The Ministry of Health in cooperation with health insurance companies, providers and other interested parties regulates the implementation of the Optimization of the hospital network. The National Council of the Slovak Republic approved a legislative change, which also regulates some elements of the law on the categorisation of institutional health care. The main objective is to use all resources from the Recovery and Resilience Plan for the benefit of the patient.
In the process of implementing the Optimisation of the hospital network, several legislative limitations have been identified along with the sector. For the long-term success of this reform, it is necessary to obtain the required data, create a process area and buy enough time to implement it. Correction of the law will ensure a higher quality for the patient and the entire medical system.
Minister for Health, Zuzana Dolinková stresses that the hospital reform remains valid, only selected parts and deadlines are moved at a time to be logically linked. The Ministry also communicates with the European Commission and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for the Recovery and Resilience Plan of Peter Kmec. ... The priority remains that resources from the Recovery and Resilience Plan must under no circumstances be compromised. The hospital network remains valid, i.e. hospitals remain classified according to valid decisions issued by the Ministry of Health and published on the website of the resort. Health care is reported and paid under the new system;The Minister for Health said.
Comprehensive technical implementation of waiting lists is underway, virtually all hospitals and many day care providers are already experiencing waiting times and the spectrum of medical services is gradually expanding. The Ministry of Health continuously communicates with healthcare providers, health insurers and hospital system suppliers. By the end of April, providers reported more than 67 thousand proposals for planned care to health insurance companies in a total of more than 400 different medical services. We stress, therefore, that there is no change from the patient's point of view at this key point and that the patient's entitlement will come into effect 1.1.2025.
The Minister of Health added that the amendment of the Act also provides for the possibility of issuing a so-called categorisation decree during the year. The Ministry plans to issue an amendment to the Categorisation Decree on 1.7.2024, where it will correct the biggest shortcomings. –At the same time, the comprehensive amendment of the Ordinance on the categorisation of institutional care in cooperation with the professional public requires a longer period of time, in which parts of it are re-examined on the basis of experience from its practical use;Zuzana Dolink explained. The amendment allows health insurance companies temporarily until 31.12.2024 to contract medical programmes more flexibly in addition to the final decisions of the Ministry of Health.
As long as a new categorisation decree is issued, the decision on hospital claims is postponed. However, the Ministry assures hospitals that all requests received will be assessed and it will be possible to supplement them during the year.