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Public procurement in hospital should be more transparent. This should happen thanks to the central public procurement of certain commodities, which is being prepared by the Ministry of Health. Ministry plans to centrally provide the electricity, gas, special medical material and consumables. From this step Ministry expects financial savings in amount of 10% next year.

Healthcare Surveillance Authority on the basis of data from health insurance companies pre-listed by the end of July totally 100 920 applications for the change of insurance company from next year. Policyholders are able to change the health insurance company only once a year. If policyholder wants to change the insurance company from January 1, 2013, the application has to be submitted until September 30, 2012. Last year totally 162 399 applications were submitted, of which 5 068 were not accepted by the Authority due to different mistakes. From January 1, 2012 thereby totally 157 331 policyholders have changed the health insurance company.

Medical Trade Union believes that any doctor does not perform his/her mission because of possible vision of chocolate or flowers. He, however, also claims that designating the patient, who after providing of health care bring doctor the chocolate or flowers as briber, deeply abases his worthiness. Medical Trade Union considers as accepting of bribe each situation, when doctor directly or through an intermediary for him/herself or for other person receives, requests or accept the promise of bribe to act or refrain from acting by breaching of his obligation under his employment, profession, position or function. 

Chaos in charges set by hospitals continues. People cannot get used to it and keep complaining. Patients are discontent and claim that it is not clear for what they exactly pay. Besides medical performances not covered by health insurance companies, hospitals are asking for extra money for above standard by the accommodation or food, people pay also for using of their own notebook or radio in a hospital room. Charges are different in each hospital and the law is not being violated. Experts agree that until the acts will not exactly define what is standard and what is above standard in healthcare system, system cannot work well. 

By the overtimes and special exemption for healthcare professionals in the Labour Code the state is trying to disguise their lack in healthcare system. This is claimed by the trade union of doctors and nurses. Head of Medical Trade Union, Peter Visolajský, claims that the aim of increasing of hours might be the effort to disguise the lack of doctors in healthcare system. As he also stated, government is trying to disguise the lack of doctors also by increasing of maximum weekly working time. 

Healthcare professionals should according to the new labour code work out of normal working hours up to 250 hours. Medical Trade Union does not like these changes. According to its President, Peter Visolajský, changes will endanger patients and doctors. Spokeswoman of the Ministry of Health, Zuzana Čižmáriková, however, claims that doctors are doing an unnecessary panic, as according to her 150 overtime hours will be set by the labour code and other 100 hours will depend on the agreement between doctor and employer. 

When hospital announces the public procurement, averagely 1.7 companies apply for it. In other departments in an average less than three applicants enter the competitions. Data results from the analysis of the INEKO Institute and Transparency International Slovakia. From January 2009 until March this year hospitals paid for purchased goods, services or construction services more than € 800 million. According to analysts, if there were two or more subjects concerned in the competition, hospitals could from 2009 save almost € 120 million.

More than € 4 billion should enter into the Slovak healthcare system next year. Compared to this year it will be € 153 million more. This amount will be, however, paid by those who duly pay the health contributions from their incomes. State plans to pay less for its policyholders. Payment for one state policyholder will decrease from current € 31.54 to € 31.44. Instead of current 4.33% of the average gross wage in 2010 state wants to pay exactly 4% of the average gross wage from 2011. Decreasing of the state payments is involved in preliminary proposal of the state budget for next year.

Former head of medical trade unionists and current President of Slovak Medical Chamber, Marian Kollár, has been for several weeks trying to meet with Prime Minister Robert Fico. Together with other representatives of doctors he wants to discuss with him the plans of keeping the only one state health insurance company and propose also other possibilities how the change the insurance system. Office of Government, however, keeps in referring him to the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská. According to the spokeswoman of the Office of Government, Beatrice Hudáková, the reason is that this is a special issue, which should be solved in cooperation with related department, in this case with Ministry of Health. 

Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa - VšZP (General Health Insurance Company) has in the last few days registered several attempts at fraudulent collecting of debts from its policyholders. Unknown offender under the auspices of Coface Slovakia CMS company has sent to for now unknown number of insured the reminders regarding the outstanding contributions together with the call for their payment. VsŽP will take further legal action in connection with the fraudulent proceeding of unknown offender.