Slovenia expands mandatory health insurance programs

The Slovenian government has issued an amendment to the Decree on Mandatory Health Insurance service programs for 2026, aimed at improving healthcare accessibility. Key expansions include primary care services such as family medicine, women’s clinics, physiotherapy, and child psychiatry. The amendment also increases funding for elderly care facilities in 468 locations.

On a diagnostic level, the decree expands services for the Health Center Maribor to include 3,500 annual MRI scans and increases PET-CT scan capacity at the Ljubljana Oncology Institute to 1,800 scans. Additionally, the government is implementing a payment model based on the number of completed orthopedic procedures across the public health network to reduce waiting lists.

Health Minister Tadej Ostrc stated that these changes are designed to direct resources where patients need them most, potentially benefiting nearly 16,000 insured individuals. He emphasized that strengthening primary care is essential to reducing pressure on hospitals and emergency centers. The ministry is also drafting legislation for a state fund to finance advanced treatments for rare childhood diseases.

Separately, the government has proposed Professor Verica Trstenjak as the candidate for the European Union’s Special Representative for Human Rights.