Tag: health insurance companies

Control in the hospitals and outpatient clinics is saving health insurance companies an appreciable resources. In 2011 it was € 237 million for all three health insurance companies together. Compared to previous year the financial effect from controlling activity reached the increasing by almost € 69 million. For all that, lower number of employees of health insurance companies than in previous years was needed for their controls.

Health insurance company Dôvera handed over the data, which will serve for the elaboration of the predictor of chronic disease (PCG) into the reallocation. At the same time, however, Dôvera pointed out that this is sensitive information about policyholders and Ministry of Health still publicly did not confirm the security of the data. Information contains for example the information on the consumption of pharmaceuticals and on the diagnosis of each individual citizen.

Minister of Health, Zuzana Zvolenská, wants to present the intention to create one health insurance company in Slovakia in very short time and she did not exclude that it will happen next week. How concretely could this issue be solved, however, the head of department did not want specified. She only admitted that one of the possibilities is the buying-out of private health insurance companies. But there still may be more options.

Association of Health Insurance Companies considers the Prime Minister's declarations on dealing with private health insurance companies and direction to state insurance company as ill-considered and highly populist. According to the President of the Association, this is a breaking of political capital at the expense of private insurance companies, which are in accordance with the law and consistently ensuring the health care for 1.8 million policyholders. By the timing of such statements the Prime Minister is, according to her, trying to distract from real problems of the healthcare system.

Dôvera will this year have to pay the instalment in amount of more than € 25.8 million from almost € 180 million loan. From this loan were paid the liabilities against shareholders. Last year the operation costs of Dôvera reached € 26.5 million, an amount identical to the one, which insurance company will have to pay this year only for the instalment. Health insurance companies, however, have the statutory limit on how much they can spend on their operation. In 2011 Dôvera could have spent on its administration up to almost € 40 million.

Private health insurance company Dôvera has last year taken a long-term loan in amount of € 179.5 million. This should have been provided by the consortium of banks, of which name was, according to the bank secrecy, not betrayed. Part of these resources insurance company used for the payment of liabilities to shareholders. The loan is allegedly not being paid from the resources intended for health care.

Member of Parliament Daniel Lipšic criticized the intention of Prime Minister Robert Fico to merge the private health insurance companies with state Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (General Health Insurance Company). According to him the out-buying of the health insurance company Dôvera would be suitable for Penta, its owner. He claims that without fair competition between several interested parties it is impossible to achieve the real market valuation of Dôvera. This creates a huge space for backstage agreements, corruption and provisions. According to him, this move would be a present for Dôvera shareholders.

While health insurance companies are reporting profits, patients are still waiting for some examinations or planned operation for months. Patient organization calls on insurance companies to make first step forward the transparency of waiting lists system. This should be the publishing of waiting times in particular hospitals for diagnostic procedures or operations. Health insurance companies defend from it and do not want to publish the waiting times, until the law tells them to. Ministry of Health, however, intends to wait, until the need of change of the law will be shown by the practice.

Healthcare Surveillance Authority is currently exercising a control over all three health insurance companies. Control is focused on the contractual relationships. Authority is allegedly targeting the price conditions, fulfilling of the network and contracts related to the € 50 million reserve. More information will be provided by Healthcare Surveillance Authority after completion of inspection.

Association of health insurance companies in Slovakia considers the words of Prime Minister Robert Fico about the possible end of private health insurance companies as unfortunate and nonstandard. According to the President of the Association the Government should at first notify the shareholders. Those were allegedly not contacted yet. President of the Association also noted that in time of consolidation of public finances the out-buying of shares would worsen our economic situation.