Romania Senate considers removing annual limits on imaging for chronic patients

The Romanian Senate has adopted a draft law that could allow patients with chronic conditions to access unlimited imaging investigations for health monitoring. The legislation, currently under debate in the Chamber of Deputies, aims to modify rules set to take effect on January 1, 2026, which would otherwise limit reimbursement to a single high-performance imaging investigation per year.

The proposed measure targets insured individuals diagnosed with diabetes, rare diseases, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, or neurological conditions, as well as chronic kidney disease. If passed, patients could receive reimbursement for all necessary high-performance imaging or nuclear medicine investigations based on a specialist doctor's recommendation, provided the tests are included in the basic medical services package.

Thirteen patient associations are advocating for this change, arguing that current restrictions on CT and MRI scans place a heavy financial burden on patients. These organizations maintain that the frequency of such investigations should be determined by medical necessity and the patient's condition rather than administrative limits.