HPI

For law granted salaries of nurses and doctors until the end of the year it will be necessary about € 107 million more, than is covered by current system. In 2013 it will be, as estimated, € 175 million. According to the spokeswoman of the Ministry these numbers are based on data available on Ministry of Health and can be exactly calculated only for those healthcare institutions, which are in the scope of the Ministry. Lack of resources for higher salaries of healthcare professionals the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská will currently cover by the reserve from state budget in amount of € 50 million. 

Former head of state General Health Insurance Company (Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa - VšZP), Marian Faktor, received in April, short time before his departure, the bonus in amount of € 14 229. According to the spokeswoman of the insurance company, under contract on his function the variable component of the bonus for performance of function depending on reaching profit of insurance company in 2011 was paid to him. In approximately 19 months of his function Factor earned totally about € 220 000. He had a monthly salary in amount of € 6 500 and the bonus € 3 220 for holding of the function of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Besides that he received 3 bonuses.

Ministry is in these days definitely deciding on the prices of pharmaceuticals, which will enter into force from June. Since then the pharmaceuticals in Slovakia should be the second lowest in the frame of European Union. Health insurance companies should therefore this year save tens of millions of euros. Recent estimations count on the savings in amount of about € 40 million. Health insurance companies should, however, save money also due to further measures in pharmaceutical policy. 

Using of € 50 million reserve will not solve the crisis situation with increasing of healthcare professionals salaries permanently. Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská is, despite this fact, not afraid of the problems with planned July and January increasing of salaries of doctors. There will be, according to her, enough money for it. Salaries should be covered by higher payments for state policyholders or the stricter regulation of the profits of health insurance companies. Ministry plans to tighten up and modify the conditions, under which the insurance companies may keep their profits.

The effectiveness of the amendment to the act on health insurance, which should implement the new mechanism of allocating of premiums between health insurance companies and ease the reporting of solvency of insurance companies, is to be shifted. Originally it should have entered into force at the beginning of June, but in June it will only be in the second reading in Parliament. Act should allegedly enter into force around mid-July. This shifting will, according to the Ministry of Health, not affect the new reallocation of premiums, which should bring more money to state General Health Insurance Company (Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa). Money from new reallocation will come to insurance companies as was originally planned, ergo in October.

Honorary President of the Medical Trade Union, Marián Kollár, which led the protests of doctors in time of Iveta Radičová Government and also the second cabinet of Mikuláš Dzurinda, will compete for the chair of President of Slovak Medical Chamber. As candidate he was officially proposed by Bratislava Regional Chamber. He also feels the support from other regional chambers, where he presented his ideas. So far he did not indicate the program, with which he wants to apply for the trust of members and wants to present it on the assembly.

Controversial license for taking of the blood plasma, which was given to private company in conflict with the standards of European Union by former Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik, is being perceived by analysts and experts variously. While economists believe that opening of the market may increase the number of donors, healthcare experts warn that competition will cause the lack of plasma for slovak patients. Until now the state National Transfusion Service had a monopoly for taking of the plasma.

Hospitals and outpatient clinics will use money from the € 50 million reserve in state budget fully for the salaries of healthcare professionals. They, however do not guarantee, that all nurses will see more money, brought by the new act from April, on their May payslips. Despite the fact that money which will arrive to providers will be used for the wages, not all nurses will get the higher salaries for April, as the money did not arrive yet. 

Head of the Ministry of Health Zuzana Zvolenská will monitor the use of the €50 million reserve which she plans to use for the salaries of nurses and doctors. She pronounced it after the negotiation with the representatives of healthcare employers. According to her the Ministry will verify, whether these resources are really used for fulfilling the law which sets the costs on salaries. As she further informed, any negative feedback from the field will be immediately solved by MoH on individual level.

Restrictions of the profit of health insurance companies might not bring any effect. Thanks to accounting operations the insurance companies may have shed millions of euros from collected premiums to their shareholders without breaking the law. Such step is to be found in the accounting of the private insurance company Dôvera. Company got the approval for this from the former management of the Healthcare Surveillance Authority.