Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development

System of Health Care in Slovakia

The healthcare system in Slovakia falls under the competence of the Ministry of Health. In Slovakia there are state and private health care providers.
Everybody can choose a GP who usually provides basic health care and can refer a patient to an appropriate specialist for further medical examination.
There are two types of health insurance: public health insurance (statutory or voluntary) and individual health insurance. Public health insurance covers the following benefits in full or to a partial extent, depending on specific conditions: diagnostics, treatment and preventative care, outpatient and inpatient care including rehabilitation, compulsory vaccination, provision of drugs, medical aid and dietetic food, spa treatment can be provided upon the recommendation of a doctor, where such care is an inevitable component of the treatment procedure.

As for hospitals in Slovakia, there is at least one hospital in every city and several health centres. Highly specialized hospitals are situated e.g. in Bratislava, Martin, Banska Bystrica and Košice.

Emergency operates in every hospital from afternoon till morning and at weekends 24 hours. Emergency medical service is operational 24 hours 7 days a week. The phone numbers are 112 and 155.
Health care in Slovakia is financed by health insurance.

Types of Health Insurance

Health care in Slovakia is financed by health insurance. Health insurance in Slovakia is obligatory and shall be paid by every citizen of Slovakia. The insurance fee is deducted from the wages. Medical insurance for children, the disabled and women on maternity leave is paid by the state. Medical treatments for administrative purposes are also paid by the patients. Price lists can be found in every health centre.

Dental treatment in Slovakia is usually not fully covered by health insurance and many dentists in Slovakia do not have contracts with health insurance companies. In this case, patient covers the full treatment himself. Operations and hospital treatments in Slovakia are also covered from the health insurance. Most medications are partially covered by the insurance; some medications are even fully covered while others are only available full payment. Antibiotics and many other pills are only available on doctoral prescription.

Types of health care insurance:

  • Mandatory general health care insurance: The general health care insurance policy holders are provided with the health care and all related services in compliance with the conditions stipulated by the relevant legislation (especially the Act on Health Care Insurance).
  • Optional (voluntary) general health care insurance: This insurance is available to all individuals residing in the Slovak Republic who do not need to have a mandatory health care insurance, and in case the current Slovak legislation allows them to be insured voluntarily.
  • Commercial health care insurance: The commercial health care insurance policy holders are provided with the health care services as agreed in their policies. Commercial health care insurance policies are subject to special legislation (Civil Code). The scope of the health services is stipulated individually either as a basic health care available to foreigners who cannot be insured by the public health care insurance; or a supplementary insurance (more than standard health care) or a combination of both previously mentioned.

Since January 2006, all health insurance companies issue to their clients the European Health Care Insurance Card (“Európsky preukaz zdravotného poistenia”). It substitutes the E111 Form, which was used until the end of 2005.

The biggest insurance companies in Slovakia:

  • General Health Insurance Company (Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa)

 http://www.vszp.sk/showdoc.do?docid=399

  • Dôvera Health Insurance Company

http://www.dovera.sk/ (just in Slovak language)

  • Union Health Insurance Company

http://www.unionzp.sk/ (just in Slovak language)

Mandatory Insurance: Who must be insured in Slovakia

Mandatory health care insurance policy holder is basically any individual who has a permanent residence in the Slovak Republic, unless otherwise stipulated by the law.

A third country national (outside EU/EEA) becomes mandatorily insured after receiving a permanent residence permit in Slovakia and fulfilling the conditions stipulated by the Act on Health Care Insurance.

Mandatory general health care insurance also applies to an individual, who does not permanently reside in Slovakia, if he/she is not covered by the health care insurance policy in another EU member state, and at the same time:

  • is employed with an employer registered in Slovakia or which has a permanent establishment in Slovakia and is covered by the company health care insurance policy/ pays insurance premiums
  • is engaged in an independent gainful activity in Slovakia
  • is a pension applicant in the Slovak Republic
  • is receiving a pension in Slovakia
  • has been granted an asylum status (generally, after being granted the asylum such an individual receives a permanent residence status, when he/she becomes mandatorily insured)
  • is a student from another EU member state or a third country, studying in Slovakia according to the international treaty
  • is a foreigner and a child residing in Slovakia without his/her legal guardian or an individual responsible for his/her upbringing and is provided a health care in an establishment where he/she was placed according to the court decision
  • is a foreigner detained in Slovakia
  • is serving a remand or his/her term of imprisonment.

Health care during stay at SUA

Everybody in Slovakia can chose his/her own doctor. Student at SUA have an option to choose a doctor (you can find a list of doctors on http://www.zzz.sk/?mesto=Nitra
GPs and dentist have usually working hours from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm., but they can vary. It is usually essential to book an appointment with a dentist and some doctors in advance.
http://www.hhdental.sk/

Hospitals and policlinics in Nitra
There is a Faculty Hospital in Nitra. The address is Špitalská 6, 950 01, Nitra,
phone: +421 37 654 5111.

General practitioners and medical specialists are in two policlinics in Nitra (Fatranská street 12, Nitra and Hviezdoslavova street 1, Nitra) and in health centres which you can find in many places in Nitra.

Emergency
If you need emergency services (“pohotovosť” in Slovak), dial telephone number “112” or "155". Ambulances are well staffed and equipped with life sustaining apparatus needed to safely transport patients to hospital. Hospitals provide 24 hour emergency services.
Some emergency health care providers can be found at http://eng.nisys.sk/?id_menu=5673&firmy_slovenska_flag=0

Health insurance during your stay at SUA:
All foreign students must buy their health insurance before their arrival in the Slovak Republic. Insurance must be valid for the entire EU. The document confirming health insurance must contain also information that the insurance is valid in the Slovak Republic.
Foreign students from EU countries are recommended to bring European Card of Health Insurance from their home countries.

What is European Health Insurance Card? 
For entitlement to medical treatment on the basis of health insurance in another Member State (EU, EEA, Switzerland), an EU/EEA national must present a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to the health care provider. (EHIC shall be issued at your request by a health insurance company to which you pay health insurance premiums.) In such a case, the treatment of an EU/EEA national will be covered by a Slovak health insurance company in the same amount as to a Slovak national, provided the relevant physician has concluded a contract with at least one health insurance company.
Dental treatment in Slovakia is usually not fully covered by health insurance and many dentists in Slovakia do not have contracts with health insurance companies. In this case, patient covers the full treatment himself.

Pharmacies
Medications are sold in pharmacies. There are many pharmacies in Nitre, especially in the city centre and near the health care centres. The pharmacies in Slovakia have good stock of medications and drugs. Pharmacies are usually open from 7.30 am till 4 pm. There is always one emergency pharmacy in Nitra which is opened 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — for further details consult the information posted on the door of every pharmacy.
You can find list of pharmacies (in Slovak: Lekáreň) in Nitra on this webpage:http://eng.nisys.sk/?id_menu=32931&firmy_slovenska_flag=0