2004: Summer Olympic Games held in Athens, which lead to excess expenses and deficits

Large scale strikes leading to severe economic disruption

2010: First bailout loan agreed with Troika and introduction of the first Economic Adjustment Programme (EAP), which involved:

• Tax increases (eg, VAT)

• Decrease in public spending (civil servants wages cuts and hiring freezes)

• Reduction of public sector

Leading to nationwide strikes and protests

2012: Second bailout loan agreed with Troika and introduction of further austerity measures under the second EAP, such as the abolition of bonuses and minimum wage cuts

Austerity measures aimed at reducing the budget deficit (eg, large-scale redundancies in the public sector)

2013: Primary government budget surplus of 0.4%

Second quarter of 2014: return to growth

June 2015: referendum to decide whether to accept the bailout conditions set by Troika (61% No)

July 2015: third bailout agreed with lenders, leading to tax increases and pensions cuts

2017: Establishment of Unified Social Security Fund (EFKA)

2016: Provision of comprehensive health coverage to unemployed and vulnerable groups

2016: Introduction of exemptions from €1 prescription fee for vulnerable groups

2017: Primary care plan launched. Local public clinics (TOMYs) established with the aim of rationalising first primary care contacts

2018: Revision of EOPYY common benefits package

Establishment of new structures in MoH (eg, general secretariat of public health in 2005) leads to greater focus on public health services

Regional health administrations reduced from 17 to 7 in order to improve efficiency of services

Development of the central committee for health supplies with the aim of unifying procurement for public hospitals

Public health expenditure capped at 6% of GDP

Public pharmaceutical spending capped (expenditure fell to 1% of GDP by 2014)

2010: Public sector health workers’ salaries cut and hiring freeze imposed

2011: Establishment of National Organisation for Healthcare Provision (EOPYY) as single payer and a common benefits package

2011: Introduction of a €5 user fee for outpatient care (abolished in 2015)

National health service hospitals restructured (administrative mergers)

Increased cost-sharing levels on pharmaceuticals, promotion of the use of generics, introduction of rebate and claw back mechanisms

Introduction of a new system for hospitals reimbursement based on diagnosis related groups

2014: Establishment of National Primary Healthcare Network (PEDYs) and transfer of responsibility of primary care provision to regional health administrations

2014: Free pharmaceutical coverage to uninsured population

2014: Introduction of €1 fee per prescription

2016: Provision of comprehensive health coverage to unemployed and vulnerable groups