Doctors have still not reached agreement with the state-run health insurer Všeobecná Zdravotná Poisťovňa (VšZP). Though the insurer has offered them a payment increase of 8 percent, which is about four times higher than any previous rise, doctors are still demanding a rise of 20 percent, Health Minister Zuzana Zvolenská said after negotiations with doctors’ representatives on July 3.
“VšZP’s offer means that another €1.5 billion will be released into the health-care sector each month,” she said, as quoted by the TASR newswire, adding that though the doctors agreed to extend their contracts with the insurer until September, this postponement would not lead to anything.
“Do we want patients to be traumatised like this every three months?,” she asked.
Zvolenská reminded patients that they do not have to pay any fees when visiting doctors and reminded them that VšZP has committed itself to pay even for health-care procedures carried out by doctors who do not have any contract with the state-owned insurer, TASR wrote.
Meanwhile, the opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) party criticised Zvolenská for what it called her idleness in dealing with the current situation.
The party, which nominated the previous health minister, Ivan Uhliarik, said Zvolenská’s approach had affected the current problems involving the absence of contracts between doctors and the VšZP, TASR reported.
Meanwhile, the SITA newswire reported early on Wednesday, July 4, that doctors had accepted the VšZP compromise proposal. As well as increasing payments by 8 percent, both sides agreed to increase payments for preventive examinations of children and adults.
Sources: TASR, SITA
For more information about this story please see: Health minister urges patients not to pay a user fee for doctor visits
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
