HPI

Ministry of Health addressed up to 110 companies with the proposal to build and operate a new hospital in Bratislava – the first project of the hospital to be set up through the private-public partnership. Interested were 26 companies from 12 countries, specifically ten developers, seven financial institutions, six operators and three consortiums. Ministry wants to have a dialogue with investors before announcing public procurement.

The Ministry of Health has prepared a draft of Decree to amend the emergency medical service. Since October, every car should have a defibrillator with ECG monitoring of the heart and all ambulances should be equipped with new drugs. The operator will communicate with ambulance vehicle via Internet. By clicking on tablet ambulance can indicates the position and status whether ambulance is in the field or on the way to the hospital, or free. Mandatory equipment of ambulances should for example be equipment used by health insurance companies for records of patient data. Companies that operate rescue stations have not yet expressed caution. They appreciate this proposal as it will help to improve first aid; however, this amendment will increase their costs.

Health insurance companies (HIC) returned on surcharges on pharmaceuticals for the second quarter of 2014 to 22,000 disabled persons and pensioners. Within the safeguard limit on surcharges on drugs HIC sent back more than € 403,000. General Health Insurance Company will return 310,000 Euros to 16,933policyholders. Dôvera will return to its 4,001 policyholders more than 71,000 Euros. Union Health Insurance Company sends back more than € 22,000 to its 955 policyholders.

Last year The Healthcare Surveillance Authority (HCSA) received 1,647 complaints where patients or their families complained about the medical procedure. Compared YoY it is about more than 600. Nearly 500 complaints were related to the ambiguity of death. According to the HCSA, every second complaint was baseless. Most criticized doctors were surgeons, general practitioners and gynecologists. Most complaints were of hospital. HCSA fine procedures of doctors by 127 penalties for 188 thousand Euros. The complaints were related to improper performance of the delivery of the baby, inappropriate medication or underestimating the patient's condition. Doctors say that such sanctions are often subjective. They clamour for uniform procedures that accurately define processes during interventions. 

Hundreds of thousands of people in low and middle income will have better wages next year. Decrease in contributions will affect people with gross salary to 494 euros per month. According to the Ministry of Finance that will affect totally 450 thousand to 580 thousand employees. Decrease in contributions will cost the state € 150 million per year, what could push on national debt. On the other hand, if people receive incentives to work, state can save on benefits. Contributions will decrease mainly for minimum wage workers, who will earn by € 32 net per month more. So, they can earn € 339. If such work takes long-term unemployed, the state in his first year will also keep his benefits from 63 to 126 euros per month.

Six of the seven public limited companies of Ministry of Health ended last year in the black numbers. Specifically: National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Hospital  Poprad, Central Slovakia Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Eastern Slovakia Cancer Center, East Slovakia Institute of Cardiovascular diseases and General Health Insurance Company. As it is also clear from the report that Government approved, the negative result was at Air-force Military Hospital, exactly minus € 152,000. However, the ministry report shows that management has improved.

Health care facilities owed on premiums to Social Insurance Agency at the end of July 2014 over € 104.8 million. Since the beginning of the year their claims increased by € 18.5 million. Claims against state-owned medical facilities reached 69.6 million euros. Per month thus increased by 2.2 million euros. The increase of receivables due to non-payment is recorded at Bratislava University and Children's Hospital, as well as at Teaching Hospital in Banska Bystrica. Debts of transformed health care facilities accounted for more than 35.2 million euros. Per month thus increased by € 520,000.

The payment for state-insured persons is not explicitly calculated yet by state. Health Policy Institute (HPI) calculated it to € 1.13 billion. This – according to calculations of the number of state-insured 3,117 million – represents a payment in the amount of € 30.2, which means the rate at 3.67% of the average wage two years ago (824 € in 2013). If that is true, Ministry of Finance plans to reduce next year's payment for state insured under 4% – the lowest possible level according to the law. According to the state budget proposal and the proposal to reduce healthcare contributions for low-income workers, Slovak health care may miss € 250 million next year.