HPI

Slovak hospitals associated under the company Svet zdravia are from 2011 the recipients of humanitarian aid from the Order of the Knights of Malta from Switzerland. Slovak health institutions can also in the future count on further presents in the form of adjustable beds of furniture. Representative of the Order of the Knights of Malta, Guido Stöcklio, in these days visited the health institutions in Zemplín including hospital in Vranov, where he examined the use of humanitarian aid directly in the field. Hundreds of shipments in recent years went from Switzerland also to other countries. 

Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company) suspects Dôvera from unfair acquisition of policyholders. VšZP is therefore preparing the suggestion to the Healthcare Surveillance Authority. This should examine several cases from recent days, when private health insurance company Dôvera allegedly did not act correctly. The latest case comes from Trnava. If the errancy in the process of sale is proved, Dôvera will according to the spokeswoman consider the adoption of corrective action.

Minister of Health chose Adam Hlôška for the position of the head of Pharmacy and pharmaceutical policy section. She also installed him into the function of President of Categorization Committee for Pharmaceuticals. In this position he was in 2008-2010 and then he returned to the pharmaceutical company Abbot Laboratories. Former Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik points to a possible conflict of interests. Spokeswoman of the Ministry claims that in the case of any suspicion of favouritism of some pharmaceutical company, Minister will intervene immediately. 

Union Health Insurance Company started on Wednesday according to the amendment to the act on health insurance companies to pay the overpayments for pharmaceuticals. The claim for overpayments for pharmaceuticals for first quarter of this year accrued for 2 848 policyholders in total amount of € 62 866. This is money that pensioners and disabled people paid in first quarter of this year for pharmaceuticals over the limit. The limit includes all pharmaceuticals, which are partially covered by health insurance company.

Doctors and nurses refused the preparation of new common law for health care employees, as well as the possible merging of acts on wages of doctors and nurses. As was noted by the head of Medical Trade Union, Peter Visolajský, he does not know anybody concerned, who would be interested in merging of acts. Therefore he appealed to Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská to stop the work on common law. President of Slovak Chamber of Nurses and Midwives, Mária Lévyová, approved that nurses are not identified with such plans.

Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská called out Rudolf Lintner from the function of director of Faculty hospital in Trenčín. According to the spokeswoman of Ministry of Health Zuzana Čižmáriková the reason was also the ever-increasing debts of the hospital. Minister wants, according to spokeswoman, in the team of directors of state hospitals firstly the managers who know how to do also non-popular decisions leading to stabilization of hospitals and to progressive reduction of debts of hospitals.

Payments for state policyholders should be increased to 4.32%. This results from the amendment of Jozef Valocký to the act on health insurance, which was submitted by Richard Raši. Originally the payment for state policyholders was on the level of 4%. This way the reserve in amount of € 50 million created by approving of state budget should get into the system until the end of 2012. Reserve should at least partially cover the lack of resources in health care system for higher salaries of nurses and doctors.

Loyalty systems in pharmacies are threatened. Ministry of Health wants to submit for public discussion the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals in July. It should include also the cancellation of discount programs for clients loyal to one brand of public pharmacies. Loyalty discounts system is allegedly pushing the smaller pharmacies out of the market. Critics of this step claim that state also benefits from the loyalty programs. Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská wants to open also another reforms of pharmaceutical policy, which was last year enforced by former Minister Ivan Uhliarik.

Health insurance companies have to submit by June 30th to Ministry of Health the annual data on consumption of categorized pharmaceuticals for each policyholder for previous 3 years. Health insurance companies will submit to Ministry of Health by the end of June in electronic form also the data on annual costs of health insurance company on the health care for each policyholder for previous 2 years. This results from the announcement of the Ministry of Health, which provides the data interfaces for transmission of information.

Ministry of Health issued a statement to the declaration of the Trade Union of Nurses and Midwives, which has accused Ministry of Health of the inaction by problem solving with ensuring the salaries of nurses. Minister according to the statement sees the work of nurses in healthcare as an integral part of providing of health care and stressed on several meetings, that she cares about the financial flows in system to be used for covering of wage needs. Ministry of Health is willing to conduct the constructive dialogue, but, however, refuses any coercive action.