The Hungarian government is advancing its multi-year plan to bring key diagnostic imaging services under public ownership. Legislation adopted in 2023 and 2024 mandates that, from November 2025, state-financed CT and MRI examinations may be carried out only on equipment owned by public healthcare institutions.
To meet this deadline, the National Hospital Directorate General (OKFŐ) has begun purchasing CT, MRI and related diagnostic equipment from private healthcare operators. This large-scale transition is reshaping Hungary’s diagnostic imaging market and creating both challenges and opportunities for market participants.
Legislative framework
In 2023 the Hungarian Parliament approved a package of measures aimed at integrating high-value diagnostic services into the public healthcare system. Regulations set November 2025 as the date when CT and MRI examinations financed from public funds must be performed solely on state-owned equipment. The government has presented this as a way to clarify the boundary between public and private healthcare, improve consistency of service and renew the public sector’s imaging capacity.
Implementation
OKFŐ is now implementing the transition:
- In September 2025 it acquired 16 imaging devices from one of the largest private diagnostic providers in Hungary, for approximately HUF 976.5 million net (approx. EUR 2.5 million). This purchase price covers CT and MRI scanners as well as ultrasound, X-ray and mammography units.
- Following the acquisition, the equipment is being refurbished and integrated into public hospitals across the country.
This accelerated acquisition and upgrade programme is designed to ensure that public healthcare institutions have sufficient capacity to absorb state-financed patients when private contracts end.
Although CT and MRI scanners remain the main focus of the policy, the state’s purchase from the concerned private diagnostic provider also includes other diagnostic modalities. Some of the acquired equipment was manufactured in 2015 while other units are from 2022, reflecting the diverse age and technological profile of Hungary’s installed base. In addition to the purchase of private equipment, OKFŐ is upgrading older machines, while mobile container-based MRI units are being deployed to cover gaps created by renovations.
Market impact
The above-mentioned deal is the most visible sign of the policy, but it does not stand alone. The government has confirmed that discussions with several other private diagnostic providers are under way. All operators performing state-financed CT and MRI examinations are potentially affected. However, this does not affect their right to serve private patients within the framework of private healthcare.
Practical implications:
- For private healthcare providers with diagnostic equipment used in public hospitals, the transition means preparing for the phasing out or transfer of state-financed services and assessing which parts of their asset base could be subject to acquisition offers.
- For medtech companies or other suppliers and service partners, it opens opportunities in public procurement and maintenance.
- Investors active in the sector will need to monitor how state acquisition prices and contractual changes affect asset values and revenue streams.
By Miriam Fuchs, Senior Associate, Wolf Theiss
