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19-03-2021

Injury account — nearly EUR 4 million for affected patients

Iliustracija

The medical institutions paid 3.8 million euros last year to a special bank account that accumulates contributions for compensation for damage caused to the health of patients. Of these funds, 6.4 thousand euros were paid out to compensate patients for damages.

According to the National Health Insurance Fund under the Ministry of Health (NHIF), which administers the payment account for damages to patients, out of 3881 personal health care institutions (PHCI) the overwhelming majority — 3127, paid the contribution last year. 350 PHCI indicated that they gained no income for the provision of healthcare in 2019 and therefore did not pay the contributions. Most of them are social care institutions, medical offices of large companies and factories, dependent on internal funds and providing healthcare only to their employees.

Last year 264 medical institutions owned by the state and municipalities have paid the largest contributions to the damages account — 2.6 million euros, 2,822 private capital PHCI — 1.2 million euros, 41 public institutions — about 9 thousand euros.

The annual contributions amounting up to EUR 100 were paid last year by 1,526 institutions — their contribution was 58 thousand euros (1.5 percent of the total amount of contributions paid). The annual contributions, which were more than EUR 50 000, were paid by 13 institutions with a total contribution of EUR 1.5 million (39 per cent of the total amount of contributions paid).

NHIF urges medical institutions to fulfil this financial obligation more actively this year, not to be late with contributions. Last year, NHIF specialists repeatedly had to remind about the need to pay contributions. Especially since delays are threatened with severe sanctions — penalties and even suspension of the license. The NHIF informs the State Accreditation Service for Health Care Activities under the Ministry of Health about the PHCI that do not pay or delay payments of such contributions. Thus, at the beginning of January this year, operating licenses were suspended in almost 200 medical institutions.

Last year, NHIF received four decisions of the Commission for Detection of Damage to Patient Health on compensation of EUR 6 440 for non-material damage to patients. Money was paid out during the reporting period. It should be noted that most of the decisions taken by this Commission in 2020 were examined according to the old version of the law, because the damage was caused in 2019 or 2020. Since then the PHCI still paid civil health insurance, the damage was compensated from this source of funds. Thus, this year the amount of funds paid to patients from the account administered by the NHIF will increase.

The NHIF reminds that amendments to the Law on Patients' Rights and Compensation for Health damages, which established a new procedure for resolving disputes and compensation of damages to patients, entered into force on 1 January 2020. The law states that damages caused to patients are compensated from an account administered by a government-authorized institution, which accumulates contributions from health care institutions for damages compensation. As mentioned above, the government authorized NHIF to administer such an account. The NHIF is also tasked with paying damage compensation to patients and performing other functions regulated by legislation.

The damage compensation contributions are paid by medical institutions in quarterly instalments. The Law on Patients' Rights and Compensation for Health Damages provides that small medical institutions, i.e. the ones providing family medicine, supportive treatment and nursing services, are to pay 0.1 percent of the income of the institution for the provision of services, rendered during the previous calendar year, all others pay — 0,2 percent.

Information on income received during the calendar year from personal health care services, the percentage of the contribution rate applied and the amount to be paid to the special account shall be provided by the medical institution's to NHIF by 31 May each year. The compensation for damage to patients replaced the civil insurance previously paid by medical institutions.

The first instalment must be paid before 30 March of the current year.

The NHIF invites you:

Your questions are welcome by email [email protected] or phone: local (8 5) 232 2222, international +370 5 232 2222.

Last updated: 27-05-2021

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