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Tag: health insurance companies
Contracting the physicians – specialist by the state-owned General health insurance company (VšZP) should be changed the next year. The biggest health insurance company will prolong their contracts until the end of 2014; however, the price terms will be in force only until March. According to the director of health insurance company Marcel Forai there is no plan of cancelling the current contracts with physicians yet. There will be just new settings for the criteria for contracting new physicians and new rules for ordering the health care. The goal is a fairer remuneration of specialists on the basis of more transparent criteria. The state insurance company wants to contract the physicians according to the amount of working hours and not according to number of physicians. As Forai pointed out, e.g. in the Bratislava region the VšZP has contracted 27 endocrinologists; however, from the point of view of working hours it is only 23 physicians.
Government of Slovak Republic has again discussed the creation of one state-owned health insurance company. Information about the fulfilling of the timetable of its implementing, does not state when the Ministry of Health Care could introduce the transformation law. The law which should have already been in force since May has not even been officially introduced by the ministry. When this will happen is not certain. According to the minister of health care Zuzana Zvolenská the law is ready, however, the date of proposing it is not determined yet because first it is necessary to resolve the question if financing. The tender for an advisor has not been announced yet as well. It should have already been finished until April. Ministry has already introduced its conditions and it should be announced after the disclosure of the law.
The health insurance company will change since the next year almost 110 000 people. The most successful in the re-insuring campaign was state-owned General Health Insurance Company (VšZP). Whereas in the preceding years the insured in VšZP were plummeting, VšZP will gain insured since 2014. Conversely, private Union health insurance company after many years for the first time has recorded a decline in the number of insured. As further stems from the results of re-insuring which were made public by Health Care Surveillance Authority (Úrad pre dohľad nad zdravotnou starostlivosťou – ÚDZS) compared to previous year the most insured, almost 10 000, will lose Union health insurance company. On the other hand, more than 9 000 insured will gain VšZP and 807 people will gain private health insurance company Dôvera.
State-owned General Health Insurance Company (VśZP) will in the coming months examine how many of the physicians – specialists are available for the patients. And not only from the point of view of geographical availability but also capacity availability. The result should be that specialists will get conditions which they have to fulfil in order to obtain a contract with the insurance company. General Health Insurance Company will focus on the physicians who run their private outpatients’ department only on part time. At first sight is the network of specialized outpatients’ departments oversized, however, in reality patients many times cannot get an appointment with the physician when they need it. Therefore the director of General Health Insurance Company has stated that they will not contract the number of physicians but the scope of opening hours.
The European Commission initiated an examination of whether the state gave its insurers illegal state aid. The initiative of investigation was given private insurance company Dôvera in April 2007. Already non-existent Joint health insurance company (JHIC) (Spoločná zdravotná poisťovňa) merged with the General Health Insurance Company (VšZP). The Commission examines the repayment of JHIC debt by state joint-stock company Veriteľ from 2004 to 2005. Debt was repaid in two instalments - one in the amount of 52.7 million euros and the other 28 million. According to Dôvera HIC, in 2006 JHIC should get subsidy from the Ministry of Health of € 7.6 million. The Commission examines also fact, that in 2010 state has paid capital increasing of amount € 65.1 million of General Health Insurance Company.
8 July, 2013 was approved Transformation Act by board of the Minister of Health. Even in June, the Unitization Company had to ask Public Procurement Office to check upcoming procurement for consultant. Transformation Act, which would have been payable from May has not been official presented by ministry yet. When it does so, it is not clear. According to Communications Department of Ministry, the law is ready but the deadline for submission is unknown. Similarly, the public procurement which should come to an end in April was not pronounced yet. The Ministry has introduced its condition and pronouncement should be after the disclosure of mentioned Act.
Together 16 universities, teaching hospitals and several institutes whose directors are appointed by the Ministry of Health cancel the contract with Union health insurance company. According to Union, cancellation from them came in late June at a same time. With three of them agreed new contracts later. Contracts with 13 facilities are still valid, but expire 30 September. This is the last day, when people can exchange health insurance company. Union argues that the large hospital get together against it. Therefore wants to turn at the Antimonopoly Office. Office should investigate if hospitals are not abusing market position. The insurance company is according to law compulsory to conclude the contract with state hospitals and institutions. They are part of a terminal network, so insurance companies have to conclude contracts with them.
Voluntary health insurance is an additional health security to public health insurance. It is used primarily to cover the costs for extra services. The market for this type of insurance is in Slovakia underdeveloped. Only 0.2% of the financial resources of the health sector in Slovakia comes from private health insurance plans. The main reason for this situation is not defined basic package of health services covered by public funds.
Health insurance companies ended last year with a profit of 90 million euros. Compared to the same period in 2011 its profits increased by 36 million euros. This result from the report from Healthcare Surveillance Authority submitted to the Government. The largest profit reported insurance company Dôvera - 47.86 million euros. State General Health Insurance Company has been in the black € 26.340.000 and Union insurance company € 15.980.000. Total income of insurance companies amounted to 3.85 billion euros, which, compared to 2011 is increased by 239 million euros. Expenditure of insurance companies also increased. Compared with last year it was by 34 million. The highest share of all costs were costs on health care, nearly 91 per cent.
One health insurance company should in Slovakia arise later as originally planned Robert Fico. According to forthcoming transformation act, insurance companies will be merged into one in January 2015. The previous statements of the Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenska showed that the main terms would not delay. According to spokeswomen of ministry, specific dates will ministry published in interdepartmental comment procedure. Transformation Act, which would have been payable from May, was not officially presented. Similarly, the tender for consultant has not begun. It should to come to an end in April.
