News

At the end of last year the Nitra self-governmental region started the negotiations with potential investors on the possible leasing of hospitals in Levice and Topoľčany, which are managed by the non-profit organization Nemocnice s poliklinikami (Hospitals and Polyclinics). They submitted their offer to the companies Angel and Penta. Region, however, refuses to inform on the stage of current negotiations and also which applicant should finally get the hospitals.

While health insurance companies are reporting profits, patients are still waiting for some examinations or planned operation for months. Patient organization calls on insurance companies to make first step forward the transparency of waiting lists system. This should be the publishing of waiting times in particular hospitals for diagnostic procedures or operations. Health insurance companies defend from it and do not want to publish the waiting times, until the law tells them to. Ministry of Health, however, intends to wait, until the need of change of the law will be shown by the practice.

Healthcare Surveillance Authority is currently exercising a control over all three health insurance companies. Control is focused on the contractual relationships. Authority is allegedly targeting the price conditions, fulfilling of the network and contracts related to the € 50 million reserve. More information will be provided by Healthcare Surveillance Authority after completion of inspection.

Pharmaceutical companies will probably from October pay significantly more for issuing of the decision on the registration of human pharmaceuticals. This is provided by the newest amendment to the act on administrative fees submitted by the Ministry of Finance. According to it the registration of new pharmaceutical will cost € 9600 instead of current € 2 489. Pharmaceutical company will pay € 8 000 for the registration of known or generic pharmaceutical. Increasing of the fees for the registration of pharmaceuticals was planned also by former Government. 

Debt in health care system thanks to relieving of debts of state health care institutions decreased by about € 134.6 million. At the end of last year it was € 150.5 million. This results from the report on development of debts in health care system approved by Government. Debt of health care institutions in the scope of state was € 69.44 million. Indebted are also the health care institutions delimited to municipalities and self-governmental regions, as well as those transformed into the non-profit organizations. Their total debt in 2011 reached € 80.93 million.

Slovak Trade Union of Health and Social Services, according to its President Anton Szalay, accepts the newly created trade union of nurses. However, unionist cannot agree with the attacks on the Union from the side of Union of Nurses. He noted that the Union fencers the interests of all employees, not only nurses. He does not consider the cleavage of unions as positive, but he announced that if there will be an interest, his Union will negotiate with the new one. For now, according to his words, Union of Nurses and Midwives refused this step.

Association of health insurance companies in Slovakia considers the words of Prime Minister Robert Fico about the possible end of private health insurance companies as unfortunate and nonstandard. According to the President of the Association the Government should at first notify the shareholders. Those were allegedly not contacted yet. President of the Association also noted that in time of consolidation of public finances the out-buying of shares would worsen our economic situation. 

Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company) and representatives of outpatient doctors has agreed on the form of new contract. This should be according to the conditions of legislation valid for 12 months, price quotations is, however, made only for 6 months. Doctors want to negotiate on its amount again. Based on the agreement the general practitioners will get from insurance company the increasing of payments by 8%. The payments of specialists should be increased by 5%. Agreement also assumes the increasing of the point for prevention.

Net profit of private health insurance company Dôvera last year reached the amount of € 39 million, what means 4% of its total turnover. Preliminary estimates of Healthcare Surveillance Authority (HSA) in March predicted the profit of fewer than € 10 million. The difference was reportedly due to the fact that Office did not have the definite accounting balance in that time. This was allegedly delivered to Office yesterday. Insurance company allegedly reached this profit thanks to the savings on operating costs and from the exaction of old debts. 

Representatives of outpatient doctors again failed to agree with Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company) on signing of the amendments to the contracts. Representatives of doctors refused to accept the 8% increasing of payments of insurance company for the medical performances from July. Insurance company started the negotiations on the level of 6.5%. If doctors accept the newest offer, it would mean the increasing by 15% compared to 2011 and for average outpatient clinic it would mean monthly € 200 more.