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Doctors and hospitals might have last year disseised the health care system of more than € 200 million. This was found out by health insurance companies, which by the controls detected the fictitious services or mistakenly billed procedures and pharmaceuticals. These were thanks to the controls finally not covered. Doctors are fighting back and blame the system. In the case, when insurance company find out, that doctor or hospital is charging the services, which have never been performed, they might end up in court. 

Private doctors, who increased the salaries of nurses and enshrined it into their contracts, will not cancel them for now. According to the President of the Association of Private Doctors, Ladislav Pásztor, the decision of Constitutional Court is relevant for those, who have not increased the salaries of nurses until now and thus do not have to. As he noted, for now he does not know the exact wording of the decision. So he does not know, whether the Constitutional Court objected to the benefit of one group of healthcare professionals at the expense of others or that the money were not covered by state budget.

Nurses are considering the protesting marches, mass work stoppage or notices. This way they want to react to the decision of Constitutional Court, which suspended the force of the act increasing the salaries of nurses. Initiative to the Constitutional Court was submitted by Slovak Medical Chamber. Council of the Trade union of nurses, which will today negotiate in Bratislava, will finally decide on the reaction to the decision of the Constitutional Court.

Private health insurance company Dôvera has last year taken a long-term loan in amount of € 179.5 million. This should have been provided by the consortium of banks, of which name was, according to the bank secrecy, not betrayed. Part of these resources insurance company used for the payment of liabilities to shareholders. The loan is allegedly not being paid from the resources intended for health care.

Member of Parliament Daniel Lipšic criticized the intention of Prime Minister Robert Fico to merge the private health insurance companies with state Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company). According to him the out-buying of the health insurance company Dôvera would be suitable for Penta, its owner. He claims that without fair competition between several interested parties it is impossible to achieve the real market valuation of Dôvera. This creates a huge space for backstage agreements, corruption and provisions. According to him, this move would be a present for Dôvera shareholders.

The Constitutional Court on its Wednesday closed session adopted the proposal of Deputy of General Attorney to review the constitutionality of the act on minimum wage claims of nurses and midwives. Constitutional Court also granted his request and suspended the force of legal standard, which from April brought higher wages to nurses and midwives. Nurses are disappointed from this decision. 

In Slovakia we currently have the second cheapest pharmaceuticals in EU. Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská admits that this could be changed. She also gives some indication about the alternative of an average of three lowest prices in EU. Ministry of Finance points out that the referencing has been contributing to the savings of public finances for four years. Possible changes should, according to Ministry of Finance, be thoroughly analysed with regard to the availability of pharmaceuticals and their lowest prices.

Patients last year paid through surcharges € 13 million more than in 2010. But payment of health insurance companies in this category decreased by € 65 million. Totally it was spent 90.6 million of packages of pharmaceuticals on prescription. Payment for them amounted € 1.07 billion. In 2010 it was € 1.13 billion. Decrease was caused especially by legislation changes, which have shifted some pharmaceuticals from the category of pharmaceuticals on prescription to other categories.

Slovak Pharmaceutical Chamber submitted the comments to several acts to Minister of Health, Zuzana Zvolenská, who is preparing the amendments to the health legislation. As absolutely most important Chamber considers the legislative ban of pharmacy networks, no bonuses by issuing of prescription pharmaceuticals and mandatory complying with particular price rules by the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals, increasing of criteria for professional competency or repeated introducing of specialization from pharmaceutics as the condition for managing of pharmacy.

Ministry of Health should get the competency to establish the National transplant organization, which should be the co-ordinating part of all processes of transplantation with exactly set tasks and mandates. This body should, inter alia, issue the written approval necessary for providers, who are providing the export of issues and cells out of Slovakia. This results from the amendment to the act on health care approved by the Government.