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Analysis of Institute for Financial Policy (IFP) on the effectiveness of Slovak healthcare, according to Association of Health Insurance Companies, confirmed that a unitary system of public health insurance will not save the system Association of Health Insurance Companies appreciated that state brought to debate technical arguments. President of Association Katarína Kafková said that until now it was only about political statements and enjoy that Ministry of Finance admits that the announced expropriation will not solve the problems of Slovak health care. As she noted, the analysis could not clearly identify the reasons why the increasing of resources in health care did not manifest in better health. She also pointed out that the analysis also proved greater efficiency of private health insurance companies.
The problem of Slovak health care is not about whether there is one or are more insurance companies, but its effectiveness and in defining of legal rights of policyholders on what they have covered by public health insurance. It is a politically sensitive issue, said in a discussion former Minister of Health Rudolf Zajac. According to Zajac, we can expect the nationalization or creating a state monopoly of distribution companies and also the state monopoly on pharmacies because the drug policy creates far more profits than health insurance companies. As he also noted, we can also be witness of the nationalization of private doctors and private hospitals, because of they are making profit.
According to the statement of Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenska, government will not get healthcare into debt by creating a single health insurance company. To purchase or expropriate private health insurance companies will not use money intended for providers and patients. She has responded to the former Minister of Health Ivan Uhliarik (KDH), who said that any government has no right to debt the healthcare for decades. Zvolenská advocates creation of a unitary health system by argument that new system will provide greater satisfaction with healthcare. Plurality system, according to her, brought only chaos. Zvolenska also stated that in case of creating a one health insurance company is not worried of arbitration.
The second attempt to get a report on Arbitration by the opposition party SDKÚ failed. SDKÚ required submission of report on a lost arbitration with shareholders of Union health insurance company to Parliament. For proposal of SDKÚ party leader Pavol Frešo voted only 59 of 142 attending members. The first request for a report did not pass the on Tuesday. For the second attempt Frešo has decided in the light of new information that Slovakia may lose in arbitration up to € 750 million. According to Chairman of SDKU Frešo, Government have to inform the public through the members of Parliament about the real state of Arbitration.
Institute for Financial Policy (IFP) at Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic has published an analysis of the effectiveness of health care called "A little health for a lot of money." The results of the analysis described our health care as ineffective and also point out that degradation of health continues. According to the analysis, due to the low efficiency of system, the life expectancy is on average about a year shorter than the average of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. The analysis further indicates that state insurance company has the highest cost per patient, while payments for hospitals are often at minimum level. In the context of a unitary system, IFP analyses did not found a strong general argument for a system of one or more insurance companies for all OECD countries. However, analysis also did not say that in the Slovak conditions it would not help.
If Slovakia would not succeed at domestic and arbitration courts, the state would have to pay the provisions of shareholders of health insurance companies almost € 750 million. That would be a bill for a Fico´s first government Act, which banned the profits to the shareholders. Slovakia has lost only one arbitration with the owner of the Health Insurance Company Union - Achmea company till now. Slovakia has to pay as compensation € 22 million and € 3 million for court costs. Together with the payments for advisory services of lawyers, the amount rises to more than € 40 million. Achmea originally asked for more than € 60 million, but the arbitral court admitted to Achmea € 20 milion.
The owner of Union Health Insurance Company, Achmea company, declined comments of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and the Ministry of Finance that the judgment of the International Court of Arbitration is not legally binding. Achmea insists that the verdict is legally binding and enforceable and Slovakia cannot appeal against it. Spokesman of Dutch company Bert Rensen although informed that it is not certain that Slovakia may or may not appeal the decision, but after reviewing the decision, the company today confirmed that it is final and binding for Slovakia.
The decision of the arbitral tribunal in a dispute between shareholders of Union Health Insurance Company and the Slovakia in case of ban of profit of health insurance companies will not deter the Slovak government to introduce a Unitary Health Insurance System. As confirmed by Prime Minister Robert Fico, a decision contrary strengthened the intention to create a one health insurance company. International arbitral tribunal arbitrated that the state must pay to private company € 22 million as compensation, which should has arisen due to the so-called ban of profits for health insurance companies. Slovakia should also pay court costs and fees associated with the arbitration in total amount € 3 million.
Defeat of Slovakia in arbitration court may also affect the other lawsuits in Slovakia. The shareholders of Health Insurance Company Dôvera and extinct European Health Insurance Company also claim damages from Slovakia. Slovakia has lost the international arbitration over Achmea company - the shareholder of Health Insurance Company Union. The reason of defeat was the act of Fico's first government, which restrict to pay profits to shareholders of health insurance companies. According to arbitration, economic damage of Achmea caused by this Act was € 22 million.
The head of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Pavol Paška (Smer) despite the negative judgment believes that SMER acted correctly in the case of banning the profit of health insurance companies and the same decision he would support today also. According to him, the government will do everything necessary so as to Slovakia would not have to pay compensation in amount € 25 million to shareholders of Union health insurance company due to decision of the International Arbitration Tribunal. As Paška justified, the ban lasted about three years and saved at least 200, maybe 250 million to Slovak health care, so money have not been chosen by shareholders, but stayed in the healthcare.