Wednesday, 24. October 2012, 20:20

Ministry of Health wants firstly discuss on the project of one health insurance company with the Economic and Social Council and after that it will submit it to the Government. Government should have, according to the schedule made by Ministry of Health, decided on the project already last week. Despite this slip Ministry claims that dates of implementation of unitary system of public health insurance are not threatened. 

Wednesday, 24. October 2012, 19:26

Slovak healthcare system has this year placed in the ranking of European Health Consumer Index on the 16th place out of 34 evaluated countries in Europe. The shift was recorded by the particular improving of transparency, informatisation of patients, as well as by shortening of the waiting times. Slovakia is according to the author of the index, Johan Hjertqvista, regarding the improving of healthcare system, an example for at least Central and Eastern Europe countries.  

Wednesday, 24. October 2012, 12:52

Representatives of trade unions of doctors and nurses have agreed to work together and announced also the stronger negotiations. According to the head of Medical Trade Union, Peter Visolajský, both organizations have certain problems. Therefore, they have decided to solve it together and together will hold the more penetrative dialogue with politicians. Whether this means also common coercive actions in the future, he did not say. 

Wednesday, 24. October 2012, 12:50

Private hospital in Lučenec is planning the mass reducing of staff. By the end of this year 50 nurses should lose their jobs. Reducing of staff was already reported also to the local Labour Office, although directly in the hospital the management allegedly does not talk about the reducing at all. Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family in Lučenec confirmed, that hospital announced the plan to dismiss 45 nurses and 5 midwives. 

Wednesday, 24. October 2012, 12:48

Private outpatient clinics and hospitals joined the critique of implementation of one insurance company. Only one insurance company should, according to the estimations of the Ministry of Health, begin to work already in 2014. Private doctors and hospitals are afraid that one state insurance company will prefer public hospitals and outpatient clinics. According to the head of the Association of Private Doctors, Ladislav Pásztor, for them it means a loss of sharing of the risk. 

Monday, 22. October 2012, 19:44

Children's Faculty Hospital in Košice will be able to use a new device for more than € 12 000 necessary for daily respiratory physiotherapy of children and adults with cystic fibrosis. It is a special vibrating vest with the system of high-frequency chest wall oscillation. Device was purchased by Slovak Association of Cystic Fibrosis in the frame of EU project, which will lend it for long-term using for patients of Physiotherapy and rehabilitation department in Children's Faculty Hospital in Košice.  

Monday, 22. October 2012, 19:40

Plurality system of health insurance, according to the President of Slovak Medical Chamber Marian Kollár, did not meet the expectations. System of one health insurance company, which is being enforced by Robert Fico Government, could according to him bring the stable financial system, establishing of rigid rules for determination of the pricing of doctor and the stability of the doctor in the system. Representatives of Slovak Medical Chamber have met in Bratislava on the extraordinary congress, which main topic was to take a stand to prepared changes in the health insurance system.

Monday, 22. October 2012, 19:37

Ministry of Health will control the purchases and sales of properties of all organizations in its scope. Joint-stock companies, contributory organizations as well as non-profit organizations in the scope of Ministry will thus have to inform Ministry about the public procurements. Ministry will approve them, except of those with low value. According to the order of Minister Zuzana Zvolenská, all the departmental organizations have to submit to Ministry for approval their plans of investments and sale of the property for the next year, even by the end of the month.

Friday, 19. October 2012, 22:39

Project of implementation of unitary system counts on its introduction from January 2014 in the case that Ministry will manage to agree on buying of shares of private insurance companies. If Ministry chose the expropriation, one insurance company would be established in July the same year. Government has not negotiated on the implementation of the system of one insurance company yet. Before Government will decide on the material, Minister want during the tripartite negotiation with Republic Union of Employers discuss on the objections of employers to this project. 

Friday, 19. October 2012, 22:37

Healthcare payment of dividend should be higher from the next year. The rate should be increased from current 10% to 14% of the tax base, according to the proposal of the amendment to the act on health insurance, which was shifted by members of Parliament to the second reading. This should be maximally 120 times the average wage. This sum will not be included in total incomes. Amendment should react to the need of consolidation of public finances and overall reducing of deficit of public finances.