Health Ministry Launches Health-care Sector Reform

Bratislava, August 10 (TASR) – The Health Ministry is launching a reform of hospitals, the outpatient sector and the functioning of health-insurance companies in order to regulate their profit-making, Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky (an OLaNO nominee) announced on Tuesday, adding that the draft is yet to undergo inter-departmental review.

“We’re starting this way a discussion with all relevant entities, so we believe that we’ll be able to improve the law even more, especially outpatient health care and specialists,” said Lengvarsky. It will be a law on the categorisation of institutional health care.

Health Ministry State Secretary Jana Jezikova pointed out that Slovakia has the least general practitioners per capita. According to her, 314 general practitioners for adults and 137 paediatricians are currently missing. The high average age of doctors is also a problem.

“The ministry will offer financial support for the launch of new outpatient departments for young doctors, which they will draw gradually during the year,” said Jezikova. A total of €10 million from the recovery plan has been set aside for this purpose.

The law should also regulate the profits of health insurance companies. The proposal at the same time defines the minimum percentage of premiums collected that insurance companies must use for health care.