HPI

Spas in Slovakia belong according to the Association of Slovak Spas in European context to the best ones. In recent years the accomodation or food services were improved. According to the President of the Association in our spas still mantains the good-quality medical services, which are absolutely comparable with similar spa institutions in Germany, Austria or Czech Republic. In spas, however, according to her continues the decreasing of clients from the slovak health insurance companies because of the impossibility of policyholders to financly contribute to the payment for spa treatment.

Slovak Medical Chamber launches free educational portal for doctors, i-med.sk. Doctors will find there hundreds of lectures and articles from all areas of medicine, recordings from conferences or videos from operations. Chamber obtained for the creation of portal almost € 1 750 000 from European Social Fund, it used about half of it so far. According to the President of the Chamber, Milan Dragula, it will be the biggest e-learning portal in Slovakia.

Health insurance companies will pay hospitals according to the new payment mechanism, DRG system, not sooner than in 2014. From January next year only the reporting and collection of data in hospital will be launched. Currently many of this data are still not available. For this reason the DRG system will be launched from January 1st, 2013 on the level of consistent data collection, which are necessary for the DRG system and which are today not recognized by the system. Payments according to new system may start at the earliest in 2014. 

University Hospital in Martin will expand and reconstruct its Clinic for children and adolescents. Reconstruction in amount of € 246 000 will be financed from the EU funds. Company EURO-BUILDING got the contract after public tender among five candidates thanks to the lowest price. Reconstruction will also include the extension of intership rooms and expansion of possibilities of accomodation for mothers who accompany the pediatric patients. At the same time the children pavilion will be completed and intensive care unit will be renovated. 

Health insurance companies last year paid the part or most of the costs related to the spa treatment to about 60 000 patients. Private insurance companies Dôvera and Union say that number of their policyholders treated in spa is increasing. General Health Insurance Company (Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa) last year recorded a little less such policyholders than it was in 2010, increased was only the number of children. In 2011 the policyholders of General Health Insurance Company was treated in 27 nature spa and 2 sanatoriums. Union has concluded the contracts with 26 spa institutions, Dôvera with all spa facilities operating in Slovakia. 

Former Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik last year claimed that prescribing of cheaper pharmaceuticals will bring the savings in amount of € 350 million. These should have, together with higher premium collection from people, ensured enough money for higher salaries of health care professionals. Ministry of Health under the leadership of Zuzana Zvolenská, however, after half year of functioning of new legislation called the Uhliarik's numbers as unreal. 

Pharmacists has agreed on the opinion, that in Slovakia the philosophy of the pharmaceutical services is sheering from the global trend. Act on pharmaceuticals adopted by former government has according to them set the pharmaceutical department in to the role of logistical tool without professional skills. Pharmacists beside other things call for legislative adjustment of pharmaceutical ownership, introducing of mandatory membership in professional organizations in the health care, introducing of demographic and geographic criteria as a one of the conditions for issuing of the permit for providing of health care or legislative ban of pharmacy networks.

Medical trade unionists want on the nearest departmental tripartite negotiation to open the question of preparation of the law, which would solve the remuneration of all health care employees. Slovak Medical Trade Union informed about this intention also the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská, who has participated on the negotiation of its executive committee. Trade unions allegedly ensured the head of department, that they are supporting the equitable remuneration of hospitals in the form of introduction of DRG system.

Representatives of the Association of Hospitals in Slovakia solved with private health insurance companies the conditions of their contracts from June. Dôvera allegedly expressed the willingness to meet halfway all the contract partners of the association with the aim to ensure the health care for its policyholders. Spokeswoman of Union Health Insurance Company, Judita Smatanová, promised that if € 50 million reserve from state budget will be used for increasing of the payments for state policyholders, Union is ready to transform this money into the contracts with health care providers. 

Checks in hospitals and outpatient clinics are bringing their results. State General Health Insurance Company (VšZP) thanks to them last year saved more than € 203 million. This amount represents 6.5% from total amount, which this insurance company paid to health care providers in 2011. Compared to previous year the controlling activities brought the largest insurance company 20% greater savings. The assessment is based on the control of fulfilling of applicable laws and standards, contract conditions and correct diagnosis and treatment.