Greece experiences higher levels of catastrophic health spending than many EU countries, with the burden falling most heavily on low-income households due to spending on medicines and outpatient care, while wealthier households face higher costs for inpatient and dental care. Unmet need for healthcare and medicines remains well above the EU average, driven by affordability issues and stark inequalities, particularly in access to prescribed medicines. Although financial protection has somewhat improved since the economic crisis, persistent underfunding and coverage gaps mean that the poorest households continue to face levels of financial hardship and unmet need similar to those during the crisis.
