Proposal to limit Slovak patient healthcare services and medical payments

2010-02-23

The Slovak Democratic and Christian Union-Democratic Party (SDKU-DS) has submitted to the Slovak parliament a proposal to introduce a limit on the amount of money Slovak patients have to spend on healthcare services and medicines. The proposal suggests that the payment limit should be €120 per person per year and that expenses in excess of this limit should be reimbursed by the obligatory health insurance funds.
The aim of the proposal is to increase solidarity within the Slovak healthcare system. The authors of the proposal, claim that, although the system in theory guarantees citizens free access to healthcare, Slovak patients are paying increasingly substantial sums for healthcare services. For example, between 2005 and 2009 the total patient payment level increased by 72% from SKK 20.4bn (€677.2m) to SKK 35.1bn (€1.15bn), and the monthly spending of chronically-ill patients on partially reimbursed medicines came to €30 per person.
The same authors submitted another proposal to parliament, in which they suggested an amendment to the Pharmaceutical Act which would permit online and distance sales of Rx medical devices. At present, Slovak law allows pharmacies to sell OTC drugs and medical devices by such means.