Adonis Georgiadis: A Historic Zero Clawback and a New Era in Diagnostic Spending

“For the first time, we reached a 0% clawback in August 2025. This is not a coincidence — it is the direct result of consistent work, targeted interventions, and real-time monitoring of health expenditure.”

A Clear Sign of Stabilization: The 0% Clawback

The newly released data for August 2025 confirm one of the most significant achievements of the Ministry of Health in the field of diagnostic tests and procedures. The clawback rate reached 0% across almost all subcategories, marking a historic milestone that reflects tangible improvement in the operation of the system.

Although August is typically a month with lower activity, the comparison with previous years is striking: when Adonis Georgiadis assumed office, August’s clawback hovered around 30%, with other months rising to 45%. Achieving a zero rate represents both a quantitative victory and a structural one.

The Reforms That Changed the Landscape

This success is not accidental. It is the outcome of a series of deliberate policy choices:

• Fairer and more accurate allocation of monthly spending limits Through a redesigned distribution of diagnostic spending caps, overspending was reduced and predictability increased.
• Strengthened expenditure monitoring For the first time, systematic tools were employed to track spending closely, identifying deviations before they became structural.
• Timely correction of overshoots Monthly adjustments prevented the accumulation of deficits and minimized the ballooning of clawback obligations.
• Addressing the legacy burdens of the past Recent decisions corrected the distortions caused by older regulatory frameworks — most notably the 2016 Government Gazette — which had placed heavy financial strain on diagnostic providers.

These interventions collectively foster a stable, healthier environment for both providers and patients.

Zero Clawback in August — A Boost for September

The 0% clawback achieved in August had an important secondary effect: unused funds were automatically transferred into September, creating additional fiscal space.

As a result, projections indicate that September’s clawback will reach historic lows, close to 20% or even slightly below. This shows that the progress is not merely episodic, but part of a sustained trajectory of improvement.

Why Providers Still Voice Concerns — and What Lies Behind Them

Despite the significant progress, representatives of diagnostic providers continue to raise concerns about high clawback obligations. However, these complaints now relate primarily to accumulated debts from previous years — debts generated long before the current leadership took office.

The Ministry has already taken corrective action on these historical deficits. Decisions made in 2024–2025 have specifically addressed the fiscal distortions created by the 2016 regulation, bringing long-awaited relief to the sector.

A Strategic Target for 2026: Clawback Below 20%

The Ministry of Health has set a clear and ambitious goal:by 2026, diagnostic clawback should stabilize below 20% — a target that would have seemed unrealistic only a short time ago.

Given the current momentum, the reforms in place, and the systematic oversight of spending, this objective is increasingly attainable. Greece’s diagnostic sector is entering a new phase of rationalization and sustainability.

“Our policies are delivering results. And we will continue — with a firm objective: to safeguard and strengthen the diagnostic sector, which is vital for Public Health.”

The journey from 45% to 0% clawback is not merely a statistical achievement. It represents a structural transformation that reshapes the daily reality of providers and ensures a more stable, transparent and sustainable trajectory for the public health system.

Σήμερα δημοσιεύθηκαν τα αποτελέσματα του Αυγούστου 2025, τα οποία επιβεβαιώνουν μία από τις σημαντικότερες επιτυχίες στη συγκράτηση της δαπάνης για τις Υπηρεσίες Διαγνωστικών Εξετάσεων και Πράξεων. Το ποσοστό clawback διαμορφώθηκε στο 0% (μηδέν) σχεδόν σε όλες τις υποκατηγορίες,… pic.twitter.com/xSG9rwpYNp

— Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης (@AdonisGeorgiadi) November 28, 2025

Source: pagenews.gr