PHARE project No 2002/000.610-02 "Ensure the Slovak social security system ready for the settlement of benefits in kind and its harmonisation with Acquis" - completed

Information on project closure PHARE No 2002/000.610-02

On 30 September 2004, the successful project at PHARE No. 2002/0000610-02 entitled "Ensuring Preparation Public Health Insurance system to apply the Acquis on Cooperation of Social Security Schemes" was successfully completed. /Ensure the readiness of the Slovak social security system for the settlement of benefits in kind and its harmonisation with Acguis/. The project was implemented between 1.4.2004 and 30.9.2004. The project was fully covered by the Phare pre-accession fund, coordinated by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, the Department of Foreign Assistance Project Unit and the beneficiary of the aid was General Health Insurance Agency, entrusted with the tasks of the so-called Liaison Body in the Slovak Republic.

The aim of the project was to train the responsible staff of the General Health Insurance Agency in order to be able to perform all functions and activities of the Liaison Body in the conditions of implementation and application of Regulations No 1408/71 and 574/72 in the Slovak Republic.

Activities of the project were implemented through seminars and workshops on the following topics:

- Amendments Regulation 1408/71, unification of health care claims and simplification of access to its absorption within the EU, application of Article 19 of Regulation 1408/71 in relation to the family members of a person insured in Slovakia due to the absence of family type health insurance in Slovakia, the tasks of the competent authority (MZ SR) and the competent institution (health insurance).
- European Health Card
- Management of Health Care Forms Series – 100
- The tasks of telematics. Technical Commission. Telematic processes used in BUILD 5.
Standard formats for data exchange. Technical infrastructure for telematics exchange. Technical procedures for processing claims and liabilities in the Liaison Body.
- Cost reimbursements. System for calculating average healthcare costs in EU Member States /Regulation No 574/72/. in the agreements on speeding up payments: characteristics, proposals for a new Regulation.
- Composition of the Court of Justice and its competence - Procedure for the work of the Court of Justice - Special importance of preliminary rulings - Role of the national courts of the Member States - Regulation 1408/71 and freedom to provide services.

The individual seminars participated from 30 to 50 staff according to the focus of the topic. The seminars were preceded by a study trip attended by 8 representatives of all five Slovak health insurance companies. Its aim was to familiarise participants personally with the practical implementation of social security coordination in the Spanish system, its structure and organisation.

The project's output is a guide for health insurance staff, which contains important information and procedures for healthcare claims in the European Union. The manual was issued in a cargo of 1000 pieces and distributed to all health insurance companies.