BRATISLAVA, April 14, (WEBNOVINY) — The junior member of the ruling center-right coalition, MOST-HID, is convinced that introduction of direct payments for health care is a more effective and, above all, a more goal-directed solution to the current state than introduction of individual private health insurance. The party presented its view in a statement on Thursday. The party MOST-HID supports an introduction of direct payments in health care facilities, but only on the condition that laws and rules are respected, so that the rights of patients to health care and their access to medical treatment do not decline, especially for the chronically ill or financially disadvantaged people, the party explained.
At the same time, the party points out that based on the law, health care facilities cannot demand payments from patients for what is covered from public health insurance by health insurers. However, the party is concerned about whether the regulation is observed or will be observed. They also rejected the suggestion that fees to be paid by patients should be set by the health care facilities individually. In its statement, MOST-HID stated that the main rule should be stipulating a ceiling for such fees. In its opinion, this will prevent the measure from having negative impact on chronically ill patients.
Marginal fees were introduced in the Slovak health care system in 2003 by then Health Minister Rudolf Zajac. He is currently chairman of the Program Council of Civil Conservative Party (OKS), which has four deputies in parliament, who got there on the candidate list of MOST-HID. After the change in power, the Cabinet of Robert Fico cut some of the fees to zero, so patients did not have to pay to see a doctor or for hospitalization. However, fees for medical emergencies, transfers by an ambulance as well as for prescriptions were upheld. Currently, several organizations in the sector are calling for reintroduction of these fees, such as the Association of Slovak Hospitals and private practitioners and specialists.
Incumbent Health Minister Ivan Uhliarik has repeated on several occasions that he is not a supporter of direct payments but rather of individual commercial health insurance, which was also included in the program statement of current government. In its program statement the government pledged to support development of commercial health insurance, which would cover costs of medical procedures above the frameworks of health care covered by public health insurance, as well as other services related to provision of health care.
SITA