In an order published on Wednesday, the Regional Secretariat for Health reviews the agreements on laboratory tests, stipulating new prices for the services provided by private laboratories to the Regional Health Service. 

The proposed agreement stipules prices that are more adjusted that those established in the previous agreement, dated from 1987, taking into account the evolution of technologies as well as the evolution of prices in a national context.

The laboratory tests run in private laboratories represent an annual cost of 10 Euros for the Regional Health Service, but with the application of the new price list the savings might reach 13.5%.

This change only applies to the amounts paid by the Regional Health Service to laboratories. It does not imply any change to citizens, who will have to pay a moderating fee, whose amount had been previously stipulated.

Patients will continue to be free to choose the private laboratory where they wish to undergo tests as long as the capacity of hospital and healthcare centre laboratories is exhausted.

Laboratories should communicate to the Regional Secretariat for Health their adherence to the Agreement within ten days.