The Hospital Budgets Committee

The Hospital Budgets Committee (Commission des budgets hospitaliers) is a body that was established through an agreement between the National Health Fund (Caisse nationale de santé - CNS) and the Federation of Luxembourg Hospitals (Fédération des hôpitaux luxembourgeois - FHL).

Composition

The Budgets Committee is composed of:

• two representatives from the National Health Fund;
• two members representing hospitals, including one from the hospital concerned;
• a chairperson, appointed by mutual agreement of the other members, or by random draw.

Remit

The Hospital Budgets Committee is consulted when disputes arise between the National Health Fund (CNS) and a hospital regarding the hospital's draft budget, individual changes to the budget or to the end-of-year statement of account, as well as disputes between CNS and the Federation of Luxembourg Hospitals (FHL) regarding the establishment of hospital budgets, the annual quality performance bonus (quality incentives) that is set by the Evaluation Committee (Commission d’évaluation), or the amount of the FHL's contributions.

Procedure

In the event of a dispute between a hospital and the CNS, both parties must submit their position in writing to the FHL, which will attempt to reconcile the parties within two weeks.

Should the dispute persist, it will then be referred to the Budgets Committee.

If the matter involves the establishment of the draft budget or the end-of-year statement of account, the dispute must be referred to the Budgets Committee before 1 September, and if the Budgets Committee fails to reconcile the parties within one month of the referral, it will settle the dispute once and for all before 15 October.

When the dispute concerns a change to the budget, the matter must be referred to the Committee within no more than one month of the date on which the change was requested. If the Committee fails to reconcile the parties, it will settle the matter once and for all within one month of the referral.

In the event of a dispute between the FHL and the CNS regarding a change to the budgets in general, or the annual quality performance bonus, or the amount of the contributions paid to the FHL, the most diligent party may refer the matter to the Committee.

If the Committee fails to reconcile the parties, it will settle the matter once and for all within one month of the referral.