The situation in Slovakia regarding the health of the homeless is critical; however, the state is not dealing with it, wrote the SITA press agency on Monday. The Depaul Slovakia NGO has been pointing to the problem for several months, without a reaction from public institutions, as they have failed to offer a legislative solution, said Zuzana Kuľhová of the NGO.
In February 2019, Depaul Slovakia as well as the organisations Proti prúdu and Equita suggested a change in the law, which would make the homeless automatically state insurees. "We introduced the draft to the representatives of the Health Ministry as well as the Institute of Health Policies and the Bratislava self governing region. In spite of a positive verbal reaction, no particular steps have been taken so far," said Jozef Kákoš, director of Depaul Slovakia. He also added that private health insurance companies Dôvera and Union would support such a draft.
Health Ministry's spokesperson Zuzana Eliášová said in her reaction that the Ministry is open to discussion, adding that the change should not include people who have become homeless because of their own fault.
"The homeless usually have health insurance, however, they are debtors. There are civic associations, which help these people by contacting us with the aim of paying their debts," said Matej Neumann, spokesperson of the Union private health insurance company. "We evaluate each request of this kind individually. If they meet their payment schedule, they obtain the right to full health care. The homeless could be considered to be the state's insurees," said Neumann.
The state owned health insurer Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (VšZP) believes that this group of people would need to be specified in the legislation, to determine, who might be declared to be homeless, and under what conditions. "There is a group of people who do not pay their insurance. Thus, the insurance companies register growing debts, which are impossible to reclaim," said Slávka Gáborová from the state owned health insurer (VšZP). She added that this group of people most frequently needs acute health care and hospitalization. It is subsequently not followed by regular health care, which is necessary in chronic cases.
The Health Ministry stated that each citizen receives health care in life-threatening cases, regardless of their insurance. In these situations, the state insurer pays for the health care and subsequently, the Health Ministry sends the money to the insurer. In Slovakia, apart from state insurees, every person is obliged to pay their health insurance.
No official census of homeless people has taken place. Depaul Slovakia estimates that in Bratislava 4,000 to 5,000 people are "on the street".
