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Tag: health insurance companies
Former head of state General Health Insurance Company (Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa - VšZP), Marian Faktor, received in April, short time before his departure, the bonus in amount of € 14 229. According to the spokeswoman of the insurance company, under contract on his function the variable component of the bonus for performance of function depending on reaching profit of insurance company in 2011 was paid to him. In approximately 19 months of his function Factor earned totally about € 220 000. He had a monthly salary in amount of € 6 500 and the bonus € 3 220 for holding of the function of Chairman of the Board of Directors. Besides that he received 3 bonuses.
Ministry is in these days definitely deciding on the prices of pharmaceuticals, which will enter into force from June. Since then the pharmaceuticals in Slovakia should be the second lowest in the frame of European Union. Health insurance companies should therefore this year save tens of millions of euros. Recent estimations count on the savings in amount of about € 40 million. Health insurance companies should, however, save money also due to further measures in pharmaceutical policy.
Using of € 50 million reserve will not solve the crisis situation with increasing of healthcare professionals salaries permanently. Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská is, despite this fact, not afraid of the problems with planned July and January increasing of salaries of doctors. There will be, according to her, enough money for it. Salaries should be covered by higher payments for state policyholders or the stricter regulation of the profits of health insurance companies. Ministry plans to tighten up and modify the conditions, under which the insurance companies may keep their profits.
The effectiveness of the amendment to the act on health insurance, which should implement the new mechanism of allocating of premiums between health insurance companies and ease the reporting of solvency of insurance companies, is to be shifted. Originally it should have entered into force at the beginning of June, but in June it will only be in the second reading in Parliament. Act should allegedly enter into force around mid-July. This shifting will, according to the Ministry of Health, not affect the new reallocation of premiums, which should bring more money to state General Health Insurance Company (Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa). Money from new reallocation will come to insurance companies as was originally planned, ergo in October.
Restrictions of the profit of health insurance companies might not bring any effect. Thanks to accounting operations the insurance companies may have shed millions of euros from collected premiums to their shareholders without breaking the law. Such step is to be found in the accounting of the private insurance company Dôvera. Company got the approval for this from the former management of the Healthcare Surveillance Authority.
Minister of Health agreed with insurance companies that they will give money from € 50 million reserve in state budget in full amount to the hospitals and outpatient clinics, which need them to cover the higher wages of healthcare professionals. State, however, can not force private insurance companies Dôvera and Union to forward all apportioned money to health care providers. State has such a power only in case of state owned Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company). Minister thus received from the association of insurance companies only the verbal promises. The written agreement in the form of common memorandum is being prepared.
Association of Hospitals in Slovakia calls for increasing of the next year's payments for state policyholders to 5% of average wage. This would prevent the repeating of the current critical situation in healthcare system with the lack of financial cover for mandatorily increased salaries of nurses and doctors. Association also plans to request the Parliament to adjust both acts – on wage conditions of doctors and nurses, as they are non-systematic and not financially covered.
Health insurance company Dôvera does not expect profit in 2012. Insurance company plans to use all the resources from health insurance on the health care, with the exception of the resources for its own operation. Despite this fact, increasing of payments for hospitals will not be enough to cover the costs of mandatorily increased salaries of nurses (from April) and doctors (second phase of increase from July). Dôvera will negotiate on the specific increasing with the Association of Hospitals in Slovakia in May, new condition should apply from June.
Representatives of regional non-state hospitals negotiated today with the private insurance company Dôvera. The reason was seeking for financial covering of the mandatorily increased salaries of nurses and midwives. Both sides agreed to continue in negotiations on possible adjustments of contract from June. Dôvera, however, at the same time pointed out that there is a lack of resources in the healthcare system.
According to the Minister of Health, Zuzana Zvolenská, with no additional funding from the state, the healthcare system is threatened with the collapse. Zvolenská said, the state-owned Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company) may increase the payments to the health care providers by € 3 million per month. There is, however, a need of € 11 million monthly to cover the mandatorily increased salaries; next year it will be € 15 million. Predecessor of Zvolenská, Ivan Uhliarik has a different opinion and claims that from May this year the health insurance companies will save € 41 - € 49 million on purchasing of cheaper pharmaceuticals.
