21 Jan 2009

Health Systems


Primary healthcare in Slovenia is provided by health centres and pharmacies. Health centres offer preventive care (for adults, children, young people), emergency medical services, home care, general medicine, healthcare for women, children and young people, and laboratory and other diagnostic services. Private doctors, different specialists, therapeutists and nurses may also offer primary healthcare services. Everyone selects their own general practitioner and dentist; women also select their own gynaecologists. Generally speaking, healthcare centres have pharmacies from which drugs may be collected. Non-prescription drugs may also be obtained only from pharmacies.
Specialist outpatient activities cover diagnostics, treatment and medical rehabilitation, healthcare support, accommodation and food. Hospitals are of a general or specialist nature. Patients present themselves at a general or specialist hospital on the basis of a referral from their general practitioner.
The most complex forms of outpatient and specialist treatment are carried out by clinics and institutes. In most cases, specialist treatment is free of charge; supplementary payment is required for some services, particularly where private service providers are involved.
The telephone number for the emergency medical assistance and ambulance service is 112.
The extent of coverage of health services and public health care providers is set annually by the Ministry of Health. Where they have compulsory insurance, insured persons can be granted full or partial payment for health services, depending on the service concerned.
In cases where full payment for the service is not provided, e.g. organ transplant and other highly complex operations, fertility treatment), a certain percentage of the costs is covered, about which the patient is informed before the planned intervention.
Disabled persons and those on low incomes enjoy special reliefs when paying for healthcare services where emergency treatment is involved.
In Slovenia you can claim necessary health services with the European Health Insurance Card or other suitable certificate or the health insurance card that is received by everyone who is insured under the compulsory health insurance scheme in Slovenia. Each person confirms the validity of the card themselves using the self-service terminals located in healthcare institutions.