It seems the criticism regarding health care benefits is a bit nitpicky. The New York Times reports that benefits are being cut:
“The health, pension and transportation systems – which are largely unchanged since 1989 and are running large debts – are to be restructured and subsidies will be cut. The number of hospital beds will be reduced and the health system will be financed by the state and the public. The public sector is to be reduced by at least 10 percent.”
When you add to that the news of Social Security increases as reported in EUBusiness.com:
“The austerity measures include a two-percent rise in social security contributions, half of which will be paid by employees…” the measures look worse than what ukridge describes, “for the same amount to pay for social security, less service is due.”
As someone living here in Hungary, I find these issues difficult to follow, but the grumbling on the streets suggests that health care wise, we are getting less for more. I can certainly understand why this article reports it that way.
