Tag: financing

Wednesday, 14. November 2012, 15:52

Medical trade unionists are against the creation of one health insurance company. They suggest that state should better give money assigned for buying of private health insurance companies for increasing of their salaries. They have declared this on Tuesday in front of the Government Office and brought the request for an early meeting with Prime Minister to the filling room. Prime Minister referred them on this issue to the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská. Doctors expect from January also the third promised increasing of salaries. Government considers this as impossible. 

Wednesday, 07. November 2012, 19:51

Introduction of DRG system in Slovakia will be probably shifted. According to the original schedule, the pilot version SK-DRG 1.0 should have been prepared in spring this year. Then, from January next year, should start the running of DRG on the level of data collection, as well as the education of system users. According to Soňa Valášiková, spokeswoman of the Healthcare Surveillance Authority, which covers the project, office found out that some key components of the system are not completed or works have not even started yet.

Tuesday, 06. November 2012, 18:49

Without systematic changes in healthcare system the loss of three hospitals in the scope of Trenčín self-governmental region will this year reach the amount of € 5.5 – 6 million. This is an opinion of director of hospital in Prievidza, Ladislav Gerlich. Region still wants to get a rid of hospitals in Považská Bystrica, Myjava and Bojnice and return them back to state. According to Gerlich, this is a system problem, as the legislation adjustments of minimum wage claims of healthcare professionals were adopted and the costs of salaries automatically increase the costs of hospitals.  

Tuesday, 06. November 2012, 17:44

Self-governmental regions are selling the last polyclinics. Next year they should all, apart from few exceptions, end up as private or city property. Self-governmental regions started to get clear of these institutions more than five years ago. Somewhere the polyclinics operate under the new owner better, but there are also some examples, when the sale has not ended well. New owner has not kept the doctors in polyclinics in Poltár, Tornaľa or Fiľakovo. This was at the expense of the patient, who has to travel throughout the city to get the health care. 

Tuesday, 06. November 2012, 17:42

Nitra self-governmental region is again trying to sell the hospital in Šala. The offered complex is divided into five parts. Region reduced the prices set by the expertise by almost a third, so the price was totally decreased to € 3.5 million. Main building is currently being used by private doctors. Hospital was until 2010 operated by non-profit organization Forlife, which belongs to the group Agel. The reason of its departure was debts and no contracts with insurance companies. 

Sunday, 04. November 2012, 19:23

Introducing of new payment mechanism, DRG system, does not follow the plan. Healthcare Surveillance Authority is allegedly not able to meet the deadlines agreed with German company InEK. Project is practically still at the beginning and whole schedule has to be forwarded. For all that, in July the Healthcare Surveillance Authority has informed that from January 2013 the live operation of the DRG system should be launched. The resources should have been according to optimists divided among hospitals through the new system in 2014. 

Sunday, 04. November 2012, 16:58

Discussion on improving of the situation in Slovak healthcare system should be according to the Association of Health Insurance Companies opened especially in the question of using of resources, which are directed into the system. The intention of the Government to cancel the health insurance companies is according to the President of the Association, Katarína Kafková, only a camouflage for damping of the discussion on control of finances in the system. As she also mentioned, the amounts assigned for the payments for health care are increasing every year, but patients do not feel the flow of money and therefore the key question is effectiveness of their use.  

Friday, 19. October 2012, 22:37

Healthcare payment of dividend should be higher from the next year. The rate should be increased from current 10% to 14% of the tax base, according to the proposal of the amendment to the act on health insurance, which was shifted by members of Parliament to the second reading. This should be maximally 120 times the average wage. This sum will not be included in total incomes. Amendment should react to the need of consolidation of public finances and overall reducing of deficit of public finances.

Thursday, 18. October 2012, 16:50

If private health insurance companies will agree with state on their out-buying, there is a real risk that it would be at a price higher than their current market value. This was claimed by the Ministry of Justice led by Tomáš Borec. Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská claims that this is only a presumption, which may not be confirmed. Ministry of Justice in the comments on the project of implementation of unitary system of public health insurance warned also of the potential risk of non-compliance with European or Constitutional law. 

Wednesday, 17. October 2012, 21:11

Introduction of the system of one health insurance company is according to the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská not only about the profits. It is according to her more about the fact that Government has an obligation to ensure health care and she thinks that unitary system is a better way. She also warned the opposition members of Parliament, that even though they have questioned the profit of health insurance companies in amount of € 500 million, health insurance companies by themselves have not done that in the interdepartmental commentary proceeding.