: In order to adapt the patient payments policies to the specific national context, it is important to be known: the social and cultural acceptability; the views, opinions and motivations regarding the implementation of co-payments in Romania, from consumers’ perspective.

This article contains the main results of focus group discussions, applied in June-July 2009, within the qualitative phase of the European Project ASSPRO CEE entitled “Assessment of patient payment policies and

projection of their efficiency, equity and quality effects: The case of Central and Eastern Europe”

Were held six focus group sessions with the following categories of consumers of health services: pensioners, employees, students, chronically ill and disabled, adult members of families with children living in urban areas, people living in rural areas.

In Part I of this issue will be presented: health care consumer opinion on the opportunity of co-payment in Romania, types of services that should be applied the co-payment, level of co-payments accepted by the consumers of health services.

In the second part, to be published in the next issue will be presented: population groups that should be exempted from co-payment, co-payment policy objectives, criteria for adequacy assessment of co-payment policies, view on informal payments, informal payment solutions from the consumer perspective services.

Keywords: patient payment, co-payment, informal patient, health care consumers opinion.