PP looks into health copayment scheme
Aznar's FAES think-tank to provide current party leadership with health-reform paper later this year
The Analysis and Studies Foundation think tank (FAES), headed up by former Prime Minister José María Aznar, will give Popular Party (PP) candidate Mariano Rajoy a report later this year on health-reform proposals that will include discussions on introducing a copayment scheme for patients seeking medical care, sources have told EL PAÍS.
Until now, Rajoy has avoided talking about whether there is a need to implement the copayment system to help taper off the rising costs of state-funded healthcare - an issue that many in the PP believe could scare away the most moderate voters.
Copayment is a measure that officials at the Health Ministry under the current Socialist government have considered, but what would almost certainly prove an unpopular reform has so far been ruled out.
Rajoy asked FAES to prepare the health-reform report last December so that he could incorporate some of its ideas into his party platform.
PP officials have always denied that FAES was feeding the party ideas about certain issues.