Slovak Ombudsman proposes mandatory specialist placement by insurers

Slovak Public Defender of Rights, Róbert Dobrovodský, has proposed a legislative change to address the widespread difficulty patients face when attempting to secure appointments with medical specialists. Currently, patients often face long waiting lists or must pay for private care despite paying health insurance. When patients cannot find a doctor, insurance companies typically only provide a list of specialists for the patient to contact themselves.

Dobrovodský’s proposal, submitted during the commentary process for an amendment to the Act on Healthcare Providers, seeks to establish a legal right for patients to have a specific provider secured for them. Under this plan, health insurance companies would be legally obligated to identify and arrange a specific specialist for a patient upon request. This move aims to address the high volume of complaints regarding the unavailability of outpatient healthcare services.