Last year, the healthcare sector recorded a total debt of €1.46 billion; up almost 6 percent year on year, according to a Health Ministry report submitted to Cabinet on Wednesday. The most significant upsurge in liabilities was recorded by healthcare facilities administered by the Health Ministry, due to increasing costs with the labour force and overdue debt to providers. Total overdue debt amounted to €791.1 million, up 22 percent in annual terms. Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini reacted to the report by saying that private companies profit from doing business with state hospitals, while Deputy Health Minister Stanislav Špánik hopes that the recently launched debt settlement plan would improve the situation. Suppliers of special medical material have complained against the plan to the Constitutional Court. The suppliers, together with the social insurance company Sociálna poisťovňa, are hospitals' largest creditors. They find the scheme discriminatory as it imposes financial haircuts for those who want to join.
According to a report by the Value for Money project, operated by the Finance Ministry, last year saved €80 million in the healthcare sector; less than a half of the expected goal. Most money was saved in drug overconsumption (€22 million). The government's analysts pointed to the fact that the money saved was supposed to be used for inpatient facilities, however, only €13 million was invested in this field. Most of the money saved was used to decrease the debt of the state health insurance company from 2017, reads the report.
