IntoBalance 09/2008 (english)

Receipts from cash registers may have to be issued by the doctors either. Ministry of Finance hopes that this step can bring more money to the state budget. Currently, cash register in outpatient clinics has not to be used, although patients there pay in cash and the doctors should pay taxes of this cash. Doctors do not like this proposal. If this measure enters into force, doctors announced increasing of fees. Doctors now collect cash money from patients for acts that health insurance company does not pay them. Electronic cash register is not used, so patient just has a ticket of receipt. To check actual income of physicians is therefore not possible.

Slovakia won one of the arbitrations with the owner of health insurance company Union, the Dutch company Achmea. Achmea has appealed to the arbitral tribunal due to Robert Fico´s Government intention to introduce a single insurance company. Achmea argued that it is a violation of international treaties for the protection of investments. The Dutch company tried to avert the following purchase or expropriation of private insurance companies by state. How much Achmea sued Slovakia for, it is clear. The amount should Achmea quantified in further proceedings. The Dutch company now has to pay costs in the amount of 340 thousand euros and legal costs of Slovakia. The Ministry of Finance quantified these costs to over one million euros.

Slovaks will not have electronic insurance card from 2016. eHealth project is again postponed. According to new estimates should start in 2017. Ministry of Health cancels the tender for over 40 million euros excluding VAT on the software solution for the National Health Information System (NHIS), which is necessary for the computerization of healthcare. The tender was also attacked by the one of the unsuccessful candidates, so Public Procurement Office is solving the situation. The Ministry points out that given the time delay in the project the spending of EU funds might not be done. In this case, there is threat that all funds have to be returned.

In Slovakia is currently in process 220 clinical trials for new drugs. According to health insurance companies, the most frequently clinical trials are on treatment of cardiovascular, oncology, pulmonary and gastroenterological diseases. The most common are studies that last for about two years. Age of participants for clinical trials is unlimited. Children were tested mainly on the vaccination, but also on medicines for hypertension, asthma, skin diseases or rare diseases as cystic fibrosis or sclerosis multiplex.

According to survey realized by private health insurance Dôvera between its 3,500 policyholders, patient satisfaction with inpatient hospital decreased year on year. Patients rated the hospitals like the schools, marks from one to five. Hospital services and medical care received an average mark of 1.7, last year it was 1.6. Became worse the teaching, general and specialized hospitals. According to director of Dôvera, there may be two explanations for the situation. Patients may be more exacting, and thus critical. At the same time the survey included more younger patients which tend to be more critical. Least satisfied people are with stay in teaching hospitals.

Compared to 2012, the number of suicides, according to the National Health Information Center (NHIC) increased by 57 to a total of 628 cases. The highest number was in 2008, when it was 631 people. Last year was also reported 972 suicide attempts. Overall, the number of intentional self-harm – suicides and attempt of suicides together – in 2013 raised to 1,600 cases, as compared to 2012 is an increase of 11 cases. In a long-term view, the choice of “voluntary” death is mainly elected by men. Last year it was 544 males and 84 females.

In late June, the owner of health insurance company Union, a Dutch company Achmea, has paid one million for loss arbitration with Slovakia. Achmea challenged Slovakia´s intention to introduce a single insurance company. Amount was nominated by the International Tribunal. Tribunal decided that because Slovakia has not introduced one insurance company yet and has not expropriated private health insurance companies, he cannot effectively decide. Achmea reciprocally expects that the Slovak Republic will pay the amount attributed to Achmea, as the decision by tribunal in the previous arbitration is also final and binding, states Achmea.

In next four years should be the people from Michalovce city and its surrounding residents treated in a modern hospital. It will be built by company Svet zdravia, backed by a financial group Penta. On the project is cooperating also Kosice city and Kosice higher territorial unit. A new health pavilion will be built in the area of today's hospital. Construction costs are estimated at 34 million euros. The new hospital will offer 186 rooms; 80 of them will be single. Rooms will have a mobile wall and, if necessary, can be magnified. For example, when a multiple accident occur bed capacity at the Department of Traumatology will increase at the expense of Surgery Department and vice versa. Flexible beds capacity will range from 301 to 381.

Health care facilities owed at the end of May 2014 on premium to Social Insurance Agency over € 98.6 million. Since the beginning of the year their claims increased by € 12.3 million. Claims of state medical facilities reached 64.9 million euros. Monthly increased by 1.7 million euros. The increase of receivables due to non-payment is recorded in the Bratislava University Hospital, Bratislava  Children's Hospital and the National Transfusion Service. Debts of transformed medical facilities accounted more than 33.7 million euros. Per month thus increased by € 286,000. The increases of receivables arising from non-payment of monthly premiums were recorded at the six facilities.

New Bratislava University Hospital could be ready for patients at the end of 2017. Its construction should take a year and a half. This results from the feasibility study, which was partly published by the Ministry of Health. This study cost 720 thousand million, excluding value added tax and was paid by Ministry. After the withdrawal of study by the government, the Ministry begins to choose an investor that will build and operate hospital. The new hospital will also serve to provide education and research. Hostpil should be built in the area of Hospital of st. Michael located in Patrónka. According to initial calculations by the Ministry of Health announced before the actual study, the hospital should cost around 250 million euros.