it cannot replace the aforementioned decline in comprehensive spa care, which I talked about. We are definitely still trying to come up with some news so that we do not lag behind in this area, because the competition is great.

It is possible to estimate the future of spas in the Czech Republic, I mean the development within 5 to 10 years. Won't we have to pay for our care in the end?

Everything must be considered from several points of view, including domestic. Some political parties claim that spas are our "family silver" that must be supported, others do not put such an emphasis on this field. I believe that basic care will continue to be maintained and reimbursed by health insurance companies.

Do you want to add something interesting at the end?

We try to come up with additional services for the public. At the beginning of the year, a laundry and dry cleaning service was opened in the city, which was missing here. Other investment plans concerning the Libenský hotel and other boarding houses are being prepared.

Business card: Judr. Josef Rambousek was born on July 16, 1951 in Záhrobí in western Bohemia. He received his secondary vocational education in mechanical engineering in Strakonice. He then studied at the Faculty of Law of Charles University in Prague, which he graduated from in 1977. He worked in banking in various managerial positions for about twenty years. He also gained experience on internships abroad in the USA, Austria and England. He took up the position of General Manager of the Podebrady Spa in January 2007. His hobbies include mainly sports activities, mainly cycling, tennis and skiing.

MILAN ČEJKA