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Reducing the limit of operation costs of health insurance companies, planned by the Ministry of Health, does not mean that saved money will increase the expenses on health care. According to the private health insurance company Dôvera there are not known rational reasons why the ministry is acceding to this change. State-owned Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa has allegedly no problem with the drafted reduction of the limit. Another private insurance company Union (Eureko-Group) is being neutral.

Increased payments for outpatient doctors, announced by the Association of private physicians, is not a result of current negotiations. Outpatient doctors acquired the increasing of payments by fulfilling of the agreement concluded with Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa in July 2011. The state insurance company promised that doctors, who are the members of civic association Zdravita, will get the increased per-capita and the price of point in case that they will reduce the amount of prescribed pharmaceuticals by 5%. The project will run until July 2012 and its results are evaluated quarterly.

State-owned Emergency and transport medical service Bratislava is in high loss and its management is considering to end the provision of transport of patients without doctor and the termination of contracts with health insurance companies. This step may have impact on all citizens in Slovakia, as there are the top hospitals in Bratislava. If the company terminates contracts with health insurance companies, patients will have to pay full amounts for the transfers.

National Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases in Bratislava opened new Centre for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Director of the Institute received the decision about the establishment of the Centre from the Ministry of Health at the end of the year. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare chronic disease characterized by progressive increase of blood pressure in pulmonary artery. In regard to the uniqueness of the disease, its serious prognosis, complicated diagnostic procedures and specifics of the treatment is the diagnostic and therapeutic process focused in the specialized centres, such as the new one in Bratislava.

From the beginning of 2012 there should be 52 new pharmaceuticals on Slovak market. Now, the reimbursement list issued by the Ministry of Health contains 5 515 drugs. More than half of them are fully reimbursed without any patient's co-payment. Head of the MoH pharmaceutical policy department claims that copayments are increasing only in group of pharmaceuticals without clearly proven and confirmed effect according to the recent medical studies or in cases, where producers did not reduce the price while there are alternatives to these pharmaceuticals with no or socially acceptable co-payments.

Ministry of Health does not refuse the dialogue with the representatives of emergency ambulances, which do not like the proposal or reducing of their payments. According to its spokeswoman MoH will carefully analyze each comment and considers the dialogue as benefit. Association of Emergency Medical Services called the ministry on Wednesday for the common negotiations, as well as the suspension of action until the meeting will take place. According to the Association the emergency ambulances would have to cut their cost and save, which may have negative impact on patients.

Healthcare Surveillance Authority and German Institute for payment system in hospitals finally agreed on declassification of the price resulting from the contract on cooperation in the development and implementation of DRG system in Slovakia. Contract price in amount of € 1.666 million will be paid in four instalments, while Healthcare Surveillance Authority will pay the first one from its budget. Financing is planned from the budget of Authority and from the state budget.

Year 2013 should bring real benefits in the form of computerization of medical services and processes. These should, according to Ministry of Health, increase the quality of health care of citizens, ensure the cost saving in the system, but also reduce errors and mistakes and bring higher satisfaction of citizens with the healthcare. Program of implementation of eHealth continues with the first implementation phase. Main project of this phase will create the bearing part of the National Health Information System.

Ministry of Health submitted a proposal for reducing of payments for emergency service to find additional resources for increasing salaries of doctors in hospitals. To meet the expectations of doctors, ministry will need about € 35 million this year. Ministry is looking for resources in pharmaceutical policy but also in emergency services. Minister wants to adjust the price of care provided by emergency ambulances and the price per kilometer of ride of emergency service. It is expected that this could bring annual savings in amount of about € 4.7 million. Revenues of emergency ambulances would decrease by about 12%.

Ministry of Health is planning to decrease payments for emergency medical services from February. The representatives of providers of these services do not ruled out legal proceedings against Slovakia for damages. Association of Medical Emergency Service criticized, that two years after tendering for four-year license for operation of emergency service the reimbursement rules are changing. Association called on Minister Ivan Uhliarik to cancel the proposed price measures, as well as for joint discussion. Providers of emergency want to introduce Minister their own ideas about the possibilities of saving in this segment.