BRATISLAVA, January 3, (WEBNOVINY) — Cancellation of sickbeds or whole departments will presumably continue in hospitals in Slovakia also in 2012. Health insurance companies indicate that they will again reassess and if needed revise their network of health care providers. Analyst of INEKO think tank Dusan Zachar welcomes these plans. “Slovakia ranks among the OECD countries with the lowest effectiveness of its health care system, while with the overall number of hospital sickbeds as well as acute sickbeds per 1,000 citizens, Slovakia exceeds the OECD average,” Zachar said for SITA news agency.
Last substantial optimization took place in July 2011 when the state-controlled health insurance company Vseobecna Zdravotna Poistovna (VsZP) did not seal contracts with approximately 150 hospital departments, which meant cancellation of almost 4,000 beds. Private health insurer Dovera also implemented changes in the network of contracted health care providers at that time as well. “Practical experience confirms that enhanced support to one-day, outpatient and stationary heath care, merging of departments as well as concentration of demanding treatment in specialized centers was the right move. VsZP is convinced that there is still space for further optimization in Slovak hospitals, especially where duplicate or parallelly operated departments and clinics exist,” said insurer’s spokeswoman Petra Balazova regarding plans of the biggest health insurance company in the Slovak Republic with over three million clients.
The private insurer Dovera responded that modifications in the network of health care providers are introduced every year. “The insurer regularly evaluates results of its contractual health care providers, conclusions from revisions, inputs and complaints of the insured and we also analyze needs in regions and modify contracts accordingly,” clarified PR manager of the health insurance company Zuzana Hornikova. Union insurance company responded similarly: “We will continue monitoring the quality of individual health care providers, evaluate and relevantly respond to securing health care based on the health care related needs of our policyholders in 2012,” said insurance company’s spokeswoman Judita Smatanova.
Prime Minister Iveta Radicova and Heath Minister Ivan Uhliarik have confirmed the need for optimization several times as well. Radicova informed that the Health Minister was instructed to submit a rationalization plan for the network of health care providers and propose strict measures for hospitals’ operation. “I have already seen the draft plan and it is to be implemented in some hospitals in the foreseeable future,” the Prime Minister said for SITA on December 19, 2011.
SITA