Certain types of medical care must be provided to you free of charge, but you may have to pay for others.
Free medical care
You should receive the same type of free medical care in prison as other general community based on health insurance. In general, each person must pay health insurance in Slovakia. If not, only emergency medical care will be provided to you.
While in prison, the State will pay health insurance for you so you are entitled to the same quality and scope of medical treatment as other people.
Therefore, you are entitled to the following medical care free of charge but based on health insurance:
- all emergency medical care (including emergency dental care), whether the treatment takes place at a medical institution within or away from the prison
- all primary medical care provided by a prison doctor (general treatment by a prison doctor where specialist treatment is not needed)
- secondary medical care provided by a prison doctor, or if necessary, a doctor outside the prison (specialist treatment such as a gynecologist, surgeon etc.)
- medication prescribed by a doctor covered by health insurance
You are also entitled to basic medical devices (such as prosthetics, a wheelchair etc.) which satisfy your minimum needs if required.
If a medicine, treatment or other medical aid is indicated by a doctor in a prison or hospital, a prison will provide you with funds for the purchase them in the amount of the specified additional payment for particular medicine, treatment or other medical aid.
Choice of paid treatment
You are entitled only to scope of free medical care covered by health insurance. The State is not obliged to pay for treatment that you wish to have which is medically unnecessary. It is up to you and your financial opportunities to pay for medical care that is not covered by health insurance.
example If the doctor says that there are 3 different types of pills you could take and only one is covered by health insurance, you may choose pill not covered by insurance but you have to pay for it.
How to complain
If you believe that the medical care provided to you was insufficient or inappropriate, or you were asked to pay for medical care that should be free, you may submit a complaint to the Health Care Surveillance Authority.
The complaint must be submitted in writing and must be signed. It must also include the name and surname of the applicant, the name of the medical facility and a detailed description of the problem. The Health Authority shall notify the applicant in writing of the commencement of supervision. However, the deadline for its completion is not set by the law.