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Slovakia is still threatened by high penalties in two arbitrations and also in domestic courts. Disputes initiated by the owners of private health insurance companies due to ban of the profit are currently being solved by international tribunals. Courts are dealing with € 196 million for shareholders of Union health insurance company and former Apollo health insurance company. Slovak courts are solving also other disputes for totally € 688.8 million of taxpayers' money.

Budget does not count with higher salaries of nurses. Next year for their salaries will be necessary about € 135 million. Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská told nurses that increasing of salaries is unreal. Nurses still believe that in fight for better financial condition they will be able to rely on the act, which guarantees their higher salaries. The act was stopped by the Constitutional Court in July. Nurses have been waiting for moths for its decision. They are, however, not preparing a sharp strike or coercive actions. 

New director of University hospital in Bratislava, Miroslav Bdžoch, refuses to disclose the actual amount of the debt of largest hospital. He also does not want to specify, what measures are being prepared for the improving of its financial condition. University hospital in Bratislava has been long-termly the most indebted hospital and each of its bosses failed to change this situation. The actual amount of the debt is, however, for the first time a subject to secrecy.  

Increasing of healthcare contributions from next year should, according to the estimation of Ministry of Finance, bring to healthcare system about € 119 million. According to the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Health, the increasing of healthcare contributions represents the implementation of proposals of Government for restoring of public finances in years 2012 – 2013. People will thus pay compared to this year a few euros more on healthcare contributions from the next year.

Doctors still insist on shortening of hours of attendance for first aid emergency service until 10 pm. They would like to have their services shorten from January 1, 2013. According to the President of the Association of Private Doctors, Ladislav Pásztor, they have discussed on this acute problem on their last general meeting, which took place at the end of last month. Doctors have been insisting on their requirement for a longer time, last time they have drawn attention to it in June this year, but situation remained unchanged. 

Medics from Medical Faculty of Pavel Jozef Šafárik University will be able to educate themselves also in Košice-Šaca Hospital. Private institution from the Unipharma group of healthcare institutions has offered its facilities and experts to the Medical Faculty. Practice will take place in new clinics built by the hospital in cooperation with the school. Internal clinic, surgery and gynaecological and obstetric clinic will be available for the future doctors.  

Term, when Constitutional Court will deal with the accordance of the act on minimum wage claims of nurses and midwives with the Constitution is not known yet. As was stated by the spokeswoman of the Constitutional Court, Anna Pačurová, the law does not define the term, in which the Court should decide. As she continued, the length of preparation for negotiation and decision in this case is individual and depends on the complexity of pleading.

Current management of Ministry of Health does not consider the actual grouping of pharmaceuticals as ideal and result of this is, according to Ministry, a situation when surcharges for pharmaceuticals are decreasing. Ministry has thus prepared the proposal of the Decree, which should in future prevent such a situation. Decree adjusting the methods of setting of maximum amount of payment from health insurance company for the standard amount of pharmaceuticals included in categorization list of pharmaceuticals is currently in the commentary proceeding.

Compared to this year, people will pay few euros or even tens of euros more on the healthcare contribution from the next year. The reason is changes in calculation of the tax base, which was enforced through the recently approved amendment to the act on social insurance. Government has changed through this amendment the functioning of the pension system. Changes will affect all categories of policyholders, the insurance rates remained unchanged.

Current crisis situation in the university hospitals threatens the functioning of whole healthcare system. This was noted by the scientific council of Slovak Medical Chamber in its statement. According to the council, the malfunction of curative and preventive care, education and research as the unit process threaten the providing of health care. Scientific council plans in cooperation with the management of medical faculties and university hospitals to elaborate the proposal of the Statute of University Hospital as a binding legislative act.