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More than 50 organizations call on the Polish authorities to guarantee access to healthcare for Ukrainian refugees

Following legislative changes that came into force on 5 March 2026, some Ukrainian refugees lost access to social benefits that had effectively ensured their health insurance coverage. This situation is already causing serious concern, as it directly affects access to medical treatment for those who need it most.

That is why Fundacja HelpNowHUB, together with more than 50 civil society and expert organizations, signed a joint appeal to the Polish authorities, calling for an urgent response to this issue.

The aim of the appeal is simple but critical: to ensure uninterrupted access to healthcare for people whose treatment is, in many cases, literally a matter of life and death.

In practice, these legislative changes mean that older people, persons with disabilities, and people living with serious illnesses have effectively been left outside the public healthcare system — without adequate protection and without guarantees of continued treatment.

Organizations and medical professionals are already receiving numerous requests from people who lost their insurance coverage in the middle of treatment. This means a risk of interrupted oncology care, loss of access to dialysis, and other life-saving medical procedures. In such cases, this is not a matter of comfort — it is a matter of survival.

This situation contradicts basic human rights principles. The state has an obligation to ensure access to healthcare, especially for those in the most vulnerable situations.

In the joint appeal, the signatory organizations call on the Polish authorities to take concrete action:

  • restore access to long-term social assistance for people who are unable to work;
  • guarantee health insurance coverage regardless of access to social benefits;
  • establish transitional mechanisms so that people do not lose treatment in the middle of a medical process.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Poland has been an important source of support for Ukrainians forced to flee their homes. That is why it is especially important now to preserve this level of support — particularly for those who are most vulnerable.

If this issue matters to you, please sign and share the appeal – https://www.naszademokracja.pl/petitions/apel-w-sprawie-dramatycznej-sytuacji-uchodzcow-z-ukrainy-po-5-marca-2026-r.

Together, we can draw attention to the problem and help change the situation.