Members of the OR SR approved the amendment of the Act No. 578/2004 Coll. from the workshop of the Ministry of Health. The new legislation discussed by Parliament in the accelerated legislative procedure allows the emergence of a new coronavirus in a crisis situation epidemiological offices for patients with COVID-19 disease and regulates the establishment mobile sampling points.

Both of these types of new medical facilities will carry out flexible biological material removal and health care for those suspected of COVID-19.

Epidemiological offices should only be established in regions where this is necessary due to the epidemiological situation at the request of a higher territorial unit. The alternative is also an initiative by the self-governing region, which can ask the Ministry of Health to decide that the epidemiological practice will be temporarily carried out by the holder of an outpatient emergency service permit. This would use existing structures, premises and material technical equipment. Everything will depend on the current epidemiological situation. It will also be based on the emergence and subsequent number of epidemiological offices, most of which should be as many as those of fixed outpatient emergency services, i.e. approximately 137 (based on National Health Information Centre data). One epidemiological clinic is already established at the Faculty Hospital Nitra, which we consider a positive initiative solution in the region. Collections of biological material for COVID-19 disease will also be able to be carried out, where necessary, by a professional soldier of the armed forces, who is a healthcare professional.Medical devices will be able to receive personal protective work equipment at a time of crisis from the holders of medicinal products, the wholesale distribution of medicinal products, pharmacies or pharmaceutical companies. The amendment also addresses the procedure if during a crisis situation the patient could not enter the spa care. If spa care has not been provided during a crisis situation to the person to whom the proposal for spa care has been made and the doctor authorised to apply for spa care confirms, at the request of that person, within two months of the withdrawal of the emergency situation, the need for spa care to limit the spa care provided in the indication (Annex No. 6) is not taken into account.Next year, public health insurance will fully cover dental care services This is the case even if the insured person did not have a preventive examination this year. Amendment to the Law on the Allows temporary traineeships to third-country nationals during a crisis situation after recognition of evidence of qualifications which do not have a recognised professional qualification. Hospitals will thus be able to strengthen staff advice so that they can provide healthcare even if the number of hospital patients increases radically. Also

regulate certain aspects of the training of health professionals.Several obligations on insurance payers are also regulated. In view of the delay in the deadline for filing tax returns for 2019, the amendment also shifts the deadline for the annual clearance of premiums until 31.10.2020 as well as the annual accounts paid by the State until 23.11.2020. The insured person's application is deemed to have been signed even if the insured person who has been ordered a quarantine measure after returning to the territory of the Slovak Republic has not signed the application and sent it electronically to the health insurance company.

Statement of arrearswhich has acquired legal validity and enforceability during a crisis situation shall not become an enforceable title until the eighth day following the withdrawal of the crisis situation. Where objections to such a statement of arrears have been raised by the eighth day following the withdrawal of the crisis situation, they shall be deemed to have been lodged within the statutory time limit.

In the event of a crisis, the insured person may also be shown to be provided with a healthcare provider, including

(a) proof of the insured person displayed in the mobile application of the health insurance undertaking, if made available by the health insurance undertaking;

(b) stating his birth number.