Approval Process for Individual Patient Named Reimbursement Applications Amended: National Health Insurance Fund (NEAK) to Assess Applications Again
2026. July 28.Pursuant to the legislative amendments published in the Hungarian Official Gazette on 18 July 2026, the approval process for individual patient named reimbursement treatment for medicines, nutritional supplements and medical aids has been amended. Under the new rules, the assessment of individual patient named reimbursement applications will once again fall within the competence of the National Health Insurance Fund (NEAK). The amendments are set out in Act LXXXIII of 1997 on compulsory health insurance benefits and its implementing decree.
The most important change is that the assessment of patient named reimbursement treatment for medicines, nutritional supplements and medical aids will revert to the National Health Insurance Fund (NEAK), as was the case prior to the establishment of the László Batthyány-Strattmann Foundation for Healing, before 1 January 2025. As a result of the amendment, the previously introduced system based on shared competence will cease to apply, and from 19 July 2026 the assessment of individual patient named reimbursement applications will once again be carried out exclusively by the National Health Insurance Fund.
As a transitional provision, requests submitted after 1 June 2026 but not yet assessed shall be transferred by the László Batthyány-Strattmann Foundation for Healing to the National Health Insurance Fund within three days of the Act coming into force. The processing deadline for these requests shall commence on the date of transfer. Accordingly, in addition to new requests submitted from 19 July 2026, the National Health Insurance Fund will also assess applications that had already been submitted but were still pending on that date. There is no need to resubmit pending applications, as they will be transferred in accordance with the procedure laid down by law.
The purpose of the amendment is to re-establish a uniform procedure for individual patient named reimbursement applications by assigning all such cases to a single competent authority. At the same time, the amendment does not affect the continuity of treatments that have already commenced. In addition, applicants whose requests were previously rejected may continue to submit a new application, which will be assessed by the National Health Insurance Fund in accordance with the applicable rules.