HPI

Representatives of Slovak Medical Chamber want to meet with Prime Minister Robert Fico as soon as possible. They want to discuss with him the planned intention of the Government to create one health insurance company. As stated in the letter of the Chamber addressed to Prime Minister, on the joint meeting the representatives of doctors would like to open the question considering the change of the insurance system. They also want to open the issue of direction of healthcare system and participation of the Chamber in this process.

Spas are losing customers, who are being sent there for after-care by doctors. Reason is the increasing of payments for diabetics and people with high blood pressure. Although these are diseases, which are affecting more and more people. After the change of the act, the patients with these diagnoses since December last year have to pay supplementary payments for accommodation and food. Previously it was covered by health insurance company.

Forcing nurses to sign the amendments to the contracts or new contracts, which ascribe them the professional activities out of their classification, is unethical and in conflict with the Directive of EU Parliament and Committee on Recognition of Professional Classifications. This is stated in the supporting statement for Slovak nurses made by General Secretary of the European Federation of Nurses, Paul de Raeve. Such practices for circumventing of the act on minimum wage claims of nurses should be according to him monitored by European Union, including the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. 

According to several experts the planned restoration of terminal network of hospitals from the side of Minister of Health, Zuzana Zvolenská, will bring the bigger space for corruption and poor quality of provided health care. Former Minister Ivan Uhliarik considers the plans of current management of the Ministry as the return to socialism and warns against the corruption. According to him the Antimonopoly Office has already detected that hospitals from the list abused their market position.

Last year state paid for its policyholders more than € 1.21 billion. This sum represented 84.13% out of total revised budget of the Ministry of Health. Originally the state approved for 2011 for its policyholders the sum in amount of € 1.97 billion. As stated by the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Health, Zuzana Čižmáriková, during the year the insurance settlement of the state for 2010 was increased by the amount of € 9.7 million.

Until September 30, 2012 it is possible to apply for the change of health insurance company. Until this date Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská should submit the proceeding and flowchart of creation of one insurance company. Insurance companies Dôvera and Union claim that intention of Government to buy or expropriate them will not affect their campaigns. Shareholders of both private insurance companies say that they do not want to leave Slovakia. Government have not negotiated with them yet.

Members of Parliament now put the Slovak act on pharmaceuticals from December 2010 into accordance with the Direction of EU Parliament and EU Committee. Changes ensure the closer supervision over the pharmaceuticals for people especially by tightening of requests for the pharmaceutical registration holders – pharmaceutical companies. For the treatment with unregistered pharmaceutical the prescribing doctor will assume the responsibility. Patient has to agree in writing with this treatment and the approval will be a part of his/her documentation. 

Shareholders of Dôvera and Union know the current value of their insurance companies, but refuse to divulge this information. Prime Minister, Robert Fico, admits that to agree on the price will be probably the most demanding task in the process of creation of one health insurance company. Penta, shareholder of Dôvera, insists on its remaining on the health insurance market. It, however, admits that Parliament might not allow it. Penta is therefore ready for the negotiations on the further proceeding. Shareholder of Union health insurance company, company Achmea, expressed the regret over the decision of Government.

Radiologists from Trstená have in practice shown the errors of the law, which guaranteed the higher salaries for nurses, but did not consider other healthcare professionals. All seven laboratory employees from radiology department in this hospital gave the notice. Without them hospital had to stop the operations, X-ray and CT examinations. After a week of negotiations they have withdrawn their notices without the promise of higher salaries. Representative of radiologists, Ernest Urban, says that by this radical step they did not want to cripple the operation of the hospital, but only wanted to draw an attention to the salary discrimination.  

Children's Faculty Hospital with Polyclinic in Banská Bystrica will not use the current stoppage of the force of act on minimum wage claims of nurses and will not change the wages of its nurses. This year's increasing of wages is integrated into the contracts of employees and thus they would have to agree with that. Statutory increasing of wages of healthcare professionals has led to the indebtedness of this hospital.