Citizens without health insurance, expect to have five years.

Kosovo citizens continue to have no health insurance. The current law regulating this issue approved in 2014 has found no implementation, but the same law with changes is intended to proceed in the Kosovo Assembly next year.

However, the Association for Patients' Rights (PRAK) is sceptical that it can move positively about health insurance before 2026, after mentioning shortcomings in legal infrastructure. However, settling this issue would also serve the health system itself.

The deputy chairman of the Vetevendosje Movement -- once chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for Health -- Fatmire Kolcak said the current government is very interested in quickly proceeding the bill with changes to the vote.

According to her, however, the Law on Health Insurance must precede the functioning of the Health Information System.

The current government is very interested in proceeding this bill in the Republic of Kosovo's Parliament but complete and changed because it is necessary to have the opportunity to implement it. What is needed to precede is the real health information system, which has also been piloted, has had misuse of funds, and so far we still don't have a literal health information system that should precede the implementation of the Law on Health Insurance.

The legislative strategy for next year envisions the proceedings of the Health Insurance Bill met and changed. What remains is that, in the meantime, work on the implementation of SSH and the ministry is being taken very seriously even with the feasibility study for SSH because we need evidence”, she stressed.

For the possibilities of implementing this skeptical law, Muhamedali Kodra has been expressed by the Association for Patients' Rights.

Kodra says many sublegal acts, regulations and institutional preparations are needed to start implementing this law.

Therefore, it says that even with the most serious commitment of institutions, it will not be achieved for Kosovo's citizens to enjoy health insurance 5 years ago.

We lack a lot of sublegal documents, we lack regulations, administrative acts that need to be regulated and prepared to pilot institutions and then reflect on the law. There's been five years that are constantly trying to change the law when nothing else we haven't worked on is vital if this law is passed today or left after 1 year it won't change the situation...

We don't even have the Information System that collects data and acumulates data but we don't have to have the national health account that processes that it's a challenge itself, we have the staff absolutely unprepared for this issue of how we're going to calculate them, how we're going to pay them, so we're completely in the mist. He's been talking about the basic package for 10 years and we're at the point where we've been 10 years ago... in the government's best will and most serious engagement five years ago we can't expect it's not real”, Kodra stressed for the KP.

Kosovo University Clinical Hospital Service Director Valbon Krasniqi said implementation of the Health Insurance Law should be a strategic goal of the Ministry of Health.

Krasniqi said that through health insurance the overall functioning of the health system in the country would also improve.

The Law on Health Insurance is also a very important law for establishing a sustainable financing of health services and building a security in citizens to obtain quality health services. Of course, we should not create expectations and miracles even if the Health Insurance Law is adopted but that we must wait and it is real to expect that the functioning of this Fund will stabilise and improve the overall functioning of the health system in the country”, Krasniqi said.

The need for this law to be passed on to Yusuf Azemi, chairman of the Independent Private Sector Union.

While listing some of the remarks they have in this law, Azemi said that private sector workers would find it easier to access health services that have unaffordable costs for them through the Fund.

We, like the Kosovo Private Sector Unions in this law that thinks to be amended, have our remarks because in one article it says that if a three-month worker doesn't pay health insurance and loses his right even if he's paid 10 years in a row, so it's a refrain for us because it's known we own companies that often delay our salaries by 5-6 months and we lose that right. For private sector workers, it would be more than necessary, as they are in a very serious state, and often it happens that for a very simple treatment it costs more than the wages it takes so every moment lost to us is very important and we hope that this law comes as soon as it enters into force”, he said.

Kosova Prees has called for a position on the health insurance issue even from the Ministry of Health, but the same have not returned.

For the first time, a Law on Health Insurance was adopted in 2007, but the same one has never entered into force because the then chief of government had never entered into force. UNMIK did not sign it. After declaring independence a year later, the law was withdrawn due to the budget. The new Law on Health Insurance was passed in 2014, but it was never implemented. Currently, those citizens who have health insurance are provided only through private companies. / KP