FZO: Prices in the Liv clinic are lower and up to 20.000 euros

Regarding the text "Patients are sent to two Turkish clinics for the same services", published in "Vijesti" on September 10, the Health Insurance Fund responded.

We transmit the reaction in its entirety.

"Due to the tendentious claims that were published on Friday in your newspaper that the Health Insurance Fund of Montenegro allegedly concluded a harmful and unnecessary contract on business cooperation with the LIV clinic, for the sake of truthfully informing the public, we announce the following: The claims made have no basis in reality. On the contrary.

In order not to leave room for different interpretations, we are obliged to first of all inform the entire public with the facts related to the method of contracting and the reasons for establishing cooperation with this clinic.

The Law on Compulsory Health Insurance stipulates that for health services that cannot be provided by health service providers in Montenegro with whom the Health Insurance Fund has concluded contracts, the Fund directly concludes a contract with a health institution outside Montenegro, with the consent of the Ministry of Health. It is a well-known fact that in accordance with the needs expressed by the health care system of Montenegro, which have been in deficit for many years, the Fund has concluded contracts with clinics both in neighboring countries and with clinics from Germany, Italy and Turkey.

The largest number of these contracts refer to the most specialized and specialized healthcare institutions of the Republic of Serbia, to which insured persons are referred, for treatment that cannot be performed in our healthcare system.

Contracts with other foreign health institutions (Turkey, Germany, Italy) were concluded on the proposal of certain clinics of the Clinical Center, or on the basis of the offer of the health institutions themselves, and the assessment that they offered services that are not provided in Montenegro, and for which there is a need for by referring insured persons to those types of treatment.

The contract on business cooperation with the LIV clinic was concluded in accordance with the law, for services that are not provided by the health care system of Montenegro, with the prior consent of the Ministry of Health. On this, as well as on other issues related to the quality and availability of health care for patients and insured persons, there is an absolute agreement between the Health Insurance Fund and the Ministry of Health. That this is so is confirmed by the results of work in numerous areas, and we will mention only a few: adopting a new list of medicines, covid certificates, contracting relations with private pharmacies, contracting relations with institutions outside the network of health institutions, etc.

Driven primarily by the need for quality care for our insured, and only after that by the economic factor, which is also important, we are of the opinion that concluding a contract with the LIV clinic is justified. We consider this topic extremely important and it is inadmissible for the public to speculate about the economic justification for concluding this contract, especially if it is taken into account that the offered prices of services in this clinic are lower on average by 50 to 20.000 euros compared to other clinics with which we had signed contracts up to that moment.

In accordance with the provisions of the Rulebook on the method and procedure of referring insured persons for treatment outside Montenegro, the competent councils of the Clinical Center of Montenegro propose the referral of insured persons for treatment, propose the method and type of treatment, the health institution, suggest a means of transport during the trip and make a proposal for a companion to the insured face. The conclusion of this contract did not cause the termination of cooperation with any clinic that has a contractual relationship with the Fund, but only expanded the possibilities for doctors and medical commissions to refer their patients to the clinic that is most adequate for their treatment based on medical indications.

In the process of concluding the contract, the Health Insurance Fund complied with the legal procedure, publicly and transparently completed the contracting procedure without the intention of harming any individual or any institution in the country and abroad. The Fund is determined to contribute to the improvement of health care through its work, in order to provide all citizens with conditions for treatment according to standards that are worthy of a person in the 21st century", the Fund concluded.

The journalist's answer in tomorrow's issue.