Spain is considering charging the rich for health care as it reforms its highly regarded and deeply indebted public health system, Economy Minister Luis de Guindos said on Monday, as the country struggles to show it can rein in its spending.
De Guindos has stressed debt-laden Spain’s commitment to reform in a string of interviews with international media in the last week, as the euro zone’s fourth-largest economy tries to persuade the markets it can avoid a bailout the 17-nation bloc may not even be able to afford. Next on the agenda is reform of the health care system, which is 15 billion euros (US$20-billion) in debt.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s office estimated 10 billion euros could be saved from spending on health care and education. That compares with 27 billion euros in cuts unveiled in the 2012 budget last week to comply with a target to cut the deficit to 5.3% of gross domestic product from 8.5% in 2011.
For more: Spain may charge rich for health care to ease debt | News | National Post
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