Tag: health insurance companies

Investment group Penta should in a short time become the only owner of largest private health insurance company Dôvera. Until now it has been sharing the property exactly in half with Cyprus holding company Prefto Holding. Penta has, however, agreed with Prefto shareholders on the purchasing of its 50% share. The reason is allegedly the disagreement between the shareholders of both companies. Price paid by Penta will not be published. Whole transaction has to be approved by Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic.

Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa - VšZP(General Health Insurance Company) is planning to spend € 420 000 on advertising. It has ordered the TV, print and radio advertising, as well as billboards and benches in the frame of campaign for the change of insurance company. This way it wants to fight for the clients of private health insurance companies, who may chose it until the end of September. If VšZP is successful, Dôvera and Union would thus have a lower value, if state will buy them. 

All three health insurance companies operating in Slovakia have in the first half of this year reached the profit. The biggest profit was reached by state Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company), which by the end of June showed the profit in amount of € 17.9 million. According to its spokeswoman, however, this insurance company has reached lower profit than was expected. It was affected especially by spending of higher amounts by the healthcare providers in the season of increasing of salaries of doctors and nurses.

Ministry of Health will according to its spokeswoman not do any anti-campaign, which could reduce the price of private health insurance companies. This was the reaction of the Ministry to the statements of the representatives of opposition political party Most-Híd. According to them state would need only a fraction of the total price of health insurance companies to reduce their market price through the campaign. Opposition party also accused the social democrats that by the creation of one health insurance company they are only going to do their business.

Slovak Medical Chamber likes the project of one health insurance company on the market. Its boss Marian Kollár claims that before this would be introduced, it is neccessary to take several steps. He wants to talk about them at first with Prime Minister Robert Fico and Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská. According to the President of the Chamber the current system of public insurance does not meet the expectations of the society. Slovak Medical Chamber thus according to him supports the introducing of one health insurance company.

Health insurance company Dôvera began with sending of annual settlement of insurance to first 50 000 clients. Further settlements will be sent by this insurance company on the date chosen by its policyholders. Dôvera plans to make totally 170 000 of them. Clients can find the result at their home address or at the address of their employer. Detail calculation can be found also on the website of insurance company.

Consequences of the failure to pay insurance are becoming more serious for policyholders. Last year the penalties for late payments were tightened by the law. Now, moreover, Dôvera came with the mechanism, which will ensure that bad payers will not get their planned interventions. Dôvera thanks to the online reporting system of hospitalisations – HospiCOM, knows about the planned hospitalisation in advance, so Dôvera can warn the hospital about the non-payer and thus the health care will not be covered.

Health insurance companies are annually registering hundreds of reimbursement treatments abroad. As explained the spokeswoman of Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa - VšZP (General Health Insurance Company), Dana Gašparíková, their policyholders travelled especially to Czech republic, Austria and Germany. Similar countries are registered also by private health insurance companies Dôvera and Union. Policyholders were treated for example also in USA, Switzerland or Hungary. Insurance companies last year approved totally 746 proposals for treatment out of Slovakia. Most were approved by VšZP – 544, followed by Dôvera with 166 and Union with 36.

Union believes that health insurance sector with several insurance companies is more effective than system with one insurance company with no competition. Board member of Union, Boris Masloviec, specified that shareholder of the insurance company – Dutch health insurance company Achmea is analysing the steps of Slovak Government and has already informed Government on its displeasure and disapproval. According to general director of Union, Roman Polák, the Government's argument for creation of one insurance company which relies on profits from health insurance is irrelevant. 

Private health insurance company Union today repeatedly declared its intention to remain on Slovak health insurance market. According to director of Union, Roman Podolák, the policyholders do not have to worry about anything and Union will take care of them at all times. He pointed out that discussion on the creation of one insurance company should not be the reason for the change of insurance company for anybody. He mentioned that if Government or Všoebecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company) indicate something else, it might be considered as unfair competition.