Slovak Ombudsman warns of gaps in healthcare oversight law

Slovak Ombudsman Róbert Dobrovodský has issued a warning regarding a proposed amendment to the law on healthcare providers. The amendment, drafted by the Ministry of Health, seeks to limit state oversight regarding the refusal of specialized medical care. Currently, the proposal would restrict the ability to verify why specialists refuse patients, limiting such oversight primarily to general practitioners, dentists, and gynecologists.

Dobrovodský has requested a revision of key paragraphs to prevent specialized clinics from being entirely excluded from state control. He suggested that the responsibility for monitoring the refusal of care should be entrusted to health insurance companies rather than local governments.

In a related development, the opposition party SaS, represented by MP Tomáš Szalay, has proposed that health insurance companies should be legally obligated to find doctors for patients. This proposal aims to shift the burden of securing medical appointments away from patients and local governments, aligning with recommendations made by both the Ombudsman and the Bratislava Self-Governing Region.